Sen. Gillibrand announces legislation that would provide $25M to addiction support services

As the United States continues to grapple with the opioid crisis, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pleading for help for families whose loved ones are battling addiction.

News 12 Staff

Jan 10, 2020, 10:35 PM

Updated 1,573 days ago

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As the United States continues to grapple with the opioid crisis, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pleading for help for families whose loved ones are battling addiction.
Five years ago, Jessica Stalteri gave birth to her son Lorenzo, only to have him ripped away as she fought an opioid addiction. She then headed to Cornerstone Family Healthcare's Center for Recovery in Newburgh and got her son back a few months later.
Now, Stalteri is celebrating five years of sobriety.
"If I didn't come here, I don't think I would be alive today, and it's scary to say that," says Stalteri.
It was in the place that saved Stalteri's life that Sen. Gillibrand announced the bipartisan Family Support Services for Addiction Act, which will not only help those battling addiction, but their families too.
"We have to address the addiction crisis in this country, in our state," says Gillibrand. "And we have to support our communities. Our organizations. And our families."
If it's approved, over the next five years a total of $25 million will be given to various nonprofit organizations who apply for the money to use it for personnel, outreach, education and more.
"What we would be able to do with this funding is help those families who are most fragile and most afraid," says Linda Muller, of Cornerstone Family Healthcare.
 


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