Overview
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday announced a four-year, $12 million plan to recruit 500 state-certified peer recovery workers.
- Peers are people in long-term recovery who complete standardized training and will do street and program outreach to enroll New Yorkers in care.
- The money comes from settlements secured by Attorney General Letitia James and will flow through contracts to seven groups across the five boroughs, including Phoenix House, Exponents, the Fortune Society, Odyssey House, Samaritan Daytop Village, and Community Health Action of Staten Island.
- City data show overdose deaths fell from recent peaks, including a reported 29% drop in 2024, yet rates remain higher in parts of the South Bronx and Harlem and among older Black New Yorkers.
- The initiative extends a shift toward community-based providers begun under the prior administration and supports the city’s goal to reduce overdose deaths by 25% by 2030.