Overview

Chance for Change is an OASAS-licensed outpatient substance-use treatment program, uniquely designed to serve individuals who are homeless or formerly homeless and battling substance-use disorders.

Our small, welcoming clinic environment and holistic, trauma-informed, harm-reduction approach allow clients to seek treatment free of judgment or stigma. Individual counseling and group sessions help clients address not only substance use and co-occurring mental health issues but other life areas as well, including homelessness and housing, unemployment, relationships, medical conditions, and more.

We are a free resource for your clients with a proven track record of helping our clients become stably housed.

History

Chance for Change’s program design was informed by clinical research NCS conducted between 2000 and 2009 to more specifically pinpoint the challenges faced by dually-diagnosed individuals. Our research on chronically homeless adults identified the prevalence of specific personality disorders, several of which occur at much higher rates than among individuals in mental health and substance-use treatment programs who are not homeless. Our work was published in Comprehensive Psychiatry and Journal for Personality Disorders. 

today

Chance for Change is located on the Upper East Side and operates with a clubhouse model, with clients coming to the clinic not only for individual and group counseling sessions but also to spend time in a drug-free environment with others who are on the same path to recovery.

Our clients come primarily from shelters, supportive housing, and the streets. You can literally come as you are, and we will work with you to take whatever steps you are ready and able to take toward stability. All of this also supports their successful transition to permanent housing.