Odyssey House is proud to be among the organizations selected to receive funding through Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s $12 million citywide investment in peer-led substance use recovery services.
The funding — drawn from the City’s Opioid Settlement Fund — will support the certification and employment of peer specialists across New York City’s five boroughs.
Over four years, the investment is expected to create 500 new peer specialist positions through community-based organizations, including Odyssey House. Funding will go toward staffing, mobile outreach, peer certification training, and scholarships, and expanded enrollment in recovery services.
Peer specialists are people with their own history of substance use disorder who draw on lived experience and professional training to help others access care, build coping skills, and navigate crisis. Research consistently shows that peer-led programs increase engagement, build trust, and improve recovery outcomes.
Mayor Mamdani noted that peer specialists “understand what recovery looks like because they’ve lived it themselves,” and that their leadership will help more New Yorkers “find care, stay connected and build stable futures.”
“Peer support has been at the heart of Odyssey House’s work for more than five decades,” said Dr. Peter Provet, President and CEO of Odyssey House. “We are grateful to Mayor Mamdani for this investment, which will allow us to deepen our outreach, grow our peer workforce, and reach more New Yorkers who need and deserve support.”