Outreach Training Institute is offering scholarships and job placement assistance for its Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) training program to those who qualify as low income and meet certain other criteria.
Through a grant, those who are unemployed or earning less than $20,000 per year are able to enroll in the program located in Richmond Hill, Queens. In addition to free tuition, students receive career development guidance through services including resume-writing workshops, vocational assistance, internship and career placement, and much more.
Since September 2014, OTI has also been providing skill-building workshops on study skills, clinical writing, and practice on electronic health records. These new workshops, all offered on the same campus, will not only prepare OTI students for the workforce, but help them keep and advance in the ever-changing field.
The scholarships are meant for low-income students and/or those with limited education, particularly those with a high school diploma or GED. Such candidates may be unemployed, working at low wage jobs, on public assistance or re-entering the workforce after a period of disability.
To date, more than 2,000 people have taken advantage of the high quality training at Outreach. A large percentage have already graduated and moved on to jobs in the treatment field as substance abuse counselors.
To qualify, students have to meet the following criteria:
- Prior and current year annual income of $20,000 or less, or unemployed during that period (must be documented).
- A high school diploma or G.E.D (documentation required).
- Residency in the five boroughs of New York City.
- Other eligibility criteria
All applicants must also take a TABE reading/writing exam and participate in an interview.
The grant program will support scholarships for students with the following:
- 350 hours of classroom and hands-on training over tracks of 8- or 11- months, leading to fulfillment of all the course work required by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) for Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASAC).
- Preparatory workshops and one-on-one advisement on career development
- Internship and Job Placement Services and post-graduate follow-up assistance.
- Introduction of new skill-building workshops, which include: basic writing and computer skills, clinical writing, and practice for Electronic Health Records
- Student advisement on attendance and course-related matters, and individual meetings with students on a monthly (or more often, if needed) basis.
- Comprehensive test-prep services to prepare graduates for the State CASAC Exam, including: regular study group sessions facilitated by senior faculty, one-day test prep courses on test-taking and study skills, etc.
Outreach, a non-profit organization, is a premier provider and champion of quality, life-changing drug and alcohol abuse care. Since 1980, Outreach has provided the New York Metropolitan area with unmatched substance abuse treatment and training services, specializing in residential and outpatient programs for teens, intensive daytime treatment for women and women with children, adult outpatient treatment services, and training of professionals for careers in treating addiction. On an annual basis, Outreach offers care and treatment to nearly 2,000 individuals and families; upwards of 300 students participate in training activities.
For more information about Outreach, visit www.opiny.org.
For more information about scholarships, please visit the Outreach Training Institute
