SARANAC LAKE — A new scholarship program is available to help cover the cost of college for students pursuing careers as addiction service professionals.

North Country Community College has partnered with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports to create the Addiction Professionals Scholarship Program.

Funded by the state’s Opioid Settlement Fund, this program covers the cost of tuition, fees, textbooks and Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor application and exam fees. Eligible candidates will also be offered a paid internship at a participating program.

“I am incredibly excited about the Addiction Professional Scholarship Program at NCCC,” said Kathleen Dowd-Maloney, chair of the college’s Human Services department. “There is an immense need for addiction counselors across New York state and particularly in the North Country. The Addiction Professional Scholarship Program offers a chance for individuals to obtain accessible, quality education and direct fieldwork experience. I am hoping to see as many people as possible take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Addiction Professionals Scholarship is open to New York state residents who are at least 18 years of age with a minimum of a high school equivalency diploma and who are employees of one of the following programs, which will be prioritized to receive scholarships:

¯ OASAS-certified, funded, or otherwise authorized programs;

¯ OMH and/or DOH-certified integrated outpatient services; or

¯ DOH drug user health and/or harm reduction programs.

After priority populations, the following will also be eligible:

¯ Individuals working within the addictions field (prevention, treatment, recovery, and/or harm reduction) in an eligible non-OASAS setting such as OMH and DOH programs not listed above and

¯ Individuals or students interested in working in eligible OASAS, OMH, or DOH settings.

To review the scholarship program requirements and apply, visit www.nccc.edu/chem-dep-scholarship.

Fall semester courses start on Aug. 26, and materials will need to be submitted by Sept. 3. A committee will review the scholarship applications and send a determination of scholarship awards via email. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until scholarship dollars have been exhausted.

In addition to the scholarship application, students will also need to apply to North Country’s AAS Chemical Dependency Counseling program at https://support.nccc.edu/apply.

For more information, contact Kathleen Dowd-Maloney, program coordinator, at kdowd@nccc.edu.