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Get Access to Services

Start your path to recovery today. 

Our recovery specialists are available every day from 8am to 8pm, except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

There are multiple ways in which a person can seek assistance from Hope Not Handcuffs: 

  1. A person struggling with any substance use disorder can come to any of the participating police agencies or call our Hopeline for help. They will be greeted with support, compassion, and respect. If accepted into the program, the individual will be guided through a brief intake process to ensure proper treatment placement.

  2. Call (833) 428-HOPE and speak to one of our recovery specialists.

  3. Complete our online form, and we will contact you as soon as possible.

On a yearly basis, Hope Not Handcuffs New York connects people to services more than once per day. In 2024, Hope Not Handcuffs New York connected 391 people to services and placed 278 people in treatment. That is hundreds of fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends who otherwise may have seen no way out of their addiction. Even in the darkest of hours, hope always exists.

What are We Doing in the Community?

  1. A Peer Recovery Coach and a Family Recovery Specialist who respond with the Village of Liberty Police Department and the Town of Fallsburg Police Department as part of a quick response team (QRT). The QRT responds to all non-fatal overdose cases in their municipalities to attempt to provide the necessary resources to assist this at-risk community.

  2. A Peer Recovery Coach to aid the City of Middletown Outreach program, which aims to reduce fatal overdoses and provide mental health assistance.

  3. A Peer Recovery Coach to aid the Sullivan County Jail in assisting individuals who are transitioning back into the community after a jail sentence is served.

  4. Hope Not Handcuffs, the Village of Liberty Police Department, and the County of Sullivan have teamed together to form the first-ever Sullivan County “Quick Response Team”. The Quick Response Team will respond to any person in Sullivan County who has had a non-fatal overdose within 24 to 72 hours after the incident.

Coaching

Hope Not Handcuffs program is staffed with knowledgeable professionals who have worked in the prevention, treatment, and recovery areas of substance abuse and alcoholism for many years. Many staff members have lived experience or have been affected by the addictions of friends or family members.

Among staff members are a Peer Recovery Coach with lived experience and a Family Addiction Coach with lived experience.

Sign up for coaching here

Peer recovery coaching is a supportive and effective approach to help individuals with a substance use disorder helping to achieve and maintain long-term recovery. It involves pairing individuals in recovery with trained peers who have successfully overcome similar challenges, creating a unique bond based on shared experiences. These peer recovery coaches provide guidance, encouragement, and practical assistance to individuals seeking recovery.

A Peer Recovery Coach…

  • Walks side by side with individuals seeking recovery from substance use disorders
  • Creates a unique relationship grounded in trust
  • Helps individuals create their own recovery plans
  • Provides emotional and influential support while sharing connections to community resources
  • Removes barriers while providing hope, motivation and encouragement
  • Connects individuals with life skills and resources PEER COACH

Why work with a Peer Recovery Coach?

There are strong testimonies of the positive impact peer recovery support has on recovery journeys. While research is still ongoing, there is rising evidence that people receiving peer recovery coaching show improvements on a range of recovery outcomes.

  • Increased self-worth and empowerment
  • Reduced relapse rates
  • Improved relationships with family, friends and in the community
  • Increased engagement with treatment/recovery services
  • Decreased criminal justice involvement

As with all Hope Not Handcuffs programs, there is no cost for a program participant.

Family Recovery Specialists provide the family and/or loved ones of those struggling with substance use disorder with support and help to address the stress, stigma, and challenges encountered. The Family Recovery Specialist meets with family members in person, via phone and/or online. The specific one on one treatment plans are tailored to the participant. We help guide the family through their own recovery process, whether or not the family member is in active recovery. We also assist in creating healthy boundaries and connect families with additional community resources.

As with all Hope Not Handcuffs programs, there is no cost for a program participant.

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The Annette Kahrs Recovery Scholarship

Hope Not Handcuffs is dedicated to saving lives by empowering individuals and communities to prevent and eradicate addiction. We are proud to announce the creation of the Annette Kahrs Recovery Scholarship, an award designed to honor Annette’s extraordinary contributions to the recovery community and to continue her legacy by supporting those transitioning from inpatient treatment to sober living.

Annette Kahrs is a passionate advocate in the fight against substance use disorder, particularly focusing on pathways to treatment through law enforcement collaboration. In 2016, she founded the Tri-County Community Partnership, Inc., a nonprofit organization that operates several initiatives, including the Tri-County Prevention Coalition – a youth drug prevention initiative, Hope Not Handcuffs – a collaboration with law enforcement to create pathways to treatment, and Stronger Together – a family support group.

​Hope Not Handcuffs-New York is a nationally recognized deflection and pre-arrest diversion program that partners with over 60 law enforcement agencies across six counties in the Hudson Valley to assist individuals seeking help for substance use disorder. The scholarship provides financial assistance to those in need of a residential sober living home. By offering this support, HNH aims to ensure that after treatment, individuals are supported as they begin their recovery journey. Annette has often been quoted, “We can help people get into treatment, but who’s waiting for them when they come out?” HNH is committed to recovery, if you are a Hope Not Handcuffs participant who has completed a rehabilitation program, and do not have a source of immediate income; there are options to help cover some of the costs associated with entering a temporary sober living facility through our scholarship.

Applicants can apply below and will be notified of the decision whether the funding is granted.

* Please note that any applicant must be a participant of the Hope Not Handcuff program

If you have additional questions, please direct them to Recovery Support Director, Cathy Kennedy ckennedyhnh@gmail.com.

Sober Living Scholarships

Stronger Together

Your family member is leading a destructive life—but that doesn’t mean your life has to be destroyed as well. Stronger Together is an addiction support group for family and friends of people struggling with addiction. Participants can choose between an online discussion series or in-person meetings, both of which offer compassion, support, and healing to those who need it. It also includes a unique 12-step recovery plan that can help you move from a life of despair to a life of hope and purpose.

Stronger Together

2nd & 4th Mondays of the month at 7:00pm

Via Zoom.

Zoom ID: 849 9447 1793

Password: 270773

In-Person Stronger Together Sessions

Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

Elim Alliance Church (In Stone Building)
40 Lake Road
Valley Cottage, NY