Guides/Pamphlets
Organizations
Alliance for Positive Health
Devoted to assisting those with chronic conditions as well as those impacted by HIV/AIDS. Please visit our website or call 518-828-3624 for more information on how we can help you.
Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene Counties
Provides prevention education in the school setting as well as the community. Provides programs and support to low-income families. Please call the Columbia County office at 518-828-8660 or the Greene County office at 518-943-1462 or visit our website for more information on our programs.
CHAMP: New York State’s Community Health Access to Addiction & Mental Healthcare Project
Are you having trouble getting the substance use disorder or mental health services that you need? CHAMP can help!
Download our CHAMP Brochure & CHAMP Flyer.
Columbia County Department of Health
We are the Opioid Overdose Prevention Program for Columbia County. We provide education and Naloxone Trainings to the community. Please visit our website or call 518-828-3358.
Columbia County Department of Human Services
Provides mental health treatment for Columbia County residents. You can call 518-828-9446 or visit our website for more information on our programs.
Columbia Opportunities, Inc.
Provides assistance and support to families that are low-income. You can learn more about a wide variety of programs that are offered, or call 518-828-4611.
Columbia-Greene Community College- Workforce Investment Office
Provides assistance to job-seekers by providing workshops and career support. They currently have funding to assist individuals in recovery from opioid addiction and/or a family member (that qualify) to gain education and training to rejoin the workforce. For more information on this office please visit our website or call 518-828-4181 ext. 5510
Community Action of Greene County Inc.
Provides assistance to low-income families. Operates a domestic violence program, and provides advocacy to victims. For a full list of programs we offer please visit our website at or call 518-943-9205.
Greene County Family Planning
Provides Medication Assisted Treatment to individuals who are addicted to Opioids. Provides education,testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health information. Visit our website or call us at 518-719-3580 for more details.
Greene County Mental Health
Provides mental health treatment to Greene County residents. Please contact us by calling 518-622-9163 or visit our website for more information on our programs and services.
Healthcare Consortium
Provides non-emergency medical transportation, assists individuals in enrolling in insurance coverage, provides access to low-cost/no-cost prescription medications. You can find more information on the services we provide at Columbia Health Net or call 518-828-8820.
Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties
Provides recovery services, clinical services, residential services, peer support, case management an more. Please visit our
website or contact us at 518-828-4619 for more information on our programs and services we provide.
Our Community Cares
Provides emotional and financial support to Columbia County residents who are experiencing a hardship. Please visit our website or call 518-336-5254.
Project Safe Point
Providing Harm Reduction Services to the Greater Capital Region. Provides access to sterile syringes and supplies via special arrangement. Please call 518-449-3581 or visit our website for more information about the program and services we provide.
Twin County Recovery Services
Provides outpatient treatment, residential treatment, prevention services and Impaired Driving Program to Columbia and Greene County residents. Please contact us by calling the Columbia County Clinic at 518-828-9300 or the Greene County Clinic 518-943-2036 or visit our website.
Youth Clubhouse (locations in Hudson and Catskill)
Provides a safe space for youth and young adults who are living their lives free of drugs and alcohol. Provides education to youth about addiction and healthy choices. Please visit our Facebook or call Director Kai Hillmann at 518-567-7771 for more details.
Treatment Providers
For Professionals
Help to Quit Smoking or Vaping
New York State Smoker’s Quitline: 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487)
Truth Initiative’s free text based quit program: text “QUIT” to 706-222-QUIT
Medication Drop Box Locations
Every day is “Medication Take-Back Day” in Greene and Columbia Counties…
Dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired prescription and nonprescription Medication, and:
- Prevent drug abuse
- Prevent accidental overdose
- Prevent accidental poisoning of children and pets
- Reduce crime by keeping drugs off the street
- Reduce environment pollution
- Protect our local nature and water supply
Coxsackie Village Police Department
119 Mansion Street, Coxsackie
Open: 8am – 12am Daily
Chatham Police Department
77 Main Street, Chatham
Call CC Sheriff, ask for Chatham drop box
(518)828-3344
Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
85 Industrial Tract, Greenport
Open: 24/7
Columbia County Sheriff’s Substation
Crossroad at Rt 22 and Rt 23, Hillsdale
Open: 24/7
Greene County Sheriff’s Office
80 Bridge Street, Catskill
Open: 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday
Hudson Police Department
701 Union Street, Hudson
Open: 24/7
Hannaford Valatie
2967 Rt 9, Valatie
Open: 7am – 11pm Daily
Kelly’s Pharmacy
4852 Rt 81, Greeneville
Available during open hours
Kelly’s Pharmacy
12189 Rt 9W, West Coxsackie
Available during open hours
Town of Cairo Police Department
123 Angelo Canna Park, Cairo
Open: 8am – 12am Daily
Call to drop off: (518) 622-2324
Town of Durham Police Station
7309 Rt 81, East Durham
Open: 7am – 3pm Daily
Call to drop off: (518) 239-6310
Town of Windham Police Department
371 Rt 296, Hensonville
Open: 9am – 3pm Daily
Call to drop off: (518) 734-3030
Syringe Disposal
Project Needle Smart is a SAFE sharps collection program for needle and syringe disposal.
If you have used/unwanted needles, or would like a free sharps container, please visit one of the following drop-off kiosk locations.
Greene County
24/7 Outdoor Access Unless Otherwise Noted
- Cairo
CVS Pharmacy – Routes 23 & 32
Hannaford – 223 Main Street - Catskill
Greene County Office Building – Stairs at Water St Entrance - Coxsackie
Albany Med EmUrgent Care – 11835 Route 9W - East Durham
Durham Town Hall – 7309 Route 81 - Greenville
Kelly’s Pharmacy – 4852 Route 81
(inside: M-F 9-7, Sat-Sun 9-3) - Tannersville
Hunter Ambulance – 5740 Route 23A - Windham
Windham Pharmacy – 68 Route 296
Columbia County
24/7 Outdoor Access Unless Otherwise Noted
- Livingston
Hannaford – 32 NY-82 - Valatie
Hannaford – 2967 Route 9
Glossary of Terms
Glossary of Terms
Opioids: refers to a class of substances introduced to the body (prescribed and/or non-prescribed) that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Opioids are most often used medically to relieve pain. Opioids include opiates, an older term that refers to such drugs derived from opium, including morphine itself. Opioids are drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain.
Substance dependence: is an adaptive state that develops from repeated drug administration, and which results in withdrawal upon cessation of drug use. It can be diagnosed without the occurrence of a withdrawal syndrome. When an individual persists in use of alcohol or other drugs despite problems related to use of the substance, substance dependence may be diagnosed. Preoccupation with a desire to obtain and consume the drug and persistent drug-seeking behavior may continue. The opioid dependence-withdrawal syndrome involves both psychological dependence and marked physical dependence upon opioid compounds.
Psychological Dependence: is a form of dependence that involves emotional–motivational withdrawal symptoms (e.g., a state of unease or dissatisfaction, a reduced capacity to experience pleasure, or anxiety, “craving”) upon cessation of drug use or engagement in certain behaviors.
Physical Dependence: occurs when a drug has been chronically used so often that the body has developed tolerance to the substance and the person suffers withdrawal symptoms when they stop using the drug. This differs from psychological dependence (where a person emotionally depends on a substance) in that the body actually ‘needs’ the drug in order to feel normal and avoid the adverse symptoms of withdrawal. The longer the person has been using the drug and greater amounts of the drug make physical dependence more likely and the withdrawal symptoms worse.
Drug Addiction: a distinct concept from substance dependence is defined as compulsive drug use, despite negative consequences.
Addictive Drug: is a drug which is both rewarding and reinforcing. An individual may develop a psychological and/or physical dependence to the substance.
Drug Tolerance: is a pharmacological concept describing an individual’s reduced reaction to a drug following its repeated use. Increasing its dosage may re-amplify the drug’s effects; however this may accelerate tolerance, further reducing the drug’s effects. Drug tolerance is a contributing factor of drug addiction.
Drug Withdrawal: refers to the group of symptoms that occur upon the abrupt discontinuation or decrease in intake of prescribed or non-prescribed substances. In order to experience the symptoms of withdrawal, one must have first developed a physical or psychological dependence. This happens after consuming one or more substances for a certain period of time, which is both dose dependent and varies based upon the drug consumed. Symptoms and body response to the absence of the drug can vary from mild discomfort, or to the return of previous underlying medical problems and their respective symptoms. Many legal and unrestricted chemicals and/or substances available without prescriptions and over-the-counter can cause withdrawal effects when users stop consuming them, even if taken as directed.
Substance Use Disorder (SUD): refer most broadly to the “disorder” of chemical (substance) abuse and dependence.
Abstinence Model: Abstinence-based treatment of drug and alcohol addiction is based on addiction as a disease. According to this treatment model, no cure exists for the disease of addiction. Through counseling and continued support, the individual with the addiction can recover as long as he or she maintains lifelong abstinence from drugs and alcohol.
Harm Reduction Model: Harm reduction is an evidenced based practice of identifying ways in which the physiological, psychological, social and financial burdens of substance and/or alcohol use can be minimized through education and empowering an individual. Although sober living might be the end result and perhaps the desired goal, a reduction of harm model accepts an individual where he or she is at and does not stigmatize them for their substance use. A reduction of harm model doesn’t promote abstinence. Instead, it explores ways that a person might be able to reduce the harm of the addiction. Perhaps that might be drinking two nights a week instead of four. Or it might be refraining from driving while drinking. Or a reduction of harm intervention might also be deciding not to drink or use drugs when on medication.
Social Learning Model: Social learning occurs when we learn something by observing others. Unlike classical conditioning and operant conditioning, only humans and certain animals (e.g., dogs, horses) have demonstrated the ability to learn by observation. People may learn addictive behavior through classical conditioning by pairing the pleasure of addictive substances or activities, with environmental cues. For example, suppose someone always smokes marijuana in the car after work. The enjoyment of smoking marijuana forms a paired association with riding in the car. The time frame “after work” also forms a paired association. By repeatedly pairing marijuana-with-car, and marijuana-after-work, both the car and after-work will become cues to smoke marijuana. Then these cues (getting into the car, getting off work) may create powerful cravings for marijuana.
This model purports that what we learn can also be unlearned. For instance, if after-work has become a “cue” to smoke pot, then doing a different activity repeatedly after-work will form a new association. Someone could practice riding in the car without smoking. The power of a cue is diminished through a process called cue exposure. Cue exposure repeatedly presents a person with the cue, without pairing. This diminishes the cue’s power to bring about cravings. Therefore, riding in the car and not smoking pot will reduce powerful cravings over time.
Nicotine – A substance produced by tobacco plants that acts as a natural pest repellant due to its poisonous nature. Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant that can change the way the brain develops, affecting attention and learning, and leaving it susceptible to future addictions. It can be absorbed through the lungs, blood, and skin, and in high concentrations or doses, nicotine is toxic and can be fatal.
