Pfc. Joseph Dwyer Peer-To-Peer Program To Get $7.7M To Expand In NY

ALBANY, NY — The 2023 New York budget allocates about $7.7 million to expand the Pfc. Joseph Dwyer Veteran Peer-to-Peer Services Program statewide, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said.

The program offers a non-clinical support model by veterans for veterans struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury, suicidal ideations, and/or other mental health challenges.

It is named in honor of Dwyer, a former resident of Mount Sinai on Long Island, who died from an overdose in 2008 after struggling with PTSD. There is $370,000 in funding set aside for programs in Dwyer's hometown, split between Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Dwyer, an Army combat medic, quickly became associated with the Iraq War after an Army Times photographer captured an image of him rescuing an Iraqi boy in 2003. As the tragic story of his death spread, Dwyer soon became associated with PTSD and that drew attention to the lingering psychological effects of war that other soldiers face.

A memorial statue that recreates the moment that the Army Times photo captured has been erected in Rocky Point near his childhood home.

A state Department of Mental Health spokesman said the 10-year-old program "provides funding to counties to provide vital peer support and counseling services to veterans who are transitioning from military service to civilian life."

He described the funding as a $7.7 million investment, adding, "Governor Hochul proposed the funding in her executive budget and in her State of the State message to help ensure that all veterans have access to this life-saving program.”

Also in the budget

The 2023 budget also includes nearly $63 million to support addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention in the region to support opioid treatment, residential treatment beds, outpatient treatment clinics, prevention programs, community and outreach recovery centers, a youth clubhouse, a problem gambling resource center, and jail-based treatment, as well as one state-operated addiction treatment center.

The programs will provide individual and group counseling, as well as medication-assisted treatment, educational services, case management, vocational assessment, job skills training, employment readiness, parenting skills, and social/community living skills.

Other highlights include $13.7 million in funding for local roads through the PAVE NY program, as well as $5 million for Jones Beach East Bathhouse design, $4 million for the Bayard Cutting Arboretum Visitor Center, and $300,000 for the Montauk Downs Clubhouse transformation.

Governor Hochul called the $221 billion budget "transformative, " adding, "we're showing that we can tackle the big issues facing New Yorkers, and I'm proud to announce historic investments that will make a real difference in people's lives on Long Island now and for years to come."

"From historic support for our schools and tax relief for middle-class New Yorkers, to the largest investment in infrastructure in State history — filling the potholes that plague our streets — this budget delivers for Long Islanders in a big way," she said. "Every New Yorker deserves a fair shot at achieving what I call the 'New York Dream,' and I look forward to seeing all the ways this budget will help build a better, fairer, and more inclusive New York State."

Assemb. Fred Thiele (D-Sag Harbor), who represents part of southeast Brookhaven town, stated in a release that “thanks to critical investments in relief for homeowners overburdened by high property taxes and a historic level of school aid funding that goes directly into the classroom, this year's enacted budget sets the stage for a stronger and more affordable Long Island for all.

"I'm proud that this budget delivers on our community's most pressing needs and will continue to do so for years to come,” he said.