Chance for Change

Chance for Change is one of New York City’s only outpatient programs providing substance use treatment designed for unhoused individuals.

Approximately 35% of unhoused Americans are affected by substance use.

Chance for Change (CFC) is NCS's licensed outpatient substance-use treatment program for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness.

Located at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, our small, welcoming clinic environment and holistic, trauma-informed, harm-reduction approach allow clients to seek treatment free of judgment or stigma.

Individual counseling and group sessions help clients address not only substance use and co-occurring mental health issues but other life areas as well, including homelessness and housing, unemployment, relationships, medical conditions, and more. Customized treatment plans help clients take steps toward stability and recovery.

CFC clients are also able to benefit from services offered at our newest program, Chance to Connect (CTC), which operates in the adjacent space. CTC offers a safe, sober daytime resource center where adults experiencing homelessness can be referred to find respite, a supportive community, and more personalized services.

CFC’s unique harm-reduction model enables the program to serve people who can not succeed in more traditional programs. Along with substance-use treatment, we also support clients to obtain housing, complete vocational training programs, secure employment, reunify with their families, and more.

Get to know the clients

Featured
From Trauma to Triumph: Tina's Transformation
From Trauma to Triumph: Tina's Transformation

Tina had a difficult childhood. When she was four years old, her mother passed away, and Tina spent the next decade moving between foster care placements—never feeling like she fully belonged anywhere or was part of a stable family. But Tina knew the way forward included college. So she worked hard, graduated from high school, and when she started college she hoped to find a group of friends that could become her chosen family. Unfortunately, the friends Tina made in college used drugs... and then so did Tina.

Donna: Hard Work + Housing + Support = Success
Donna: Hard Work + Housing + Support = Success

“NCS gave me a chance and enabled me to live independently for the first time in a long time,” shared Donna. “I used to live in a shelter, and I know that my life wouldn’t be improving the way it is if I hadn’t received much needed support from Stephanie at Chance for Change and moved into the NCS Residence. I wouldn’t be where I am now. They helped me to become employable and helped me to gain the confidence I need to move forward in my life. My next goal is to move into my own apartment in Queens to be closer to my son and grandkids and make space at the NCS Residence for someone else who needs it. I am very blessed that life brought me here”

-Donna

Patricia Relapsed During the Pandemic. She Wants You To Hear Her Story.
Patricia Relapsed During the Pandemic. She Wants You To Hear Her Story.

Last fall, I relapsed.

I was tired of wearing masks and social distancing. I missed going to church. I didn’t feel good, was in so much pain, but the doctor didn't find anything wrong. I visited my mom, and when I left her apartment, I saw someone selling drugs. I talked myself into believing that a bag of dope would make me feel better, and I got high that night.

Read more to see what happened next.

Patricia's Chance for Change
Patricia's Chance for Change

Chance for Change client and NCS Residence tenant Patricia continues to excel during the pandemic