Recovery Options Made Easy

What Recovery Options Made Easy does

Recovery Options Made Easy (ROME) is a peer-run, not-for-profit mental health services organization founded in 1990 and headquartered in Gowanda, New York. The organization delivers a continuum of peer-certified, trauma-informed services across ten counties in Western New York and the Finger Lakes region, including supported housing, crisis respite, peer support, advocacy, community-based recovery programs, and intensive engagement services. With 95% of staff having lived experience with mental health or substance use recovery, ROME operates specialized programs such as the Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team (INSET), STRAWW (Southern Tier Recovery Activities Without Walls), CORE (Community Oriented Recovery and Engagement), and the Kirsten Vincent Respite & Recovery Center in Buffalo. The organization's technology infrastructure is operationally focused rather than product-driven, comprising PayPal donation processing, ADP Workforce Now for HR, and direct delivery through 24/7 warmlines and texting lines; no proprietary software, AI/ML capabilities, or digital platform products are present.

ROME operates from a main office in Gowanda supported by six satellite locations in Buffalo, Jamestown, Olean, Rochester, and other county sites, managing more than 258-350 scattered-site apartments across its service area. Service delivery is enabled through 24/7 crisis residences (Refreshing Waters and Eagle's Nest Respite), warmlines and texting lines, and peer-staffed placement into partner agencies such as DePaul, Foundations for Change, WNY Independent Connections, Community Health Center of Buffalo, and Spectrum Health. Revenue is generated through New York State Office of Mental Health contracts, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants, and county mental health department funding, supplemented by tax-deductible individual and organizational donations.

The organization received a $4 million grant from NYS OMH in March 2024 to support the INSET program in Monroe County, representing the first upstate-based INSET team. Following the passing of CEO Dr. Kirsten Vincent in May 2021, the organization continued operations under Board President Ralph Swanson, with Shannon Higbee now serving as CEO. ROME's core differentiation rests on its peer-operated delivery model, 35-year operating history, nationally recognized expertise in peer-run behavioral health, and a 95% hospital diversion rate at the Refreshing Waters crisis respite center.

Name

Recovery Options Made Easy

Legal name

Recovery Options Made Easy, Inc.

Website

https://recoveryoptionsny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Recovery Options Made Easy is a peer-run nonprofit that delivers peer-certified mental health and substance use recovery services, including supported housing, crisis respite, and community-based engagement programs, across ten Western New York and Finger Lakes counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Peer Support Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management) (BPAKANAH)

Keywords

• Peer support services
• Mental health recovery
• Supported housing
• Crisis respite
• Behavioral health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Gowanda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary funding from New York State Office of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and counties in service area. Awarded $4 million to support NYS Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team in Rochester and Monroe County.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting mental health peer services. Accepts PayPal and check/money order donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Recovery Options Made Easy (ROME) is a peer-run, nonprofit mental health and recovery services organization that delivers a continuum of trauma-informed, person-centered care including peer support services, supported housing, crisis respite, advocacy training, and community integration. Its workforce is composed of 95% certified peers with lived experience, and services are delivered across ten counties in Western New York and the Finger Lakes through a main office, six satellite locations, and 258+ scattered-site apartments.

Product overview

Recovery Options Made Easy operates as a peer-certified, trauma-informed mental health advocacy network offering a comprehensive continuum of services across Western New York and the Finger Lakes regions. The organization is primarily peer-run with 95% of staff having lived experience. Its portfolio includes: Peer Support Services (including STRAWW and Peer Bridger Programs), Supported Housing, Crisis Residences (Refreshing Waters and Eagle's Nest), the Kirsten Vincent Respite & Recovery Center, INSET (Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team), Advocacy programs, CORE Services (Community Oriented Recovery and Engagement), Community Outreach, Community Connection, and ROME Consulting Development. These programs weave together peer experience with housing support, crisis intervention, advocacy training, and community integration to serve individuals with mental health and substance use needs across 10 counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Refreshing Waters: Short-term crisis respite program - self-referred, peer-staffed respite services providing recovery support in a quiet home-like setting with 24/7 availability.
• Restful Rivers
• Kirsten Vincent Respite & Recovery Center
• STRAWW
• CORE
• INSET

Products and services

• Peer Support Services Peer-based support services utilizing shared lived experience to help individuals manage mental health and substance use recovery, including STRAWW (Southern Tier Recovery Activities Without Walls), Peer Bridger Program, and Mobile Transition & Outreach Services. Delivered by certified peer specialists for adults with mental health and substance use needs.
• Supported Housing Housing support program where participants sign their own leases, with assistance for security deposits, furnishings, and rent stipends up to 70% depending on income. Includes Long Term Stay, HUD Homeless Housing, Reinvestment, and OMH Supported Housing options across five counties for adults with mental health and housing instability needs.
• Crisis Residences Short-term, peer-run crisis respite programs providing alternatives to hospitalization. Includes Refreshing Waters (Erie County) and Eagle's Nest Respite (Chautauqua & Cattaraugus Counties) operating 24/7 to support hospital diversion for adults in mental health crisis.
• Kirsten Vincent Respite & Recovery Center Comprehensive crisis stabilization and recovery center in downtown Buffalo offering multiple programs including Refreshing Waters (short-term crisis respite), The Renewal Center (peer-operated diversion center), Clinical Engagement Program (Spectrum Health partnership), and Restful Rivers (intensive crisis respite) across a four-program continuum.
• INSET (Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team) Peer-led model providing voluntary, person-centered, community-based support for individuals struggling to stay connected with Mental Health, Substance Use, and/or Mandated Services. Serves Monroe County residents aged 18 and older and funded by a $4 million NYS Office of Mental Health grant awarded in March 2024.
• Advocacy Advocacy training programs including self-advocacy, dealing with stigma, advocating for others, and community leadership. Offers office-based and community-based self-help groups with facilitator training for individuals with mental health conditions and the broader community.
• CORE Services (Community Oriented Recovery and Engagement) Community-oriented recovery and engagement services focusing on rehabilitation, resilience, and using natural supports. Includes Peer Services and Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) components delivered by certified peers.
• Community Outreach Educational community programs facilitated by peer personnel, placing certified peers in Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS), Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams, Treatment Apartments, Safe Houses, and Community Health Centers to support mental health awareness and recovery.
• Community Connection Training programs and community integration services including Anti-Stigma Training, Housing Options Training, and Self-Help Training to support mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and promote recovery across the community.
• ROME Consulting Development Peer consulting services to help external organizations develop peer support programs, including training for peer staff, provider staff, and community members, with joint supervision and role definition support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% hospital diversion rate at Refreshing Waters respite center
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DePaulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubcontracts peer staff to DePaul for Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) Programs, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams, Treatment Apartments, Safe Houses, Single Room Occupancy Programs, and Community Health Center integration.
• Foundations for ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubcontracts peer staff to Foundations for Change for peer support and recovery services in Cattaraugus County area.
• WNY Independent Connections / Restoration SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Renewal Center providing peer-operated and peer-staffed diversion center for individuals in crisis, open 7 days a week 1:00pm - 9:30pm.
• Community Health Center of BuffalocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Community Re-Integration Team with peer specialists supporting mental health recovery and community integration.
• Spectrum HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical Engagement Program partnership at Kirsten Vincent Respite & Recovery Center providing crisis assessment, crisis intervention, and counseling services to divert emergency room visits. First program of its kind in Erie County, operating 8am-4pm.
• Directions on Independent LivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for STRAWW (Southern Tier Recovery Activities Without Walls) covering Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties.
• Mental Health Association of Chautauqua CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for STRAWW multi-county recovery center without walls covering Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties.
• New York State Office of Mental HealthcoreOthersPrimary government funder for peer services, crisis residences, and INSET program. Provides operational funding and regulatory oversight.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentcoreOthersFederal funding source for supported housing programs including HUD Homeless Housing initiatives.
• County Mental Health DepartmentscoreOthersPartnership with Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming County Departments of Mental Health for service delivery and funding.
• SAMHSAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting and training assistance relationship for peer-run organization best practices.
• WNY Independent LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of Kirsten Vincent Respite & Recovery Center providing peer-operated crisis services and diversion programs in downtown Buffalo.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): National peer-led advocacy and education organization for mental illness, operating affiliate-run support groups and warmlines across all 50 states. Comparable peer-support philosophy and mission, though primarily advocacy versus direct services.
• Carelon Behavioral Health (formerly Beacon Health Options): Large behavioral health managed-care organization serving Medicaid and county contracts across multiple states. Comparable in delivering county-funded behavioral health services, though focused on utilization management rather than direct peer support.
• Acadia Healthcare: For-profit operator of behavioral health hospitals and residential crisis facilities. Adjacent in providing crisis/residential services funded by Medicaid and county contracts, but for-profit and inpatient-focused versus ROME's peer-run outpatient/respite model.
• Optum Behavioral Health: Large managed behavioral health care organization operating crisis lines, peer support, and managed care for government payers. Comparable overlap with ROME's peer support and crisis services at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Coordinated Care Services Inc. (CCSI): NY-based behavioral health and human services support organization that provides peer support, workforce training, and care coordination to county mental health systems. Comparable as a peer-services intermediary funded by NYS OMH and counties.
• The Bridge: NYC-based peer and behavioral health services nonprofit serving individuals with mental illness and homelessness. Comparable in offering supported housing, peer specialists, and crisis services funded by NYS OMH and city contracts.
• Clubhouse International: Global network of psychosocial rehabilitation clubhouses based on a peer-run model. Comparable to ROME's CORE Services and recovery-center model in using member-driven recovery as the operating principle.
• Mental Health Association of New York City (NYC Well): Large peer-support and crisis-services operator in NY delivering warmlines, crisis respite, and supported housing. Comparable service mix and NY state funding model, but at much larger scale and broader geography.
• Recovery Innovations (RI International): Pioneer in peer-run crisis services including Crisis Living Rooms and respite programs nationwide. Closely comparable operating model to ROME's Refreshing Waters/Restful Rivers and INSET crisis respite services.
• People USA (PEOPLe Inc.): New York-based peer-run mental health organization offering recovery centers, respite, and peer support across multiple regions. Directly comparable to ROME in mission (peer-led recovery), funding model (NYS OMH contracts), and service mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RecoveryOptionsNY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recovery-options-made-easy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Recovery Options Made Easy