Exponents Inc

About Exponents Inc

Exponents is a nonprofit in downtown Manhattan serving people affected by substance use, HIV/AIDS, incarceration, and behavioral health challenges. Their roots go back to 1988, when the ARRIVE project began teaching HIV and relapse prevention classes to people who used drugs and had recently left prison. That history still shapes a harm reduction philosophy built on meeting people where they are, treating addiction as a health issue rather than a crime, and favoring positive reinforcement over shame. Their core addiction service is an outpatient substance use disorder treatment program tailored to each person’s goals, and many services are offered free of charge.

Alongside outpatient treatment, they offer medication support with naltrexone and buprenorphine, including help weighing options and staying on track with medication. Most direct service staff have lived experience, and a peer recovery support program pairs participants with trained peers, while a Recovery and Wellness Center provides a drop-in space for activities, education, and connection. Overdose prevention education, the individualized Third Way support program, and HIV, Hepatitis C, and STI screening with care coordination round out the services, and a mobile unit brings testing and referrals into neighborhoods across the city. People who stabilize can also pursue CASAC and peer recovery training, which opens paths to careers in the substance use field.