START Treatment & Recovery Centers, Inc.
Lobbying client
START Treatment & Recovery Centers (now doing business as Startcare) is a Brooklyn nonprofit that has provided addiction treatment since 1969, including methadone and buprenorphine programs, tracing back to the Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation founded by Dr. Beny Primm. It filed 20 lobbying disclosures since 2024, reporting $153,247 in compensation, lobbying 11 council members through Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates for funding for addiction treatment and mental health services. It has $240,000 in active city contracts as of August 2026 and $10.2 million since 2013.
- Council members lobbied
- 11
- Filings (since 2024)
- 20
- Lobbying compensation (since 2024)
- $153,247
- Industry (per city contracts)
- Human Services
- City contracts (active)
- $240,000 · 1 contract
- Awarded all-time
- $10,169,476 · 9 since 2013, incl. expired
- Paid to date
- $7,503,998
- Won without a fresh bid
- 62% of contract value · $6,340,062 · 8 contracts
- Discretionary funding (FY2009-FY2027)
- $4,496,501 · 24 awards
- Funding history
- Funded 4 years (FY2022–FY2027), including each of the last 3
- Top officer pay (FY2023)
- $577,025 · Joonel C Doris, Chief Executive Officer
- Based in
- Brooklyn, NY
Lobbied these council members
- Carmen N. De La Rosa Council Member, District 10 (Manhattan)
- Jennifer Gutiérrez Council Member, District 34 (Brooklyn)
- Crystal Hudson Council Member, District 35 (Brooklyn)
- Chi A. Ossé Council Member, District 36 (Brooklyn)
- Alexa Avilés Council Member, District 38 (Brooklyn)
- Chris Banks Council Member, District 42 (Brooklyn)
- Farah N. Louis Council Member, District 45 (Brooklyn)
- Mercedes Narcisse Council Member, District 46 (Brooklyn)
- Yusef Salaam Council Member, District 9 (Manhattan)
Represented by lobbyist firms
- Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates Lobbyist firm
Holds contracts at
- Administration for Children's Services City agency
- Department of Design and Construction City agency
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene City agency
Funded by these agencies
- Administration for Children's Services City agency
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene City agency
Lobbied former members
Members who have since left their seat
- Adrienne Adams
- Diana Ayala
What they lobbied on
subjects from their filings
- Budget - Funding for addiction treatment and mental health services including vocational training and research.
- Budget - Seeking funding for mental health and substance abuse programs
- State Issue - Funding opportunities and legislation.
City contracts
Registered city contracts, largest first by current contract value (not amount spent): running now, then registered to start later, then ended. Totals count every registered contract. Each line shows its Checkbook contract ID. The tag on each row is how it was awarded (“no-bid” = non-competitive).
- HLKNSTAR, Purchase of two Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Department of Design and Construction · CT185020258801107 $240,000
- Mental Health Services for youth in Detention Administration for Children's Services · CT106820161421996 · ended 2019 $3,829,415
- Mental Health Services for Youth Administration for Children's Services · CT106820141400331 · ended 2016 $3,216,668
- Mental Health Services for youth in Detention Administration for Children's Services · CT106820191425651 · ended 2022 $2,833,255
- Purchase of Equipment for Start Treatment & Recovery Center Department of Design and Construction · CT185020171419636 · ended 2022 $36,638
- Substance Abuse Services for Children and Adolescents Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620181419370 · ended 2018 $5,000
- FY19 Manhattan Borough President Initiative. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620191414932 · ended 2019 $3,500
- Mental Health Services: Vocational, Residential, Etc. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · CT181620171422711 · ended 2017 $3,500
- FY22-LIA Pandemic Support Administration for Children's Services · CT106820238808721 · ended 2022 $1,501
Largest payments, by purpose
The organization's largest individual city payments (roughly $25,000 and up), grouped by purpose, to show what recent money was for. This is NOT a total — smaller payments aren't listed; see “Paid to date” above for the complete amount paid against its contracts. Fiscal years 2020 and later.
- City Council Member Item Services Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2026 · 5 payments $1,835,100
- Mental Health Services for youth in Detention Administration for Children's Services · FY2021 · 3 payments $308,519
- Mental Health Services for youth in Detention Administration for Children's Services · FY2020 · 4 payments $249,114
- HLKNSTAR, Purchase of two Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2025 $218,465
- Mental Health Services for youth in Detention Administration for Children's Services · FY2022 $68,813
- Collaborate with the NYC Viral Hepatitis Program and SUNY research foundation to continue and expand the hepatitis C treatment through telemedicine program. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2020 $37,667
- START will work with DOH to continue and expand the hepatitis C treatment on-site through tele-medicine and by referral. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2021 $27,000
Discretionary funding received
City Council discretionary (member-item) awards, largest first. Covers FY2009-FY2027.
- Community-Based Outreach & Engagement CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · Dhmh · FY2025 $600,000
- Vocational Partnership at Highbridge CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · Dhmh · FY2025 $600,000
- Community-Based Outreach & Engagement CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · Dhmh · FY2026 $600,000
- Vocational Partnership at Highbridge CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · Dhmh · FY2026 $600,000
- Community-Based Outreach & Engagement CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · Dhmh · FY2027 $600,000
- Vocational Partnership at Highbridge CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · Dhmh · FY2027 $600,000
- Program Development & Operations CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · Dhmh · FY2026 $500,000
- Peer Specialists Support Peer Specialists Support · Dhmh · FY2026 $125,000
- Peer Specialists Support Peer Specialists Support · Dhmh · FY2027 $125,000
- Council District 42 CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · Dhmh · FY2027 $30,000
- Cultural After-School Adventure (CASA) CM Salaam · Cultural After-School Adventure (CASA) · DYCD · FY2025 $20,000
- Treatment & Recovery Operating Expenses - Council District 35 CM Hudson · DYCD · FY2027 $15,000
- Community Safety and Victim Services CM Salaam · Community Safety and Victim Services · DYCD · FY2026 $10,000
- Treatment & Recovery Operating Expenses - Council District 35 CM Hudson · Community Safety and Victim Services · DYCD · FY2026 $10,000
- Community-Based Mental Health Support Services CM Salaam · Cultural Immigrant Initiative · DYCD · FY2026 $10,000
- Mental Health Services - Council District 42 CM Banks · Dhmh · FY2026 $10,000
- Community Safety and Victim Services CM Salaam · Community Safety and Victim Services · DYCD · FY2027 $10,000
- Anti-Poverty CM Salaam · Anti-Poverty · DYCD · FY2025 $5,000
- School-Based Mental Health & Vocational Programs CM Salaam · Anti-Poverty · DYCD · FY2026 $5,000
- Treatment & Recovery Operating Expenses - Council District 35 CM Hudson · DYCD · FY2026 $5,000
Funded by these council members
City Council members who steered discretionary (member-item) money to this organization, largest first (FY2020 and later, where the sponsoring member is disclosed). Sitting members link to their page.
- Yusef Salaam FY2025-2027 · 7 awards $65,000
- Crystal Hudson FY2026-2027 · 3 awards $30,000
- Chris Banks FY2026 · 1 award $10,000
- Rita C. Joseph FY2027 · 2 awards $10,000
Officer & key-staff pay
Reportable compensation from this organization's IRS Form 990 (Part VII), latest available filing (FY2023). Includes pay from related organizations where reported; an annual figure, not a running total. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
- Joonel C Doris Chief Executive Officer $577,025
- Lawrence Brown Former CEO $455,543
- Hilary Castillo COO (Outgoing) $342,556
- Noam Fast Psychiatrist $339,590
- Joyce Gholson Chief Of Medical Unit $333,204
- Maria Rita Aszalos Medical Director $324,596
Officer pay over time
Total officer pay changed +57% from FY2020 to FY2023. Top-officer reportable compensation by year (org-paid only), with each year's share of total revenue. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer 990 filings.
- FY2020 Lawrence S Brown JR MD MPH Facp · 11.51% of revenue $516,690
- FY2021 Lawrence S Brown JR MD MPH Facp · 11.14% of revenue $485,683
- FY2022 Lawrence S Brown JR MD MPH Facp · 17.97% of revenue $495,049
- FY2023 Joonel C Doris · 15.49% of revenue $577,025
Where their influence converges
Outside interests connected to this official through more than one independent channel — drawn straight from the records the rest of the site already shows. “Lobbied them” = a lobbying filing that named the member. “Outside spending” = an independent-expenditure committee the interest funds spent in
- Carmen N. De La Rosa It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction
- Chi A. Ossé It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Chris Banks It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Farah N. Louis It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Mercedes Narcisse It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction