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Deputy Director FDNY Counseling Service Unit
Drew Kane is a 30yr veteran of the New York City Fire Department. For 12 years, Lieutenant Kane was assigned as a firefighter to Engine Company 37 in Harlem, and on September 11, 2001, Lt. Kane responded to the World Trade Center site. There, he continued to participate in search and rescue efforts for many months following the event. His experience as a first responder, especially his response to 9/11, fostered his desire and passion to assist other firefighters and their family members who struggle with substance use disorder and other mental health disorders.
In 2004, Lt. Kane was assigned to the New York City Fire Department’s Counseling Service Unit (FDNY-CSU) as a peer/substance abuse counselor within the Addiction Treatment Program. In 2009 he graduated with a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College School of Social Work. He holds a license in social work from New York State and is a Credentialed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (CASAC).
In 2009, Lt. Kane was promoted to Program Director of the Addiction Treatment Program. As Program Director, Lt. Kane was responsible for the supervision of the daily operations of this unit and its staff of licensed mental health professionals. He managed clinical interventions for firefighters and their families, as well as group and individual counseling.
In 2020, Lt. Kane was promoted to Deputy Director of the FDNY-CSU. The CSU is comprised of six sites throughout the metropolitan area that serve the 16,000 active members of the FDNY and their families, addressing behavioral, mental health and substance use disorders. CSU also serves thousands of FDNY retirees and their family members. As Deputy Director, Lt. Kane oversees day to day clinical and non-clinical operations of the six sites. In addition, he is responsible for relations between local union leadership, the FDNY administration, and regulatory compliance with the FDNY Bureau of Health Services.
Utilizing his skills and experience as a first responder and as a clinician, Lt. Kane responds to line of duty deaths, fatal fires, multiple casualty incidents and natural disasters within the NYC area, across the country and abroad. In 2013 and again in 2021, Lt. Kane was honored by the Caron Foundation with the Uniformed Public Service Award.
He lectures to first responder populations and to the professional community at large, covering topics such as substance abuse within the first responder populations, post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma, crisis intervention, family issues and more. As an educational instructor for LaGuardia Community College, Lt. Kane educates individuals who are pursuing careers as Certified Alcohol Substance Abuse Counselors (CASAC).
He is also a Master Instructor for the International Association of Firefighters and was instrumental in the development of the IAFF Peer Training Curriculum and is an instructor for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Lt. Kane also lectures on motivational interview techniques, cultural competency and Acceptance Commitment Therapy. He is a trained provider for the Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) Program from the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in conjunction with Harvard Medical School.
