State officials recently announced that a drug rehab center in Trenton, New Jersey will be receiving a $4 million federal grant to increase its local addiction treatment services and expand regional efforts against the opioid epidemic.
The grant is going to be provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in two installments of $2 million over a period of two years to the Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton — a private nonprofit organization established in 1913 that offers mental health, social and crisis services particularly to people who have been impacted by trauma and other adversities.
The drug rehab center will primarily be using the grant to expand the programs offered by its Certified Behavioral Health Clinic to the residents of Burlington County and Mercer County. The sum will allow the Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton to increase the number of services offered to the most underserved and vulnerable local community members who would not have access to addiction treatment otherwise.
According to representatives of the Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton, the funding will not only be used to help local residents recover from substance use disorders but also to support those who need to find housing, pursue employment opportunities and complete their education.
They also emphasized that the capital will allow the organization to establish a number of different partnerships with local groups that have been assisting the community. These partnerships are expected to help specific groups of local individuals that have been struggling with substance use disorders, such as pregnant women and homeless populations.
A couple of weeks after the announcement of the grant, federal officials visited the facility and spoke with community members about the importance of expanding the mental health and drug addiction treatment programs offered by organizations like the Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton.
The officials, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, mentioned that data from the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety reveals that from January 1 to September 30 of this year the state of New Jersey has reported 2,194 drug overdose deaths.
From January 1 to July 31, more than 9,160 naloxone administrations were reported and, from January 1 to September 27, more than 3,204,860 opioid prescription drugs were dispensed.
Members of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explained that the grant will allow the center to increase its crisis response services as well. Expansions are expected to impact the drug rehab center’s outpatient addiction treatment services; primary assessments, screenings and diagnosis; social and community supports; advisory work groups, and relationships with law enforcement officials.
The grant comes approximately two years after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services selected the New Jersey to be one of the states that would serve as a national model of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
Other six additional addiction and mental health treatment providers in the state were also selected by the federal department to serve as models of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics for a two-year period in which grants will allow for the expansion of services.
Author: Livia Areas-Holmblad
Livia Holmblad is an editor at Addiction Now and covers breaking news, features and everything in between. She moved to SoCal after living in NYC for about 10 years, where she worked for VICE and SinoVision as a writer, editor, host, producer, and director. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro. Contact Livia at liviah@addictionnow.com
