Hazlet ASSIST Gets A Boost From 'The Situation' Of 'Jersey Shore'

This story has been updated.

HAZLET, NJ — Every week, Hazlet's Hope Network welcomes those who have a substance abuse problem - or their family members - to find support and resources for recovery.

On Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. to noon, a representative from Hazlet’s Hope is stationed in the Hazlet Municipal Courtroom, 255 Middle Road, to connect visitors with the help they need.

(Update: As of 2024, the meetings are every Tuesday)

And while the location may be a courtroom, it's an empty one. Police in town won't be there, but the department was integral in establishing this program to bring peer support to people with an addiction.

Addiction to opioids and other substances is a global problem and national statistics speak to how serious and personally tragic the problem is. In Monmouth County, 50 lives were lost to overdose in the first three months of this year, the county prosecutor's office says. Nationally, fatal drug-related overdoses exceeded 100,000 in 2021, according to federal statistics.

But one person at a time, close to home, there can be a light at the end of that tunnel, says Phil O'Hara, director of Hazlet's Hope Network, which was established in 2017.

He said the Wednesdays are called Hazlet A.S.S.I.S.T.: Addictive Substance Support Intervention Service Team.

The town and Police Department put out regular notices about meetings so ASSIST has become a familiar term in the township and all around the Bayshore. The ASSIST days have been in place for two years now, O'Hara said.

O'Hara says there are many areas Hazlet's Hope and ASSIST can help those who stop by: There is peer-to peer counseling and referrals to treatment programs - and just a kind person to talk to who truly cares.

And the work the organization does comes together from many sources: police department support of recovery initiatives; the peer efforts of those who have been through recovery, like O'Hara; and fundraising through an annual gala.

And then there is spreading the word about Hazlet's Hope and ASSIST.

"The Situation" a big supporter

The word really got out recently when area resident and television star Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino of "Jersey Shore" fame came by to visit and met with police.

Sorrentino was an honoree at last year's gala for Hazlet's Hope, and O'Hara said that "just by showing up, he's really, really helpful" to the program, O'Hara said.

He said the social media post about his visit sparked over 400 likes and 47 shares - something the posts don't often get.

"He's a good local guy. He'll show up and support us. He'll do it," O'Hara says.

Sorrentino, raised in Manalapan, himself is succeeding in recovery for many years now from prescription pain medications, according to his online bio. And O'Hara said Sorrentino's experience gives an added dimension to his support.

For example, when he was the guest of honor last year at Hazlet's Hope he "he went above and beyond," O'Hara said, having a Q&A with the audience.

"The great thing about Mike is he loves to be involved," O'Hara said.

Oct. 11 gala fundraiser

This year, O'Hara said there are four honorees for what is the fifth annual gala on Oct. 11, 2023. It will take place at The Gramercy at Lakeside Manor, 410 Route 36, in Hazlet.

Award recipients include Hazlet Police Officer Charleigh Logothetis (coordinates #NotEvenOnce program); Michael Fabozzi of Century 21 (a local supporter of Hazlet's Hope); attorney Nicole Tierney (instrumental in legislation to help former felons obtain employment in the treatment field); and Robert Nucci (president of Hazlet's Hopes Network and a wrestling coach who has devoted much time to the program and area youth), O'Hara said.

There will be dinner and entertainment. You can buy tickets for the fundraiser at hazletshopenetwork.site or mail your check to Hazlet's Hope Network, PO Box 84, Hazlet 07730.

The fundraisers help supplement help from other sources, such as area treatment centers that have offered scholarships for people without insurance to attend treatment programs (for as many as 20 people). Other donations help pay for sober living costs after treatment, O'Hara says.

Hazlet, Bayshore-area police involvement

Over the past few years, the establishment of Hazlet's Hope Network came about with police and other community members to make the program one that brings an understanding of addiction to all levels of local life.

"We want to ensure people struggling with these issues are not deterred by fear of previous incidents with police where they have been arrested," the department said in its post about ASSIST.

And O'Hara said much has evolved in how those with addiction are treated.

He said all the Bayshore towns' chiefs are working to break down barriers between law enforcement and those with addiction.

In fact, you can watch a video that shows the earlier days of how Hazlet's Hope Network was established - both with the impetus from O'Hara and other community members - as well as with police leadership who saw the need to provide more resources for those arrested with illegal drugs.

There was a big gap from an arrest to actually getting help, police noted. And bringing in a non-threatening peer recovery person to talk to someone with an addiction can make all the difference, the video comments note.

O'Hara, a Raritan High School graduate and wrestler, remembers the numbers of people lost in Hazlet and the Bayshore to overdose, including 50 high school graduates who died from overdose since 2001.

The video also recounts stories from parents who have lost adult children, and explains the biological impact of drug use and the way your body can recover.

O'Hara said over the last few years a new generation of officers has grown up with friends and schoolmates who have been through addiction and they know the depth of the problem - and view it as an area that needs support.

"Each case is different," O'Hara said, of those with an addiction. He said some people can't wait to get help; with others you need to break down barriers.

But the community mindset has changed, he said.

And he said he hopes people with an addiction will stop by this Wednesday - or any other Wednesday - and visit ASSIST to find the support they need.