Morristown Halfway House Thrown Lifeline Thanks To Settlement Funds

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The Morristown council recently approved $100,000 of state-provided funds to go towards a local rehab center for women.

During its meeting on Tuesday, the Morristown council approved Resolution No. R-126-2025, which authorizes the use of $100,000 in opioid settlement money from the state to go towards the Mrs. Wilson's Treatment Center for Women.

According to Mayor Tim Dougherty, Mrs. Wilson’s was running out of state funds. As a result, several women in the facility were asked to leave for financial reasons.

Mrs. Wilson’s went to the county for assistance, but did not receive any. That’s when Morristown officials decided to use some funds from the state-wide opioid settlement.

“(Mrs. Wilson’s) has been there a long time, and it's an important place in our community and an important place in history,” Dougherty said. “As budgets get cut and money dries up, the state pretty much dried up any funds going to the halfway house, which put them in jeopardy of having to ask a lot of women… to have to leave. These are women that are looking to change their lives in recovery (from) drugs and alcohol… (Mrs. Wilson’s) plays an important role in getting people’s lives back together.”

The funds come from a 2022 settlement following a national lawsuit against four companies for their role in the opioid crisis. The state received more than $1 billion, which will be distributed through 2038 to fund state and local programs focused on “treatment, prevention, and other strategies to combat the opioid epidemic in the state.”

Dougherty said that the funds will give the halfway house “a fighting chance” and an opportunity to figure out its finances. While the township doesn’t have the funds to keep the place open indefinitely, the $100,000 should keep its doors open until the end of the year.

Mrs. Wilson’s Treatment Center for Women, located at 56 Mt. Kemble Avenue in Morristown, has been open for nearly 50 years. The rehab offers “individualized treatment for women seeking recovery from substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.”

“Recovery begins the moment a woman reaches out to Mrs. Wilson’s,” the home’s site reads. “The clinical staff implements a program of recovery designed to address the individual woman’s physical, emotional, spiritual, and vocational needs. Mrs. Wilson's provides compassionate, comprehensive addiction treatment and housing for women who are seeking services for alcoholism, drug addiction, trauma, and co-occurring disorders.”

Click here to learn more about Mrs. Wilson’s Treatment Center for Women.