CarePlus Gets $1M To Expand Opioid Abuse Programs

PARAMUS, NJ – The state’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services awarded more than $1 million in grant funding to Care Plus Inc. to expand its recovery support services to those battling opioid addiction in northern New Jersey.

The money will allow for Paramus-based CarePlus to offer a bigger range of services, including, peer recovery support and case management, to recovering individuals in Passaic, Morris and Warren counties through the state’s Support Team for Addiction Recovery (STAR) program.

Since 2017, CarePlus has utilized the STAR program in Bergen County, according to a news release from the organization.

“The lives of countless individuals coping with opioid use disorder will be changed through the expanded funding and further implementation of the STAR program,” said Joseph Masciandaro, President and CEO at CarePlus. “This initiative will help us substantially increase the volume of vital addition recovery support services we are able to provide to the surrounding community and make a meaningful impact on the lives of those afflicted with this disease.”

Since Jan. 1, there have been 1,387 overdose deaths in New Jersey and 5,577 Narcan administrations. Between Jan. 1 and June 15, 1,874,269 opioid prescriptions have been filled in the Garden State, according to NJcares.gov.

The number of people dying from suspected overdoses has steadily grown from 1,336 in 2013 to 3,118 last year. So has the number of times people have been revived by Naloxone. Since 2015, its use has grown from 7,227 to 16,082.

The STAR program was developed by the state as a way to address high rates of recidivism and relapse rates among those battling addiction, provides recovery support around-the-clock to participants. Through a team-based approach, case managers and recovery specialists will work with each individual on goals such as: housing stability, employment, health and wellness.

Its aims to aid the state in addressing the opioid crisis by removing barriers to care, increasing access to treatment, addressing gaps in social support services, and reducing opioid overdose related deaths through the provision of prevention, intervention, treatment and support for those with opioid use disorder and their families.

CarePlus has provided primary and behavioral health services for adults and children in northern New Jersey for more than 40 years.

Earlier this year, CarePlus expanded its addiction recovery services by establishing an outpatient detox program as part of its outpatient addiction services at its Paramus headquarters.

For more information, visit https://www.careplusnj.org/