Federal grant will expand behavioral health services in Newark and surrounding areas
Integrity House, one of the largest not-for-profit providers of substance use disorder treatment licensed in the state of New Jersey, with programs in Kearny, Newark, Secaucus, Toms River, Morris Plains, and Paramus, has received a $4 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to expand its behavioral health services among underserved populations in and around Newark, and Essex County, New Jersey. The grant will be used to establish a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic at Integrity House’s Newark campus.
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) were created through Section 223 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA), which established an initiative to expand Americans’ access to and improve the quality of community mental and substance use disorder treatment services in community-based settings. As part of the CCBHC grant, Integrity House will provide access to a greater variety of critical services including 24/7 crisis intervention, outpatient mental health services, and traditional physical healthcare for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) or substance use disorders (SUD), including opioid use disorders; children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED); and individuals with co-occurring mental and substance disorders (COD), in one single location.
Integrity House estimates that care will be provided to upwards of 500 currently underserved individuals each year for two years, with an emphasis on delivering comprehensive and coordinated care. Each individual will receive a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, followed by an individual assessment and patient-centered treatment planning.
“Having provided substance use disorder services for over 50 years, we have the experience and knowledge to work with people presenting with co-occurring disorders,” said Robert J. Budsock, CEO of Integrity House. “We now know that the most effective treatment for those with a co-occurring disorder is an integrated and holistic approach that includes a full continuum of care to address the substance use disorder and any present mental illness. These funds will be vital in helping us accomplish our mission and connect our most vulnerable citizens in the Greater Newark area to the care they desperately need, especially in light of the mental health crisis that will affect so many as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The overall project goal is to expand rapid access to quality community behavioral health services, integrated care, and supportive social services for those who are uninsured, underinsured, have unaffordable insurance and/or gaps in insurance. This includes those who cannot afford insurance deductibles, insurance co-payments and co-insurance payments. It will place special emphasis on increasing access to services for:
- Those experiencing homelessness
- The LGBTQIA population
- Hispanic and Latino communities and
- African American communities
The grant also will serve members of the armed forces and veterans, and those affected with AIDS/HIV.
Key partners, also known as Designated Collaborating Organizations (DCOs): the Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Center, Project Live, the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris Counties, the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services, and the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.