Dear Friends,
I hope that you are staying safe and healthy and that you found some time to enjoy the unusual 2020 summer season.
If you are unfamiliar with addiction, you might think its antithesis is sobriety. If only it were that simple. The opposite of addiction is connection. Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 has created the perfect storm for individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. Stressors like economic uncertainty, food insecurity, illness, and death can adversely affect anyone. For the people we serve, loneliness is lethal.
September is National Recovery Month: a celebration of the achievements made by individuals in recovery. This year’s Recovery Month theme couldn’t be more appropriate for where we find ourselves today—Join the Voices for Recovery: Celebrating Connections.
As we head into fall, I am eager to tell you about what we are doing at Integrity House to keep people safely connected. Even during a pandemic, we have a lot to be optimistic about.
I am happy to report that our residential programs have been 100% COVID-19 free since June. Thanks to our front line healthcare heroes, aggressive testing, and effective prevention protocols, Integrity House has kept people connected, providing essential, life-saving services. And thanks to the generous support of so many, we have been able to keep people connected safely.
The more than $50,000 raised through emergency contributions and general support made it possible for Integrity House to:
- retain a professional company to regularly clean and disinfect all client and staff spaces
- purchase thermometers, alcohol wipes, germicide clothes, sanitizer, blankets, sheets, towels, and pillows
- invest in additional cleaning supplies such as garbage bags, detergent, gloves, paper towels, hand wash, antibacterial soap, spray bottles, mops, and brooms
- offer nicotine replacement therapy to quarantined clients
- launch Mask Up Integrity House, an internal marketing campaign promoting best practices for staffers and clients across all buildings
- obtain furnishings to enable proper social distancing among clients in our programs
On April 27th, Integrity House was one of only 166 organizations, nationally, awarded a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) expansion grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). CCBHCs expand and improve Americans’ access to mental health and substance use disorder services in community-based settings. This week, after several months of planning and preparation, we opened the doors to our very own CCBHC at Newark’s 1091 Broad Street. The CCBHC will connect the most vulnerable members of the Integrity House community to quality behavioral health services, integrated care, and social services.
With recovery so much is possible, but recovery is only possible with evidence-based treatment. We are always here, ready to connect, in person or online.
Thank you for staying connected with Integrity House.
Sincerely,