The Family Guidance Center recently received a grant that will help individuals with opioid addiction get critical assistance in the recovery process.

The Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP) is funded by the New Jersey Department of Health, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services and was initiated to respond to individuals who have an opiate use disorder or have experienced a Narcan reversal from an opiate overdose.

Katherine Peñaherrera has been named the Supervisor for the program, which is partnering with Hackettstown Medical Center, St. Luke’s Warren Hospital and several other substance abuse rehabilitation and community treatment providers.

“We are very excited about this grant, as it will allow us to assist people with opioid use disorders to access treatment and recovery support services with the help of a Patient Navigator and recovery specialists,” said Rich McDonnell, Executive Director of the Family Guidance Center, which serves residents of Warren County. “The opioid epidemic is a crisis that we need to face head-on. This program will provide 24/7 response and ongoing engagement of affected individuals in treatment and continuing recovery support services.”

Warren County is listed as No. 8 of 21 counties in New Jersey with the most drug overdoses per capita in the past year.

The mission of the OORP is to make contact with individuals with an opiate disorder or who have been treated for an opiate overdose with Narcan. OORP staff will meet with these individuals in the local hospital emergency rooms and assist those who agree to get them linked to a treatment provider as they are at risk of overdosing again.

“The program is intended to stop an individual’s circle of opiate use,” said Peñaherrera. “Our goal is to establish relationships for them with various treatment and support entities to allow for a coordinated course of recovery.”

The Family Guidance Center is a private, non-profit community behavioral health care agency that provides a broad range of mental health and substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery services to individuals and families living in Warren County. Founded in 1955, the center is dedicated to improving the quality of life of children and adults affected by problems related to mental illness, substance abuse, family conflict or emotional adjustment.

For more information about the Family Guidance Center, including its locations throughout the county, full suite of services, how one can volunteer and other details about the organization, visit www.fgcwc.org.

“Family Guidance Center, Prevention, Treatment and Recovery” – “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow”