Opioid Epidemic
Egg Harbor Township, March 11, 2022: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy visited the Behavioral Crossroads Campus for a round table event on Friday, March 11th, 2022. Also in attendance were Egg Harbor Township Mayor Paul Hodson, Asst. Commissioner Valerie Mielke, NJ Acting Attorney General Matt Platkin, Not One More NJ Campaign Director Priscilla Robinson, Director of Harm Reduction Services at the New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition Caitlin O’Neill, NJ Senator Vincent J. Polistina, and Executive Director of Atlantic Prevention Resources, Dr. Robert Zlotnick. The state came to an agreement with four companies – Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen – which resulted in a $640M settlement to be used towards harm-reduction services for those struggling with opioid addiction. The potential positive impact and details regarding the use of this money were discussed at this roundtable-style event.
Trishia Haines, a counselor at Behavioral Crossroads who previously struggled with addiction, told her story.
“I’ve been a counselor at Behavioral Crossroads for a year and a half, and I am four years clean. It was [at this facility] that I decided that I wanted to help people and become a counselor. I learned how to work on my behaviors, I learned how to mend relationships, and I’ve rebuilt my life again.
I think the most important issues are to reach teens and young adults, through new curriculums and relapse prevention, coping skills and mental health awareness, and to make sure these students have been properly evaluated for co-occurring disorders.”
You can check out the livestream of the event below:
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