A recent blog addressed the need for adolescent treatment for substance use. This NJ Spotlight  article offers a look at several programs in our state that are serving adults with special needs, including the Rowan-Virtual Regional Integrated Special Needs Center in Sewell, the Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth and the recent effort underway by the state for a new service program known as START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment), a mobile crisis prevention and response program. Sarah Adelman, Commissioner of the state Department of Human Services, described the program as a “person-centered, solutions-focused approach that employs positive psychology and other evidence-based practices to address mental health conditions that are too often misdiagnosed, under-diagnosed or undiagnosed among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

This comprehensive approach also serves the needs of those suffering with a substance use disorder, and we know that providing good mental health programs is an effective strategy in preventing substance misuse. You can learn more about this topic by viewing PDFNJ’s most recent Knock Out Opioid Abuse Learning Series webinar, “When Addiction and Mental Health Collide”, and by registering for our next webinar, “Trauma and Opioid Use Disorder,” being held on Thursday, April 25.