ROI-NJ.com (October 6, 2021) covering the $5M grant Care Plus NJ received to help support behavioral health.
Care Plus NJ has been awarded a $5 million grant over two years from the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Services Administration as part of its Community Behavioral Health Center grant program.
The funding will restore and expand the delivery of clinical services impacted by the pandemic, support outreach efforts to engage over time left out populations, and ensure that Care Plus NJ staff providing these services have access to welcoming of participation, wellness-focused supports.
The help is very much needed.
“The impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continue to reverberate throughout our communities, disproportionately affecting vulnerable and lacking adequate services populations with behavioral health challenges and/or co-occurring substance use disorders,” Ann Marie Zihal, senior vice president, clinical services, said.
“This funding will enable Care Plus NJ to substantially scale our operations to meet the outsized demand for Behavioral Health and addiction recovery services, while also proactively engaging with over time left out populations in the communities we serve to expand the reach of our resources and access to care.”
Care Plus NJ’s program goals for the funding include increasing outpatient treatment capacity to respond to increased demand for services for individuals with serious emotional disturbance, serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders; achieve a 100% reduction in waitlist time by enhancing service access via telehealth and in-person capacity; engage a minimum of 1,000 individuals into evidence-based practice-driven treatment and support services; and promote staff wellness activities that improve well-being.
