Pilot program aimed at responding to growing opioid addiction crisis to take root in January
Once the calendar turns to a new year, Haddonfield is slated to be one of 32 municipalities throughout Camden County to participate in an aggressive effort spearheaded by the county Freeholder Board to continue the fight against opioid use and abuse.
Project SAVE (Substance Abuse Visionary Effort) is a pilot program modeled after and based on the initiative Gloucester Township created in 2014. Since the start of that program until this September, the township has reached almost 200 individuals suffering from opioid use disorder.
As the nation grapples with a public health crisis that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, killed 72,000 people last year, county government has taken proactive measures in searching for innovative ways to treat residents in crisis.
Haddonfield Police Chief Jason Cutler stated: “We will be starting on Jan. 1, 2019. The Gloucester Township Police Department piloted the program and had great success, so the county decided to implement it in all municipalities that are interested and pick up the first year’s costs. The program places addiction counseling services, in the courtroom, that the judge can refer the defendant to. Only certain offenses are eligible for referral. The hope is to get offenders into counseling as soon as possible and also gives the judge other options when dealing with sentencing.”
Berlin Borough, Berlin Township, Cherry Hill, Clementon, Hi-Nella, Somerdale, Waterford Township and Tavistock will also participate in the one-year pilot program that will focus on early intervention by licensed social service professionals in the municipal court system.
Other participating municipalities are Gibbsboro, Voorhees, Mt. Ephraim, Oaklyn, Barrington, Audubon, Merchantville, Magnolia, Pine Hill, Pennsauken, Lawnside, Woodlynne, Gloucester City, Runnemede, Lindenwold, Collingswood, Audubon Park, Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Camden City, Haddon Heights and Haddon Township.
The program is being implemented for one year to look at the effectiveness of having an advocate and navigator for nonviolent offenders suffering from opioid use disorder. The objective will be to save lives, stabilize suffering individuals and reduce chances of repeat offenses. According to a release issued by Camden County’s Division of Public affairs, more than 50 percent of inmates at Camden County Jail have a use disorder, and nearly 300 individuals lost their lives to opioid overdose throughout the county in 2017.
The Freeholder Board expects to provide $100,000 to start the program and monitor its investment through the county Department of Health and Human Services.
Freeholder Louis Cappelli Jr., founder and active member of the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force, discussed plans for future expansion.
“We are looking at all options to make a long-term impact on this epidemic. We have seen the impact this program has had on a small scale, and we believe as a governing body we should be opening it up and providing the same hope and opportunity for treatment, detox and recovery throughout the entire county. It is no secret that every municipality in the county is struggling with this crisis, and the sooner we have the ability to get professionals intervening to stop it, the better off residents will be,” he said.
For more information about the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force, visit www.addictions.camdencounty.com. If you or a loved one needs help, call the 24/7 toll-free confidential hotline at (877) 266–8222, or call 911 in the event of an emergency.
Camden County’s Office of Mental Health and Addiction is located in the Michael J. DiPiero Center for Human Services, 512 Lakeland Road, in Gloucester Township. It can be reached by phone at (856) 374–6361.
