Annual Report 2022-23 : simplebooklet.com

1-609-689-0599NCAAR’s work to mobilize advocates is always to ensure those with lived experience have avoice at the table. Our hope is to reduce the stigma associated with these conditions becausethat stigma translates into public policy and practices that become the barriers to peoplegetting well. Our advocacy work centers on educating about substance use as a public healthissue to be met with compassion, not criminalization. To me, NCAAR’s work is not just a matter of advocacy for those impacted by behavioral healthconcerns, it is a matter of social justice. It is a matter of reducing the stigma andmarginalization that keeps people at the fringes, less able to access the care they need andless able to fully participate as a member of their community. Recovery and healing beginwhen we are invited into spaces that offer acceptance, belonging, and value our humanity.Our only challenge is to become the architects of those environments.It is only through strong partnerships and collaborations across multiple domains thattransformation is possible. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to work alongsidethe people and organizations who share in these efforts because we are capable of so muchmore together. Thank you to the incredible and passionate team at NCAAR who makes all of this possible. Ihave the great privilege to be inspired by each of you every day! I look forward to all we will dotogether in the year ahead.Summer B. Brancoccio, LPC, LCADC, ACS, CCSPresident/CEO A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT/CEO,SUMMER B. BRANCOCCIOIt becomes more and more evident substance use and mental health concerns are not something anyof us can keep at a distance. We all have our own story or are a part of someone else’s story; someonewe care about, whether it be a family member, a friend, colleague, or neighbor. And those stories,those voices, have collective power to raise awareness, educate, and to normalize matching serviceswith the actual needs of those being served. The rapidly changing conversation around substance use is long overdue and we have a responsibility to reckon with the ways we need to change to becometrue champions of recovery. Recovery not only for the individual, but also for the families andcommunities impacted by the stigma and punitive narrative around substance use. 1

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NCAAR efforts promote recovery and wellness through advocacy,education, and progressive policy initiatives that identify addictionas a public health concern, reduce stigma and its related harms, and fosters macro andmicro-level systems change.OUR PURPOSE2William Waldman, ChairmanBruce Stout, Acting ChairmanDonald Starn, TreasurerPatricia Bowe-Rivers, Secretary Manuel Guantez, MemberDr. Harry Shallcross, MemberChris Schroeder, MemberRobert Trojan, MemberAnne Marie Bramnick, MemberKimberly Govak, MemberEdward Brazell, MemberTerry O’Connor, Member, EmeritusBOARD OF DIRECTORSPromoting Recovery through Advocacy and Education

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A Year in Review: Recovery Oriented Legislative VictoriesTestimonies Given- 6 Legislative Newsletters -10Recovery Laws Enacted- 4PUBLIC POLICY & ADVOCACY2023 Statehouse Tour with Assemblyman BensonNCAAR’s Policy Analyst, Nikki Tierney,championed the introduction of A5096/S3511 that makes New Jersey the first state in thecountry to require medically correct and non-stigmatizing terminology in New Jersey statutesand government entity names related tosubstance use. The bill had strong bipartisansupport and is a significant step toward reducingstigma, aiding in the necessary momentum toacknowledge substance use as a public healthconcern in need or care rather than punishment. A1176/S503 require institutions of highereducation to implement suicideprevention programs and raise awarenessof mental health services. These billsamend the Madison Holleran SuicidePrevention Act to require mental healthexperts on campus to work with andannually train faculty and residentassistants to recognize signs ofdepression, as well as warning signs andrisk factors of suicide. The bill waspassed by the Senate and Assembly. Stigma Free LanguageMental Health Expands in Colleges and Homeless SheltersA4755/S326, which permits behavioraland mental health care providers tooperate within homeless shelters wasalso signed into law in May 2023. This lawwill be a positive step toward meetingthe needs of individuals who wouldbenefit greatly from behavioral healthcare services and lack access to get thetreatment they need. Both of these lawswill improve access and reduce theharms people suffer from mental healthand substance use disorders. 3Legislative Districts 2023-2030.Click the map to find your district.

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From left: Renaldo Chavis, Keith Murphy,Tonia Ahern, and Maia Szalavitz Untreated & Unheard Advocacy Meetings-60Events Coordinated- 12Trainings held- 27NCAAR, in partnership with Newark Community Street Team,Mental Health Association in New Jersey, and RutgersUniversity, gathered local officials, drug reform experts, andactivists for a screening of the documentary Untreated &Unheard: The Addiction Crisis in America followed by a paneldiscussion on May 11, 2023. The documentary, created byThe Partnership to End Addiction, tells the story ofAmerica’s overdose crisis through the lens of familymembers and those who struggled to find the help theyneeded. This year the Advocacy Leadership Program restructured the advocacy teams,organizing five new teams into topics of interest: Advocate to Allocate, FamilyMembers, Mental Health, Clinicians/Providers, and Re-integration. More teams will beadded in the coming year. Two new campaigns were launched: “Your Stories Have Power,” a Postcard Campaignto educate lawmakers and the public through stories of those with lived experience;and “Advocate to Allocate,” geared toward Opioid Settlement Fund transparency andadvocacy. NCAAR Advocates raised their voices to provide testimony at every OpioidRecovery and Remediation Fund Advisory Council listening session, sharing theirstories and providing recommendations for practical and effective strategies to useopioid settlement dollars. Learn more on our website.A Year in Review: Statewide Advocacy4Become an NCAAR Advocate!Policy and Advocacy Team (from left): Summer Brancoccio, Ryane Gouveia,Andora Hightower, Tonia Ahern, Heather Ogden, Nikki TierneyOur esteemed panel was moderated by Maia Szalavitz, NY Times reporter and best-selling author of Unbroken Brain and Undoing Drugs: How Harm Reduction isChanging the Future of Drugs and Addiction. Panelists Renaldo Chavis from NewarkCommunity Street Team, Keith Murphy from Rutgers University, and Tonia Ahernfrom NCAAR shared their experience and expertise about the reform needed in drugpolicy, criminal justice, and the landscape of substance use services so recovery canbe possible for everyone.PUBLIC POLICY & ADVOCACY

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The MOBILIZE RECOVERY ACROSS AMERICA TOUR travelled over10,400 miles across 25 states and the District of Columbia,holding 35 events throughout September 2022 to celebraterecovery in action. NCAAR advocates worked tirelessly to supportthe opening of Recovery Community Support Centers throughoutthe state and to integrate peers with lived experience into thecare continuum. Because of their advocacy, NCAAR was chosen tobe part of Mobilize Recovery‘s national campaign to highlight NewJersey as the only state in the country with Recovery CommunitySupport Centers serving every county. Mobilize RecoveryPatrick Kennedy and NCAAR Board Member Kimberly Govak5Watch the Mobilize Video recapPUBLIC POLICY& ADVOCACYPUBLIC POLICY& ADVOCACYPatrick Kennedy and Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson joined Mobilize Recovery‘s AaronKucharski and Ryan Hampton along with NCAAR advocates, the recovery community andits allies for this inspiring event. NCAAR‘s Field Trainer, Heather Ogden also provided afree training on Building a Recovery-Oriented System of Care for the RecoveryCommunity Support Centers. The Mobilize Recovery tour not only celebrated recovery but handed out O.A.K.(Overdose Assistance Kit) boxes with naloxone and test strips to promote the need foraccessibility to harm reduction tools and services. It was NCAAR‘s honor to be part ofthe Mobilize Recovery Across America Tour!From left: Summer Brancoccio, PatrickKennedy, Aaron Kucharski, Ryan Hampton,Heather Ogden, Tonia Ahern

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6Advocate SpotlightPUBLIC POLICY & ADVOCACYThe HeArt of Recovery podcast waslaunched on BuzzSprout. Listen to all three episodes here.In addition to the podcast spotlights, the Advocate Spotlight sectionof the NCAAR website was honored to share Advocate KenMusgrove‘s inspiring story in June 2023. Ken encourages others touse their voices in advocacy and believe in the power of their storyto make change. The HeArt of Recovery, our new podcast, was launched in December2022 featuring NCAAR’s Advocacy Coordinator, Tonia Ahern, as itshost. The HeArt of Recovery kicked off its first episode with specialguest, Aaron Kucharski from Faces and Voices of Recovery andMOBILIZE RECOVERY. Aaron was the Advocacy Coordinator forNCAAR before he moved to the national stage. In this episode, hetalks about the history of building a grassroots advocacy movementin New Jersey with NCAAR. In March 2023, to celebrate International Women’s Day, NCAARwelcomed two dynamic women, author Kay Ellis, and advocateSheilah Powell CPRS, NCPRESS, RCP-F. These two women share theirpersonal journeys in recovery and the powerful role of connectionand friendship in their ability to thrive. The third episode featured NCAAR’s Policy Analyst, Nikki Tierneywith her compelling and remarkable story, We are Humans, NotLabels. Nikki shares her story of addiction and recovery as a woman,daughter, mother, lawyer, and clinician whose experience was largelyimpacted by the stigma associated with substance use disordersand her determination to show she is more than the labels given toher. To see all of these enhancements andhow to get involved, JOIN US on socialmedia.In addition to events and trainings throughout the year, NCAAR launched an Advocate Spotlight tohighlight Advocates who have lifted their voices to lead the recovery movement. Each quarter, anadvocate shares part of their story that inspired them to take action.Social Media Posts-241Advocacy Emails- 31Advocate Spotlights- 4

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On June 10th, 2023, NCAAR was proud to partner with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey(MHA-NJ) for its annual Wellness and Recovery Walk. The event helped raise awareness and unitethe mental health and substance use advocacy communities. Through our strong partnership withMHA-NJ, NCAAR hopes to model the collaboration that is necessary to truly integrate the behavioralhealth landscape. 7COMING TOGETHER NCAAR staff and pets at the 2023 Wellnessand Recovery WalkNCAAR’s purpose could not be realized without the dedicationof our outstanding staff. Their commitment, talent, andunbridled passion is the heartbeat of NCAAR’s work. Ouragency-wide picnic in June 2023 was organized by thevolunteer Fundraising Committee and our Board of Directorsto celebrate the efforts of every staff member fromadministration, to clinicians, to support staff. The picnic washeld at Liberty Lake Park and packed with food, music,,activities, and our inaugural hula-hoop contest. Wellness and Recovery WalkAgency PicnicMy Hoops Don’t Lie WinnerCarol Williams, FVOThe walk was held at Nomahegan Park in Cranford, NewJersey with over 300 people (and their dogs!) inattendance. It was a wonderful day for families withgames and activities and an opportunity to meet otheradvocates in the field. NCAAR’s portion of the proceedswere allocated to our grassroots advocacy work. NCAAR staff and pets at the 2023Wellness and Recovery Walk

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This year marks the 25th year of service for the statewideSubstance Abuse Initiative (SAI). NCAAR expanded to takeon the statewide Behavioral Health Initiative (BHI) in 2009,serving individuals with substance use, mental health, andco-occurring conditions. SAI/BHI provides comprehensiveassessment, referral, care coordination, and intensive casemanagement services to GA and TANF recipientsthroughout the state. Through the steadfast efforts of theWFNJ SAI/BHI in every NJ county, we have developed anaccountable behavioral health system to help reach theState’s goals for quality care, accessibility, eliminating gapsin service, and moving clients cost-effectively along thecontinuum of care.CARE COORDINATIONWFNJ SAI/BHIWORK FIRST NEW JERSEY SUBSTANCE ABUSE INITIATIVE &BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INITIATIVE -WFNJ SAI/BHI825-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS25-YEAR HIGHLIGHTSReferrals- 217,774Assessments:-154,960Entered Treatment -99,194In fiscal year 2023, in addition to substanceuse and/or mental health disorders, 65% ofclients self-disclosed they had beendiagnosed with chronic comorbid medicalconditions at the time of assessment. If aclient discloses an untreated medicalcondition, the SAI/BHI Care Coordinatorsensure the clients obtain necessary medicalfollow up or will refer to medical care forthose in need.SAI/BHI Senior Management Team

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9WFNJ SAI/BHIIn fiscal year 2023, 5% of SAI/BHI clients wereplaced in residential treatment, including 2%residential withdrawal management, 1% short-term residential, 2% halfway house, and 1% long-term residential. The remaining 95% of SAI/BHIclients were referred and placed in outpatienttreatment services, including 67% outpatient,14% intensive outpatient, 6% partial care, and 7%in methadone maintenance. SAI/BHI clients alsoreceive wrap around case managementservices, referrals to community-basedresources, and assistance with medicalappointments. Providing comprehensive wraparound services allows individuals to thrive in aless intense level of care and stay in theircommunities. In response to National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 9, 2023,NCAAR staff created Harm Reduction Kits that included more than15 items, including naloxone, overdose prevention and xylazineeducation, wound care kits, and a listing of harm reduction centersand recovery community support centers throughout the state.The kits were distributed to SAI/BHI clients at each of the 21 countywelfare agencies.SAI/BHI Harm Reduction KitsCARE COORDINATIONHARM REDUCTION & EDUCATION

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Trauma, abuse, and family violence are prevalent within the population NCAAR serves. ManySAI/BHI clients have a history of trauma or current experiences with harmful relationships. At thetime of assessment, 65% disclosed current or historical emotional abuse; 54% had experiences ofphysical abuse; 40% disclosed sexual abuse; and 30% reported experiencing emotional, physical,and sexual abuse in their lifetime. While not all people exposed to trauma will develop symptoms that affect their daily functioning,individuals who have experienced repeated or chronic traumas are more likely to exhibitsymptoms related to substance use and/or mental health and experience difficulty withengagement in treatment. CARE COORDINATIONWFNJ SAI/BHI10SAI/BHI Care Coordinators knowtrauma can have an impact onengagement and outcomes. Eachof them are committed to using atrauma-informed approach toaddress these sensitive areas andrefer for coordinated andintegrated services to promotehealing. This helps individualsengage more in their care,develop trusting relationshipswith service providers, andimprove health outcomes.TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH

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LowModerateHigh05001,0001,5002,0002,500The Work First New Jersey Family Violence Option (FVO) wasimplemented on January 1, 2018 and celebrates five years ofproviding assessment services for individuals with a history ofdomestic violence who are in need of social services. Frominception to the end of fiscal year 2023, the FVO received5,589 referrals and has completed 4,174 Risk Assessments. FAMILY VIOLENCE OPTION(FVO)FIVE-YEAR HIGHLIGHTSFIVE-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS5,589 Referrals Received4,179 Risk Assessments6,084 Recommended WaiversThe Risk Assessment results in a risk score ofLow, Moderate, or High. The purpose of theFVO waivers are to protect the GA/TANFrecipients who are in imminent danger fromtheir abuser and to provide services andprotections for those individuals who areseeking to become self-sufficient. This year,there were 1,140 clients who scored highrisk, 1,005 moderate risk, and 2,029 low risk. 11Risk AssessmentLevel of Risk2,0291,0051,140The six FVO Risk Assessors provide recommendations to the County and Municipal WelfareAgencies to grant up to four different 6-month waivers to WFNJ General Assistance (GA) andTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients. These waivers allow individuals andfamilies to access the vital support services necessary to maintain their safety and supporttheir healing. From left: Carol Williams, Ciara Guile

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FAMILY VIOLENCE OPTION(FVO)60-month time limitThis waiver is forindividuals at, near, orbeyond the 60-monthGA or TANF cashassistance time limit.This waiver does notstop the “WFNJ clock”but will temporarilyallow the individual tocontinue to receive cash assistance beyond60 months while theyseek domestic violenceservices.Work Requirement Waives the WFNJwork requirement forGA and TANFrecipients ifparticipation in awork activity placesthe client at a safetyrisk. The FVO RiskAssessor works withthe client to explorehow work oremployment-directedactivities puts theclient at risk forcontinued domesticviolence. Child Support (GoodCause Exception) All individuals withchildren applying forTANF are required tocooperate with NewJersey State courtrules to seek childsupport from theother parent. Thisoption waives thechild supportcooperationrequirement if seekingchild support from analleged abuser placesthe individual or childat risk.policy@ncaarbh.orgFour Primary Waivers for Recommendation January 2018-June 2023Work RequirementwaiversChild Supportwaivers Eme rge ncyAss ist anc ewai ver s 60-month time limitwaivers 2,493 2,168 93049312EmergencyAssistance (EA) timelimitEmergency Assistance,a county housingassistance program, islimited to 12 months;however, extensionsmay be granted undercertain hardshipconditions. Someclients may not haveexhausted their 12months of EA, theseindividuals do not needwaivers to extend theirtime limits, but theymay need assistanceto seek emergencyresidence in adomestic violenceshelter.

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policy@ncaarbh.org1-609-689-0599Each year since 2003, NCAAR has been contracted to provide substanceuse assessments for youth under the supervision of the New JerseyJuvenile Justice Commission (JJC). Assessments are conducted bylicensed staff at detention centers, parole offices, and JJC program sitesto help determine the presence and extent of problematic substance use.JCC assessors then provide a clinically supported level of carerecommendation.. JUVENILE JUSTICE COMMISSION(JJC)13YOUTH ASSESSMENTYour paragraph textCelebrating 20 years of service this year, the JJC staff received 59 referrals and performed all59 assessments. There were no clients who refused assessment or treatment recommendations. Promoting Recovery through Advocacy and Education

Annual Report 2022-23

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