RELEASE: June 16, 2004

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Davy announces $17.4 million for substance abuse expansion

TRENTON —Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner Jim Davy announced $17.4 million in funding today to expand substance abuse services as part of the state's ongoing efforts to reform its child welfare system.

As part of the announcement, Commissioner Davy was joined by Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes at the county-funded Diane's House, a transitional housing program run by Freedom House that enables women in substance abuse recovery to regain custody of their children.

“Substance abuse is the most pressing problem facing children and families,” said Commissioner Davy. “However, we have ignored this problem for far too long by failing to fund services.”

Next year, DHS will spend $17.4 million to expand substance abuse services. This funding will be used to create the following slots: 40 short term residential treatment, 100 outpatient, 135 intensive outpatient/partial care and 150 methadone.

Commissioner Davy also announced DHS will provide Freedom House with $50,000 to purchase a second home in Trenton to serve DYFS women and their children. Catholic Charities will receive over $180,000 in funding to provide the outpatient treatment component.

Funding was also provided earlier this year to CURA in Vineland to begin a similar program serving five Hispanic Spanish speaking DYFS referred women. This funding of $218,160 serves six women and six of their children.

Established in 2001 by Freedom House, the goal of Diane's House is to help women stay alcohol and drug free, sustain recovery and secure economic independence while reunifying them with their children who have been in foster care. Since its inception, Mercer County has provided $235,000 in funding including $75,000 this year.

"Many of the problems I see in our county - from homelessness to crowded jails - start with drug or alcohol abuse. It's especially tragic when children are involved," said Hughes. "That's why it's so essential that Mercer County cooperate with the state to put mothers on the road to recovery. It just makes sense to tackle substance abuse upfront, rather than have families languish in the system."

Mercer County will also be one of the first four counties to have every element of the child welfare reform plan incorporated by January 2005. Other counties include Camden , Essex and Passaic . DHS plans on working closely with local officials and community providers in developing services to meet the unique needs of each county.

“Over the past five years, The Family Afterward has assisted women in recovery to regain custody of 43 children. To date, not one of our graduates has relapsed and lost custody of their children,” said Fred Reihl, president and CEO of Freedom House. “We are extremely pleased to have a partnership with the Department of Human Services, Division of Addiction Services and Mercer County government to provide necessary treatment programs for adult men and women with alcohol and drug addiction.”

According to the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), 33 percent of all substantiated abuse/neglect cases each year involve at least one caregiver with a known substance abuse problem. In 54 percent of these cases, the abused/neglected child was younger than five years old.

In addition, the number of substantiated abuse/neglect cases with prenatal substance abuse is approximately 11 percent each year. For the past five years (1998-2002), 23 percent of all child abuse/neglect deaths of children under the age of one included evidence of substance abuse during pregnancy.

Freedom House, established in 1986, is a non-profit organization based in New Jersey that operates a multi-phase long term residential treatment program for adult males who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction and who are at high risk of relapse without further treatment. Freedom House runs three facilities for men in Hunterdon, Warren and Morris counties.

Freedom House also operates a program for women called “The Family Afterward.” The main purpose of this program is to assist women in recovery from substance abuse and regain custody of their children. The Family Afterward runs two transitional houses for women in Warren and Mercer counties.

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