Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
A new program that is intended to help people with substance abuse problems is set to be launched by East Windsor Township officials.
Through the Community Action Recovery Effort program, East Windsor Township police officers will be able to refer people for counseling, Mayor Janice Mironov told Township Council Tuesday night.
“The proposal is to enable the police who come into contact with people with drug dependency (to offer) a referral option for that person,” Mayor Mironov said.
“It is voluntary (on the part of the substance abuser), but it is a means to divert that person to counseling,” Mayor Mironov said.
Chief of Police James Geary proposed the program, the mayor said. There are similar programs in existence in other communities, she said.
In East Windsor Township, the primary agency for referral purposes is Recovery Advocates of America because it does not turn away people who are uninsured, Mayor Mironov said. It has a good track record with other police departments.
City of Angels has been recommended as a secondary agency, she said.
It is a cost-savings measure because it may remove the person from the criminal justice system, Mayor Mironov said. It also offers an avenue for that person to seek help.
“If the person does that and cooperates with the agency, they can move forward with their life,” she said.
Deputy Mayor Perry Shapiro and Township Councilmen Marc Lippman and John Zoller agreed that the CARE program is a good idea.
“It’s a wonderful program. It’s win-win,” Zoller said.
