Burlington County officials plan to expand recovery services when it was announced this month that the county was a grant recipient to fund a new project.
Burlington County Freeholder Director Felicia Hopson announced on Feb. 4 that New Jersey funded a new county initiative “The Resource Recovery Center,” which officials said is aimed to provide peer support services at the Human Services Building on Woodlane Road, Westampton Township.
“The Resource Recovery Center will be an environment where residents can benefit from peer support, access services to help treat substance abuse, and receive information about other community resources in a supportive substance free environment,” Hopson said in a statement. “This new center will integrate into our network of services and provide a space for individuals and families struggling with addiction.”
Officials said the center’s peer recovery services are planned to provide specialists for core services provided in a peer-based setting, including: Peer mentoring or coaching for one-on-one development in which a peer leader with recovery experience encourages, motivates, and supports a peer in recovery; Peer recovery resource for connecting the peer with services and resources available in the community; Recovery group to facilitate or lead recovery-oriented group activities such as support groups and educational activities; and building community to help peers make new connections and build healthy social networks through emotional, instrumental, informational, and affiliation types of peer support.
Officials said the center is also planned to provide wellness classes such as Recovery Advocacy; Criminal Justice System issues such as the issue of overcoming a criminal record; Illness Management/Craving Reduction and Relapse Prevention Skills; Smoking Cessation; Relaxation and Meditation; Nutrition; Anger Management; Yoga; Resume writing; and Workshops by the American Job Center.
In addition to the classes and counseling opportunities for patients, officials said the center plans to provide weekly group meetings such as Medication Assisted Treatment; Narcotics Anonymous (NA); Alcoholics Anonymous (AA); and Family Support Groups.
Housing initiatives and services for patients are also planned to be available to patients as well as educational/recreational events.
“Human Services will begin construction of the recovery center in the coming weeks,” officials said.
The announcement from the Burlington Freeholders comes after the new Housing Hub was opened in the human services building on Dec. 10 last year in Westampton. Officials said the hub is aimed to provide residents with a streamlined process for seeking assistance from human services and community partners.
Officials said the hub is also intended to provide a coordinated entry point for residents experiencing homelessness, so staff and community partners can use the coordinated assessment developed by the county’s Continuum of Care System to connect the clients to the services available to help them on site. The hub also has daily volunteers scheduled from various county agencies as well as community partners to assist those seeking housing, according to officials.