July 30th ,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
MENDHAM NJ, With more than eight people dying from drug overdoses in N.J. everyday, according to a recent article by the Star-Ledger, U.S. Senate candidate Hugin met with leaders of Daytop New Jersey and Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon at the Daytop New Jersey Academy in Mendham to tour and discuss what can be done to fight this epidemic.
Daytop New Jersey is a treatment program for individuals of all ages suffering from substance use disorders. Daytop was the final stop for Hugin in what was a busy week that includes visits to the Morris CARES program and Narcan training, and the Robbinsville Senior Center.
“We need to reverse the stigma around mental illness and substance abuse,” said Bob Hugin. “My time with the residents and leadership of Daytop New Jersey was truly an eye-opening experience to the phenomenal work being done not only by the administrators, but by the residents as well. The progress they are making is truly remarkable.”
Daytop Academy is the only program in New Jersey with a specialty substance use disorder facility with a special education high school that could meet all the needs of the students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP). Daytop New Jersey provides a continuum of treatment services which include residential treatment for adolescents, outpatient treatment for adolescents and adults, recovery-based day school for students in grades 6-12, and a halfway house for adult women.
“This is a disease that does not discriminate; Daytop is committed to addressing the needs of everyone battling a substance use disorder in New Jersey no matter what their age, socio-economic status, or race,” said James Curtin, who serves as the President & CEO. “It is encouraging to see Mr. Hugin tour our facility, listen to what our needs are, and discuss how Washington can be a partner in this local fight.”
“Today’s discussion needs to be one that happens every day around every dinner table,” said Sheriff Gannon. “For too long I have seen too many families go from broken teeth and broken bones to broken families.”
“Treatment for substance disorders has evolved as the science and psychology communities provide evidence of the benefits of things like our music therapy program for ‘re-wiring’ the brain as it recovers from a substance use disorder,” said Kim O’Connor VP of Clinical Services at Daytop.
