Daytop New Jersey has proven to be a great partner of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and a pillar of the New Jersey treatment community. This past April, Daytop hosted the New Jersey Shout Down Drugs Prevention Concert at its residential facility in Mendham. The event was a huge success as high school musicians from throughout the state performed their original and inspiring substance use prevention songs in front of a capacity crowd. This week, I welcome Jim Curtin, president and CEO of Daytop New Jersey, to inform you about some of the services being provided by Daytop throughout the state.

By Jim Curtin, President and CEO, Daytop New Jersey

Many people know Daytop New Jersey as a provider of residential services for adolescents struggling with substance use disorders. What most people do not know is that in the past few years Daytop has broadened its mission to serve adults with substance use and mental health challenges and is part of its largest growing programs in response to the growing opioid epidemic in the state of New Jersey.  

The decision to change the mission and begin working with adults and their families did not come lightly, yet even as of ten years ago, it was impossible to ignore the trends that an increasing number of adults with opioid use disorders were in need of treatment. Therefore, the executive leadership and the board got together and made the decision to begin offering outpatient and intensive outpatient services at the Morris County outpatient program in Morris Plains. The program grew so quickly that the next step was to offer similar services at three additional outpatient treatment centers. 

Daytop has taken pride in providing evidence-based and best practices at each of its locations and continues to look for partners in meeting the demands of this epidemic. Partners such as Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon and the Hope One program are a prime example of law enforcement and the treatment community sharing resources to help more people access the lifesaving treatment so desperately needed. Clients are assessed in all areas of their lives to determine the best course of treatment including, when appropriate, medication assisted treatment (MAT) in the form of Buprenorphine (Suboxone) or Naltrexone (Vivitrol). Physicians specializing in addiction psychiatry are available at each site. Only about 20 percent of clients with opioid use disorders receive MAT, according to the Office of the Attorney General. This is a challenge that treatment providers must rise to the occasion to meet.

While continuing to serve youth and young adults in its residential and outpatient services, Daytop has effectively broadened its scope to better serve its mission to provide highly effective and accessible behavioral health services, restore hope and improve the quality of life for persons served, their families and our communities.