Rockaway, N.J. (May 19, 2020) – Prevention Is Key (PIK), a north Jersey-based non-profit substance misuse prevention agency, announced today that it has received two grants from the New Jersey Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). The grants—which will extend across one year, beginning this month—are each for $100,000 and will be used to fund two Community Peer Recovery Centers.  One center will be situated in Morris County and will be operated in collaboration with Excel Treatment and The Milestone House Sober Living Facility. The other, operated in collaboration with community partners, will be located in Essex County.

The purpose of the Community Peer Recovery Center (CPRC) is to provide a supportive, substance-free environment where individuals can access information about substance use disorder treatment, recovery support services, and information about other community resources. The centers will welcome individuals from all recovery backgrounds and multiple pathways of recovery to come together to receive peer-to-peer support and benefit from training, social, educational and recreational opportunities.

“It has long been part of the strategic plan for Prevention Is Key to grow our recovery support services beyond the borders of Morris County,” said PIK Executive Director Chris Goeke. “These Community Recovery Center grants from DMHAS are a wonderful opportunity to manifest that intention. The funding will ultimately provide the residents of both Morris County and Essex County with much needed community-based recovery support services during this critical time.”

Mike Frank (owner of The Milestone House and Excel Treatment Center of Dover) adds, “we are honored and excited to work in collaboration with CARES on this project. The Milestone House and Excel Treatment Center of Dover, NJ brings 18 years of experience and passion working with the recovery community offering support to both the “afflicted and affected” concerning substance abuse recovery and treatment.”

PIK anticipates that the funding for the start-up of the CPRC will expand the continuum of care to include an array of services that support individuals in their recovery from substance use and misuse. In summary, this funding will:

• Strengthen the linkage between treatment and recovery;
• Increase support for sustained recovery within the community;
• Support individuals in their recovery and provide them with a sense of hope;
• Offer resources to individuals seeking information on substance use disorder and behavioral treatment.
• Help prevent recurrence of substance use;
• Inform individuals about Naloxone training and where Naloxone kits can be purchased;
• Provide recovery resources;
• Provide a trauma informed community where individuals can achieve a full and satisfying life free of trauma and its consequences;
• Help individuals in recovery to plan, create, invent, and make things happen in their lives;
• Improve life skills;
• Provide a center for community-based leadership to grow and develop; and
• Lead to improved outcomes such as:
  • Abstinence from substances;
  • Increased employment;
  • Increased enrollment education/vocational training;
  • Increased social connectedness; and
  • Reduced involvement in the criminal justice system.

About Prevention Is Key

Prevention is Key (PIK) is a 501(c)3 organization that has successfully delivered culturally competent, evidence-based prevention services in Morris County and the surrounding counties 30 years. The agency was founded in 1989 to coordinate substance abuse prevention in Morris County.  From our roots as a resource center and awareness campaigns with a modest budget, to our current implementation of both direct service and environmental change strategies, including the addition of the Center for Addiction Recovery and Success (CARES) Peer to Peer Recovery Center, has made PIK the premiere substance abuse prevention agency in north central New Jersey. For more information visit www.mcpik.org.