State honors opioid, substance abuse initiative

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen (CCDOM), was recently recognized by the New Jersey Department of Human Services and Valerie L. Mielke, assistant commissioner, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

CCDOM was honored for its work in the New Jersey Evidence-Based Practice Initiative Opioid and other Substance Use Disorders, specifically in completing the initiative necessary to implement and sustain the evidence-based practices of Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Spanning nine months in duration, the initiative involved intensive training, coaching and administrative support. “We know that improved clinical staff skills are needed in practicing therapeutic approaches that will ensure outcomes meaningful to the people we serve and their families,” said Julio Coto, acting executive director, CCDOM.

At the completion of the project, the majority of the clinical staff were certified as proficient in Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — the number one successful approach in treating substance use disorders.

Substance use and misuse impacts individuals, families and communities, and opioid use continues to be a pervasive problem in New Jersey. This Evidence-Based Practice Initiative was designed to initiate or enhance clinical staff skills and agency delivery of evidence-based practices.

Evidence-based practices have become a cornerstone in providing mental health care, helping to prevent the recurrence of substance use, and promoting sustained recovery.

Catholic Charities provided 40,000 hours of counseling and served more than 56,000 people in need last year in the diocese.

For more information about Catholic Charities programs and services, visit www.ccdom.org.

Those wishing to support the work of Catholic Charities can make a donation online at www.ccdom.org/donate.