John Brooks Recovery Center leads Primary Care and Opioid Treatment Initiative

PLEASANTVILLE, N.J. - March 4, 2021 - PRLog -- In the ongoing battle against the opioid crisis, John Brooks Recovery Center (JBRC) has taken a tremendous step forward in bridging the gap between primary care and opioid treatment. The Atlantic County-based nonprofit is now leading the Primary Care and Opioid Treatment Initiative, funded through a five-year grant from the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). This initiative is part of a pilot project though the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA). The new initiative started on January 1 and is based out of JBRC's Pleasantville location at 660 Black Horse Pike.

"Our goal is to integrate primary health care with our opioid treatment program with a strong focus on treating HIV and hepatitis C," said Michael Santillo, CEO of JBRC. "The exciting part is that hepatitis C can now be cured through new medications that are now available."

Maria Pagan-Felice, APN, Nurse Practitioner and Project Lead for the new Primary Care and Opioid Treatment Initiative at JBRC, says that three individuals have now completed the program and have been cured of hepatitis C. Approximately 15 additional patients are still being treated in the program.

"The individuals that were able to access treatment through JBRC are extremely grateful," said Pagan-Felice. "Only a small number of providers are performing hepatitis C treatment and there are many barriers to getting an appointment. At JBRC, we do our best to remove all barriers and offer the convenience of having a full continuum of care and treatment options available to our patients."

Looking to the future, JBRC will continue to search for alternate funding that will sustain the program beyond the five-year mark once the grant funding is exhausted. All of these efforts align with JBRC's mission to provide the highest quality, evidence-based treatment services to help individuals overcome substance use disorders regardless of financial circumstance or socio-economic background.

"As soon as individuals come through our door, whether it be for primary care or opioid treatment, they will be screened for physical health needs, substance use disorder and mental health treatment," said Santillo. "This allows us to finally bridge the gap between primary care and opioid treatment and give patients back what they need most – their quality of life."

If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, please call JBRC today. For Residential Programs – Residential Detox/Withdrawal Management, Short-term Residential or Long-term Residential, please call 609-345-0110. For Outpatient Programs – Opioid Treatment Program, Intensive Outpatient Program or Standard Outpatient Program, please call 609-345-2020, extension 6182, 6180 or 6179.

About John Brooks Recovery Center

Founded in 1969, John Brooks Recovery Center provides quality, individualized treatment services to help individuals overcome substance use disorders. Programs include: Residential, Outpatient, Medication-assisted Recovery, Detox and Inmate Re-entry. To learn more, visit https://jbrcnj.org/ or visit them on Facebook @JohnBrooksRecoveryCenter.

About All Roads Recovery Community Center

All Roads Recovery Community Center, the community-based recovery arm of JBRC, helps anyone struggling with addiction navigate their next steps on the journey to recovery. All Roads currently offers a wide variety of Recovery Groups, as well as one-on-one coaching with Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS). To learn more, visit allroadsrecovery.org, call 609-457-1080 or visit them on Facebook @AllRoadsRCC.