NORRISTOWN, Pa. (June 28, 2023) — Gaudenzia, Inc., the largest non-profit provider of treatment for people with substance use disorder in the Northeast, announces receipt of a $75,000 grant from the Dauphin County Opioid Remediation Grant Program. The money will help provide reentry case management services to Dauphin County residents with substance use disorder (SUD) who are going through the criminal justice system.
Through the grant, Gaudenzia will hire one full-time reentry case manager to provide services to Dauphin County residents receiving SUD treatment at Gaudenzia’s Concept 90 and Common Ground facilities. Both local residential treatment programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP). Gaudenzia intends on providing reentry case management services to a minimum of 60 justice-involved local residents with SUD.
“Gaudenzia extends its sincere gratitude to the Dauphin County Opioid Remediation Advisory Committee and the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners,” said Dr. Dale Klatzker, President and CEO of Gaudenzia. “These funds are crucial to give some support to people who are often stigmatized and overlooked because they have been in the criminal justice system. We recognize that while everyone’s recovery journey is different, there is one thing all have in common –a need for a strong and consistent support system. Gaudenzia is happy to be just that.”
Eligible individuals for reentry case management services must be adult residents of Dauphin County and must either be currently supervised by probation or parole, or are justice-involved and awaiting sentencing.
The appointed reentry case manager, in addition to supporting eligible individuals with services, will also seek to establish a relationship with the Dauphin County Prison to coordinate access to community-based treatment, including medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), for individuals exiting the prison. With drug overdose being the leading cause of death after release from incarceration, Gaudenzia’s initiative aims to reduce overdose and improve recovery outcomes and reduce recidivism rates.
This announcement provides some more good news for Dauphin County which has seen its share of the opioid overdose epidemic. This past Fall, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations seized 3,300 doses of fentanyl/heroin, 325 fentanyl pills and 56 grams of cocaine being brought into Harrisburg.
“We will continue to take steps forward to ensure residents of Dauphin County impacted by SUD receive the help they need – including those justice-involved – while also taking preventive measures to eliminate risk of exposure to these deadly drugs,” Klatzker said. “We remain hopeful that the county, state, and organizations like Gaudenzia can work together to achieve these goals.”
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ABOUT GAUDENZIA, INC.
Gaudenzia, Inc. is one of the largest nonprofit substance use and co-occurring disorders treatment centers in the United States, with 51 facilities operating in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. The agency serves about 14,000 individuals annually and operates 120 programs providing a full continuum of care. Since 1968, Gaudenzia has provided specialized services and programs to for all demographics, including pregnant and parenting mothers, adolescents, people with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders, and more. Those seeking help can call Gaudenzia’s 24/7 Treatment and Referral HelpLine at 833-976-HELP (4357). For more information, visit www.Gaudenzia.org.
