CarePlus NJ Launches Counseling for Practitioners, Peer Recovery Specialists

Integrated primary and behavioral health services provider CarePlus NJ has been awarded a $250,000 grant by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services to launch counseling and wellness services for peer recovery specialists and substance use disorder treatment providers in the state.

The Opiate Provider Treatment for Individualized Care and Support (OPTICS) Program is offering services to peer recovery specialists and treatment providers working in OUD treatment facilities and recovery centers. Services are provided by licensed clinical professionals to 150 peer specialists and treatment professionals who work for DMHAS-funded programs, recovery centers and community peer programs. CarePlus NJ is now actively providing services and accepting referrals for OPTICS.

The program's services address:

• Trauma, burnout and compassion fatigue
• Emotional and behavioral triggers that impact caregivers’ own recovery
• Ethical, professional and legal standards
• Job-related stress
• Professional development
• Role confusion
• Staff discrimination/prejudice related to the peer specialist role
• Boundaries
• Understanding and providing accurate information on the use of naloxone and FDA-approved medications to treat SUD

CarePlus NJ’s services are provided at the company’s Paramus, New Jersey, headquarters, as well as through telehealth platforms.