Camden County Extends SAVE Program That Fights Addiction

After a one-year pilot, Project SAVE (Substance Abuse Visionary Effort) is getting a three-year extension in Camden County, officials announced on Wednesday. The initiative, which combats addiction with treatment beyond the initial arrest, first launched in Gloucester Township in 2014.

It was introduced at the county level in October of last year. Since then, SAVE advocates — who are stationed in the courtroom to provide a route to treatment for non-violent, low-level drug offenders — have successfully referred 467 low-level offenders for treatment to end their substance dependence, according to county officials.

SAVE advocates are licensed social services professional who can refer and connect offenders to appropriate treatment resources regardless of their ability to pay. Advocates spend many additional hours conducting follow-up calls, meetings, and other measures to ensure that each defendant is successfully navigating their treatment.

“We have hundreds of individuals currently receiving care that may have otherwise been sitting in a jail cell, committing a crime in their community, or overdosing in their living room. Every life saved is a resounding success in our fight against addiction,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. said. “The Board remains committed to ending the scourge that is the opioid epidemic, and we will continue to implement and expand upon innovative solutions that address the root cause of these issues. When an addict comes into municipal court, the answer is rarely punitive. Instead, we have to address the addiction that’s driving their behavior.”

In all, 34 of the county’s 37 municipalities are participating in the program. By hosting the program at the county level, officials said they have been able to leverage economies of scale to lower the overall cost of the program.

“Project SAVE gets right to the heart of the matter as an early intervention program to fight the effects of substance use disorder,” Collingswood Mayor Jim Maley said. “Low-level offenders coming into our municipal court now get help with a court-appointed counselor who can offer a variety of services. The initiative is having a significant impact in Collingswood by helping people reclaim their lives instead of giving them fines and jail time.”

During the three-year extension, officials are hoping to further study the impact of early intervention at the municipal court level, and to further expand the availability of substance use treatment to those who need it.

“The goal is to give non-violent offenders a chance to change their life, to break free from the shackles of addiction and regain their own agency,” Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force Director John Pellicane said. “We’re changing the narrative from hopeless to hopeful. When your community is losing 300 people a year to drug deaths, something has to change.”

Officials are also looking to further support those who successfully complete the program. In the coming months, the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force will begin connecting those in treatment with employers, officials said.

“Having our police work alongside a certified drug and alcohol counselor who can provide alternatives, to punitive measures, for someone suffering with opioid use disorder is a transformative change in our municipal court system,” Pine Hill Police Chief Chris Winters said. “Working alongside the county to identify this need and the impact it’s had on Pine Hill this year has been immeasurable.”

The Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force, created by the Freeholder Board in 2014, maintains the website www.addictions.camdencounty.com to help educate residents on the resources available to prevent and treat addiction. Anyone who needs help or knows someone who needs help can call the 24/7 toll-free confidential hotline for addiction help at 877-266-8222 or call 911 in the event of an emergency.

The Camden County Office of Mental Health and Addiction is located in the Michael J. DiPiero Center for Human Services, 512 Lakeland Road in Gloucester Township. It can be reached by phone at 856-374-6361.