These Camden County Towns Are Participating In Project SAVE

Since Camden County adopted the Project SAVE (Substance Abuse Visionary Effort) as a pilot program, a total of 32 municipalities have now joined the effort, as of Nov. 2, 2018

Project SAVE is a one-year pilot program in which licensed social service professionals will be present in municipal courts throughout the county to offer services for low level drug offenders. Substance abusers will be linked to the appropriate resources regardless of their ability to pay, according to county officials.

The following is an ongoing list of towns currently using the program. The most recent towns to join the program will always be listed at the top:

• Berlin Borough;
• Berlin Township;
• Cherry Hill;
• Clementon;
• Hi-Nella;
• Somerdale;
• Waterford Township;
• Tavistock;
• Audubon Park;
• Bellmawr;
• Brooklawn;
• Camden City;
• Haddon Heights;
• Haddon Township;
• Gloucester Township;
• Gibbsboro;
• Voorhees;
• Mt. Ephraim;
• Oaklyn;
• Barrington;
• Haddonfield;
• Audubon;
• Merchantville;
• Magnolia;
• Pine Hill;
• Pennsauken;
• Lawnside;
• Woodlynne;
• Gloucester City;
• Runnemede;
• Lindenwold; and
• Collingwsood.

“This innovative program will be impactful for out township and individuals going through our municipal court system,” Haddon Township Mayor Randy Teague said. “Intervening early with opioid use disorder and having an advocate in the courtroom whose sole job is to navigate individuals into treatment will be a significant and welcomed change for nonviolent offenders. This is another tool we can use to combat this ongoing public health crisis and get people the help they need.”

“The City of Camden recognizes the importance of combating the ongoing health crisis related to prescription pill and heroin abuse that is taking place in so many communities throughout Camden County and beyond. The City commends the County Freeholder Board for taking action by expanding access to resources and implementing much needed treatment opportunities through Project SAVE,” Camden Mayor Frank Moran said. “The City of Camden remains interested in entering Project SAVE Pilot as it explores the programs benefits. The City has requested they be added to the list of potential participants as the pilot program will be funded through 2019 by Camden County.”

“We are looking at all options to make a long-term impact on this epidemic,” Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr, founder and active member of the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force, said. “We have seen the impact this program has had on a small scale in Gloucester Township and we believe as a governing body we should be opening it up and providing the same hope and opportunity for treatment, detox and recovery throughout the entire county. It is no secret that every municipality in the county is struggling with this crisis and the sooner we have the ability to get professionals intervening to stop it, the better off residents will be.”

This program is being implemented for one year to look at the effectiveness of having an advocate and navigator for nonviolent offenders suffering from opioid use disorder. The objective of this program will be to save lives, stabilize individuals suffering through the throes of addiction and reduce recidivism in the criminal justice system. Today, more than 50 percent of our inmates entering the Camden County Jail have a use disorder and 277 individuals lost their lives to opioid overdose throughout the county in 2017.

Read more here: Project SAVE, Started In Gloucester Twp., To Be Implemented Countywide

Patch file photo