Buddies of New Jersey, Inc.

The Basics

Buddies of New Jersey, Inc. has been providing supportive services to HIV-positive clients for over 30 years. Serving residents of Bergen and Passaic Counties in New Jersey, Buddies of New Jersey is a recipient of federal Ryan White Funding and offers services at no or low-cost to those in need. Its New Focus outpatient substance abuse program has been in operation for over 20 years and provides substance abuse treatment for both HIV-negative and positive clients.

Treatment and Staff

New Focus provides both standard outpatient and an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). Most clients are referred to New Focus by state or local agencies through which they access case managers to coordinate their care. After an intake session, the counselors at New Focus create an individualized treatment plan that includes group therapy between one and three times each week and individual therapy once a week. Clients can stay in the program as long as they wish, with most staying three to six months. As clients progress in treatment, they can step down to attending fewer group sessions each week.

Most groups have fewer than 10 participants and explore addiction as a disease, triggers and building life skills using therapeutic modalities such as CBT and DBT. New Focus also incorporates the 12-step framework, but prefers to address addiction using the Harm-Reduction Model over asking clients to commit to the goal of total abstinence.  Clients are, however, encouraged to attend AA/NA or other peer support meetings on their own.

Because New Focus clients may be dealing with a host of physical and psychological challenges due to their HIV status, the program makes every effort to retain clients even if they relapse. Treatment at New Focus is process-oriented and the counselors do not want clients to be in fear of losing services and support for their mistakes.

The treatment team at New Focus includes LPNs, LCSWs and CADCs. While co-occurring disorders are addressed in therapy, clients are referred to nearby mental health clinics for treatment and medication for their mental health diagnosis.

Extras

For aftercare, clients are encouraged to check in with their New Focus counselors and can attend weekly group sessions for relapse prevention. Buddies of New Jersey, Inc. also offers free yoga classes for HIV-positive clients and can provide referrals to nearby programs if they would like Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for managing an addiction to opiates.

In Summary

Buddies of New Jersey, Inc.’s New Focus Program offers compassionate and comprehensive outpatient substance abuse treatment to HIV-positive and negative clients in Bergen and Passaic counties of New Jersey. With a 20-year track record of support and success, New Focus connects clients with a range of services and treatment options to create health and happiness, particularly for those with complex and demanding health issues exacerbated by addiction.

Buddies of New Jersey, Inc.
Franklin A. Smith Resource Center
149 Hudson St
Hackensack NJ 07601

Buddies of New Jersey, Inc. Cost: Sliding scale. Reach Buddies of New Jersey at (201) 489-2900 and by email at mark@njbuddies.org. Find Buddies of New Jersey on Facebook

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