MatriArk Receives a One-Million Dollar Grant
Seabrook, NJ (September 19, 2008) – The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment awarded the MatriArk Family Program at Seabrook House a five-year, $1,844,428 contract centered on HIV-related services. The contract labeled “Targeted Capacity Expansion Program for Substance Abuse Treatment and HIV/AIDS Services, TI-08-006” will provide the patients at MatriArk, along with their family members, proper HIV testing and education. This award is a new federal funding from the Mental Health & Substance Abuse Service Grants program, approved by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
The awarded grant will be spread through out five years and be divided as stated: $400,000 for the first year and $361,107 for the remaining four years.
“The purpose of the grant is to enhance and expand substance abuse treatment and outreach services in conjunction with HIV/AIDS services in African American, Latino/Hispanic and other racial or ethnic communities highly affected by the twin epidemics of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS,” Lynne Sennett, BSN, MPH, Vice President of Treatment Services says, in response to receiving a congratulatory call from Congressman Frank LoBiondo.
The contract allows Community Health Care Inc., a federally-funded health center located in southern New Jersey, to conduct on-site HIV testing to all MatriArk patients. Seabrook House staff will receive training in coordination and management of medical needs of MatriArk patients-both HIV positive and negative. The counselors will be educated in an evidence-based curriculum, used when teaching the patients of safe sex practices in order to reduce their risk of HIV transmission.
Seabrook House Research Director, Susan Gordon, Ph.D. states, “We hope that this vital expansion of services to addicted women in treatment will help to decrease the prevalence of HIV infection in New Jersey as it adds to the quality of our patients lives and contributes to their recovery.”
MatriArk will also integrate a bi-weekly family education day in order to involve the family members of the patients in the recovery process. On-site, confidential HIV testing and counseling will be available to the family members who take part in the family education day.
For more information on this topic please contact Susan Gordon, Ph.D. at (856)455-7575 ext. 5803 or sgordon@SeabrookHouse.org.
|
