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Vineland Daily Journal reports on the MatriArk program receiving a grant
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
staff reporters
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20081231/LOCAL01/812310309
The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment awarded the MatriArk Family Program at Seabrook House a five-year, $400,000 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 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," said Lynne Sennett, vice president of Treatment Services.
The contract allows Community Health Care Inc., a federally-funded health center in South Jersey, to conduct onsite HIV testing for 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.
"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," said Seabrook House Research Director Susan Gordon.
MatriArk also will integrate a biweekly family education day in order to involve the family members of the patients in the recovery process. Onsite, confidential HIV testing and counseling will be available to the family members who take part in the family education day.
Call (856) 455-7575, ext. 5803 or e-mail sgordon@SeabrookHouse.org.
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