Union City and the North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NHCAC) unveiled at a press conference Wednesday their federally-funded plan to combat recession-driven behavioral health problems for as many as 13,000 Union City residents.
Union City is one of three cities nationally to receive the Resilience and Recovery Initiative grant furnished by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). NHCAC, selected as lead provider by the city, will receive $5 million over the course of four years.
NHCAC is a regional agency that serves Union City, West New York, Secaucus, North Bergen, and several other towns in the area, but so far, this particular program will only be available for Union City residents.
“The economic stress has had a devastating effect on the fabric of [our] community.” – Carol Ann Wilson
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About the grant
The intent of the Community Resilience and Recovery Initiative grant is “to intervene in previously stable communities where the economic downturn poses major barriers or challenges to preserving community-wide behavioral health,” according to the SAMHSA website.
In an almost domino effect, the downturn in the economy leads to high unemployment, which then leads to anxiety and depression, then substance abuse and excessive drinking, and ultimately violence in the home and community. The recession, SAMHSA explains, also places strain on service providers, who must cut services, becoming ill-equipped to handle the growing number of those in need of mental health services.
At the conference, Hudson County Director of Health and Human Services Carol Ann Wilson noted the strain of the economy on Union City.
“The economic stress has had a devastating effect on the fabric of [our] community and the fabric of the family,” she said.
The four-year place-based initiative, as dictated by the grant outline, requires coordination among local prevention coalitions, community-based behavioral health care providers, and primary care providers.
“[The grant allows us to give residents] the tools and opportunity to habilitate themselves and get back on the road to recovery,” Wilson said.
During the conference, Irizarry gave special thanks to the grant writers at JANUS Solutions for winning the grant for Union City, and expressed gratitude to the federal government on behalf of himself and Mayor Brian Stack, who was unable to attend.
Strengthening families in Union City
Dr. Michael Swerdlow of Hoboken University Medical Center relayed to the crowd that since the economic downturn, the hospital had seen a spike in the number of children and families seeking support with substance abuse and mental health issues, “but we see them when the situation is really, really bad,” he said.
The grant, he believes, will allow the city to combat these problems at a much earlier stage.
“We look forward to having an impact…that’s what this is all about,” Swerdlow said.
NHCAC plans to help about 13,000 residents over the next four years by reducing depression and anxiety, excessive drinking and other substance abuse, and child maltreatment and violence, according to a press release sent out Dec. 15, while improving identification and response to suicide risk as well as coordination across service system.
The most important thing, said Wilson, is “the fact that we are teaching people how to take control of their lives.”
The key organizations for this plan include Union City Board of Education, Hoboken University Medical Center, and Hudson County, whose Departments of Family Services, Health and Human Services, and One Stop Career Center will “all be working together to make life better for the next four years,” said Irizarry.
Union City and NHAC plan an “aggressive outreach” to make residents aware of the program, and to train staff at the schools, social service agencies, job placement agencies, and the police department to identify problems among residents and provide the appropriate referrals for help. In addition, NHCAC and the One Stop Career Center will provide a specialized JOBS program to those affected most by the recession, according the press release.
Services for school-age children
Through the program, school-age children will also be eligible for support counseling and services, which, according to Union City Superintendent of Schools Stanley Sanger, was “something long awaited, something we tremendously needed…to a level we’ve never enjoyed before for the children in Union City.”
Students, he said, are also prone to substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. The district has added eight full-time staff to address this need in elementary schools, middle schools, the ninth grade academy, and the high school.
Deanna Cullen can be reached at dcullen@hudsonreporter.com.