City of Asbury Park Announces Pilot Program with Preferred Behavioral Health Group to Assist Asbury Park Police Department
9/28/21, Asbury Park, NJ – The City of Asbury Park has entered into an agreement with Preferred Behavioral Health Group, a leading behavioral healthcare organization founded in 1978 in New Jersey, to run a 3-month pilot program to assist Asbury Park Police Department in accessing treatment for clients with opioid and other addictions.
The pilot program will create a partnership between the Asbury Park Police Department and Preferred Behavioral Health Group’s Support Team for Addiction Recovery (STAR) Program. The STAR program is funded through a New Jersey State grant as part of the State’s response to the current opioid crisis.
Specialists from STAR will be contacted by APPD when they respond to calls and find clients in need of case management, education, support and encouragement to enter treatment for opioid or other substance abuse. Preferred Behavioral Health Group STAR specialists will be available Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm to take APPD calls in-person and also offer after hours and weekend hours by phone or in-person when urgent situations arise.
“Having access to a team trained in behavioral health is an invaluable tool for the Asbury Park Police Department and for our residents,” said Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, “I have seen first-hand the positive work that Preferred Behavioral Health Group has done for Monmouth County. "
“The City of Asbury Park’s Social Services Department has been working with Preferred Behavioral Health Group since it opened its offices in Monmouth County 4 years ago to provide behavioral health services to our clients,” said City of Asbury Park Social Services Director Doug Schultz, “We are pleased to be working with them on this new pilot program with the Asbury Park Police Department. A partnership with Preferred Behavioral Health Group is an incredible benefit to our clients, especially since a few members of the STAR team live in Asbury Park and have a strong desire to make a positive impact on our community.”