Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
FY 2024 Behavioral Health Service Expansion - Project Title: Behavioral Health Service Expansion (HRSA-24-078) Health Center Program Grant Number: H80CS12868 Applicant Organization Name: Lakewood Resource and Referral Center Address: 1771 Madison Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Project Director Name: Dr. David Friedman, CEO Contact: Chedva Werblowsky Contact Phone Numbers: 732-364-2144, x5206 Email Address: cwerblowsky@chemedhealth.org Website Address: www.chemedhealth.org List all grant program funds requested in the application: $1,100,000 through August 31, 2026 Population Background: The Lakewood Resource and Referral Center (LRRC) is a not-forprofit social service referral and advocacy organization in Lakewood, NJ. Per 2023 UDS data, mental health services were provided to 3,048 patients. Currently, we do not offer Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) treatment. Lakewood is the largest municipality in Ocean County and the 5th largest in the state with an estimated population of 138,070 residents per 2021 census estimates. Lakewood’s population continues to grow at a rate of 3-5% annually, due primarily to the large influx of Orthodox Jewish and Hispanic families. Ocean County faces a significant mental health care disparity, with a ratio of 500 residents per mental health provider, compared to the state average of 340:1 and national average of 320:1. Additionally, 10.5% of the adult population of Ocean County is in need of alcohol and/or drug treatment. Patients Receiving Mental Health Services: There is a clear need for additional mental health services in our area. To increase accessibility to mental health services for community members, we plan to repurpose existing space to create five new patient rooms. We will also employ 5 new staff members, including one Nurse Practitioner and four Therapists, to enhance our mental health services. We anticipate that this expansion will enable us to serve an additional 450 patients by December 31, 2025. Patients Receiving Substance Use Disorder Services and MOUD Treatment: We are also committed to expanding our health center to include SUD services, including MOUD treatment. This will entail hiring a new provider to oversee MOUD treatments and additional staff to conduct drug screenings and inductions. Furthermore, we will collaborate with community organizations to receive referrals for treatment referrals and provide necessary referrals to our patients for recovery services. Through these initiatives, we expect to screen 3,000 patients for substance use and increase the number of patients receiving SUD services to 100 by December 31, 2025.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).