Project Grant H79TI088571

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Hackensack University Medical Center $995,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.490) to expand Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) services throughout Monmouth and Ocean Counties, New Jersey.

The project will serve 2,000 youth in year one and 22,000 youth over the five-year performance period ending September 29, 2031, primarily adolescents ages 12–21 including those with chronic physical and behavioral health conditions. Hackensack will implement universal CRAFFT screening, motivational interviewing, brief negotiated intervention, Project ECHO training, peer recovery support, family navigation, and coordinated referrals across healthcare and school-linked settings. The recipient will provide statewide provider training through the New Jersey Addiction Advocacy Partnership, train 10–20 pediatric practices in standardized SBIRT protocols, deliver brief intervention to 85 percent of positive screens, and complete warm handoffs for 85 percent of specialty referrals. Work is performed in Edison, New Jersey. The project aims to standardize SBIRT as the standard of care, strengthen provider capacity, improve treatment access, and integrate family engagement.