Building hope

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Hope Sheds Light Inc. $335,200 under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.490) on September 30, 2026.

Hope Sheds Light Inc., a New Jersey-based nonprofit, will deliver peer recovery support services and trauma-informed case management to individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders across Ocean and Monmouth Counties, New Jersey, including Toms River, Brick, Berkeley, Manchester, Jackson, Asbury Park, Neptune, Long Branch, Howell, Middletown, and surrounding municipalities. The recipient will target low-income adults with opioid and alcohol use disorders at high risk of disengagement during transitions from detoxification, residential treatment, hospitals, emergency departments, outpatient care, recovery court, probation/parole, shelters, and reentry programs, as well as family members and loved ones when family recovery support is appropriate and desired by participants. Primary evidence-informed practices include peer recovery support services delivered by individuals with lived experience in recovery, and C.H.I.M.E.—a trauma-informed, recovery-oriented case management framework organizing recovery around five person-centered processes: connectedness, hope, identity, meaning, and empowerment. The award funds three goals: improving access to recovery support and continuity of care across the region, reducing barriers to sustained recovery, and increasing workforce readiness and recovery-supportive employment opportunities. Period of performance runs from September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2029, with place of performance in Toms River, New Jersey.

Abstract

Hope sheds light is more than a recovery organization-we are a community where individuals and families impacted by substance use find hope, healing, and connection. - hope sheds light (HSL) will serve individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) and CO-occurring substance use and mental disorders (COD) across ocean and monmouth counties, new jersey. The two-county catchment area includes coastal, suburban, rural-adjacent, and higher-need communities such as toms river, brick, berkeley, manchester, jackson, asbury park, neptune, long branch, howell, middletown, and surrounding municipalities. The population of focus is low-income adults with opioid and/or alcohol use disorders who are at high risk of disengagement during transitions from detoxification, residential treatment, hospitals, emergency departments, outpatient care, recovery court, probation/parole, shelters, reentry programs, or sober living. HSL will also serve family members and loved ones when family recovery support is appropriate and desired by the participant. Our goals and strategies include: goal 1: improve access to recovery support and continuity of care across the region. Goal 2: reduce barriers that prevent sustained recovery. Goal 3: increase workforce readiness and recovery-supportive employment opportunities. The primary evidence-informed practices include peer recovery support services. Prss are non-clinical services designed and delivered by people with lived experience in SUD or COD recovery to help others navigate and sustain recovery; C.H.I.M.E. As a trauma-informed, recovery-oriented case management and care coordination approach to care. C.H.I.M.E. Is an evidence-informed, trauma-informed framework that supports prss by organizing recovery around five person-centered processes: connectedness, hope, identity, meaning, and empowerment. The framework emerged from a systematic review and narrative synthesis of recovery literature, which identified these five processes as core elements of personal recovery, making IT highly compatible with peer-led recovery support because prss is grounded in relationship, shared lived experience, mutuality, encouragement, and self-directed recovery (leamy ET AL., 2011). C.H.I.M.E. Is also trauma-informed because IT reinforces the same conditions samhsa identifies as essential to trauma-informed care: safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment, resilience, and healing (samhsa, trauma-informed approaches and programs, 2026); and the social model of recovery. The social model emphasizes recovery through peer support, mutual responsibility, community living, personal accountability, structured routines, and recovery-supportive relationships.