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July 6 marked the launch of a free, confidential online tool that connects New Jerseyans in need to addiction treatment care.
ATLAS®, or Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform, offers a dashboard where individuals struggling with substance use disorder and their loved ones can search for and compare recovery programs filtering by location, service, and insurance accepted.
ATLAS was created by Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in America. ATLAS is made possible in New Jersey through a partnership with the Department of Human Services and funding from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
ATLAS evaluates addiction treatment programs based on the Shatterproof National Principles of Care, evidence-based standards derived from the Surgeon General’s Report on Addiction.
ATLAS includes an online assessment to help individuals understand the appropriate level of care they need. The platform also gathers and displays anonymous feedback from patients on their experiences at facilities. Anyone who has received treatment from a facility in New Jersey can visit ATLAS online to search for and leave a review of that participating facility.
ATLAS lists New Jersey addiction treatment facilities for various types of substance use disorder, including alcohol and opioid use disorder.
“During a time when our nation’s addiction crisis is tragically at an all-time high and access to quality treatment is often hard to find, ATLAS is a critical new resource. When my son Brian needed addiction treatment, my family agonized trying to find him the right care. It was impossible to know who to trust,” said Shatterproof Founder and CEO Gary Mendell. “ATLAS is a sea change in the addiction world. It will give those in need and their families the transparent and trustworthy information my family never had and will help put more people on the path to recovery.”
ATLAS builds on existing efforts by New Jersey to connect individuals and families to treatment through the 1-844-ReachNJ helpline.
ReachNJ is a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week addiction hotline where people battling substance use disorders (SUD) or friends and family of people with SUD can get immediate assistance and support from live, New Jersey-based, trained addiction counselors.
An individual who calls the toll-free number will reach a live staff member who will help connect them to treatment, regardless of insurance status.
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