The Rutgers Center for Recovery and Wellbeing in Plainfield, New Jersey, has been dedicated to addressing the urgent need for accessible addiction treatment services. Each year since 2021, over 3,000 residents of New Jersey have succumbed to unintentional overdoses. For those seeking recovery, inpatient withdrawal management is often a critical step.
Caitlin Simpson, Senior Director of Addiction Services at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC), emphasized the state’s need for increased access to services. “In New Jersey, there is a significant need for new providers to increase access to services, particularly within the inpatient and withdrawal management sector,” she said. The center aims to bridge this gap by offering comprehensive mental health services in partnership with RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health Services.
Located at the former Muhlenberg Hospital site within the Muhlenberg Medical Arts Complex, the facility spans four stories and 20,000 square feet. Simpson will lead alongside Josephine Schettino, Program Director for the Center. Once fully operational later this year, it will provide holistic care for individuals and families dealing with substance use and co-occurring disorders.
The center will offer four levels of care across its 44 beds—20 designated for medically monitored inpatient withdrawal management services. Clients can transition to short-term inpatient beds featuring therapy and round-the-clock nursing if needed. An intensive outpatient program offering up to 12 hours of weekly therapy will be available following inpatient treatment completion.
Simpson highlighted accessibility as key to success: “When someone calls seeking treatment and is experiencing withdrawal symptoms… quick access to treatment can be a world of difference for the overall success of the individual.” The goal is to schedule clients within 72 hours of contact whenever possible.
Rutgers purchased the building in May 2020; construction was completed after obtaining necessary occupancy certificates by June 2022. The center awaits licensure for certain treatments but currently operates outpatient programs in multiple locations across New Jersey.
“With the Rutgers Center for Recovery and Wellbeing,” Simpson stated confidently about their mission’s impact on improving lives through long-term recovery support initiatives statewide.
