Rep. Sherrill Announces $600K DOJ Grant Award for Prevention is Key Program

Federal grant supports mentoring opportunities for youth impacted by opioid use

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) announced that Prevention is Key, Inc. (PIK), located in Randolph, NJ, was awarded a $600,000 grant to fund a mentoring program for children in Morris and Passaic Counties who have been exposed to opioid misuse through their own experience or that of a family member. The grant is funded through the Mentoring Opportunities Youth Initiative at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

“PIK’s work on substance abuse prevention and recovery helps our community with critical programs like peer recovery support, Narcan training, and partnering on Hope One,” said Representative Sherrill. “This mentoring program for children impacted by opioid misuse is just another example of PIK’s proactive approach to ensuring that those most in need of support receive it. I am thrilled that the DOJ awarded the federal grant funding to support this much needed program, and I look forward to following its progress.”

“We are thrilled to have been awarded the OJJDP grant to provide Mentoring to Youth Impacted by Opioids and Drug Addiction in Morris and Passaic Counties,” said PIK Executive Director Chris Goeke. “The demand for youth mentoring among this underserved population has never been greater than it is today. The social  isolation created by the pandemic has made the need even more critical. Prevention Is Key remains fully engaged in supporting our communities as they strive to live healthier lives throughout our great state.”

PIK will use this grant funding from DOJ’s Mentoring Opportunities Youth Initiative to support the creation of a mentoring program for one hundred children ages 11 to 17. This will include children who are currently misusing or have misused opioids, as well as those with family members who are using or have misused opioids. The three-year program will provide mentees with positive mentoring support to supplement treatment programs. It will build resiliency by providing participants with social and emotional support, and helping them develop the skills to build their own informal support systems.

About the Department of Justice Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative

The Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative at the Department of Justice supports youth mentoring organizations that have a demonstrated partnership with a public or private substance abuse treatment agency. The program focuses on providing mentoring services as a part of a prevention and treatment to support children affected by opioids and drug addiction.

About Prevention is Key

Prevention is Key (PIK) is a 501(c)3 organization that has successfully delivered culturally competent, evidence-based prevention services in Morris County and the surrounding counties for 30 years. The agency was founded in 1989 to coordinate substance abuse prevention in Morris County.  For more information, visit www.preventioniskey.org.

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