Since inception, The National Center for Advocacy and Recovery (NCAAR), Inc. (formerly the New Jersey chapter of the National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence) has led advocacy efforts to reduce the stigma associated with substance use disorder and mental health. By educating the public and policy makers to approach addiction as a public health issue, we are working to advance policy solutions to improve the quality and access to treatment and recovery services and to foster the implementation of a full recovery-oriented system of care in New Jersey.

In 2008, our advocacy efforts launched a new groundbreaking initiative, the Advocacy Leadership Program. Since then, the program has flourished with over 1,000 volunteers throughout the State of New Jersey, bringing together people in recovery, their families, friends, and allies. Our advocates have testified at countless hearings, organized events in their communities to raise awareness about recovery, participated in legislative visits and letter writing campaigns—all in a grassroots effort to save and change lives. Their stories have become the guiding force for positive policy change in vital areas such as early intervention, harm reduction, and criminal justice reform.

The passionate efforts of our advocates have led to some of these key legislative wins in New Jersey:

• Behavioral health parity
• Ending patient brokering
• Improving access to Naloxone and medication-assisted treatment services
• Decriminalization of Marijuana