PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The guiding principle of NCAAR’s Public Affairs Unit is to promote an integrated public health approach to Substance Use Disorder (SUD), mental health, and domestic violence.

For over 40 years, the NCAAR Public Affairs Unit has been committed to the developing and advocating for legislation that supports long-term recovery from SUD and mental health concerns. We work in partnership with elected officials at both the state and national levels to promote policies that improve and expand access to quality prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives.

These efforts stand in stark contrast to the punitive legacy of the 50-year War on Drugs which fueled mass incarceration, deepened racial and socioeconomic inequities, and prioritized punishment over healing. NCAAR’s policy agenda emphasizes holistic health, community and family-based wellness initiatives, and the creation of recovery-oriented systems that improve outcomes and reduce costs. 

The Public Affairs Unit works in partnership with our  Advocacy Leadership Program and other organizations to advance NCAAR’s mission of advocating with, and on behalf of, individuals, families, and communities impacted by addiction. 

CENTRAL TENANTS

At the heart of NCAAR’s mission is a fundamental belief: every individual deserves dignity, compassionate care, and the opportunity to achieve wellness. Our advocacy is rooted in empathy and driven by a commitment to treating substance use as a public health issue; eliminating stigma, and its collateral consequences; and building a Recovery-Oriented System of Care that supports long-term recovery and community well-being.

PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH

NCAAR’s public policy platform is built on the understanding that substance use is a public health issue, rooted in complex social, economic, and medical factors. We believe substance use should be addressed with compassion and evidence-based care, not stigma and punishment. By championing policies that treat substance use as a health issue, we help build communities where healing is possible, support is available, and every life has value.

ELIMINATING STIGMA

Stigma associated with substance use is the greatest barrier to people receiving the support and care they need. NCAAR’s Public Affairs team works to shift the conversation from blame to belonging, advocating for laws and programs that uplift, protect, and empower. We challenge stigma at every level of policymaking by promoting evidence-based approaches that replace punishment with support, discrimination with understanding, and misconception with truth.

ROSC

A Recovery-Oriented System of Care brings multiple systems together across the health and human services spectrum to foster hope, self-directed growth, and long-term stability. It emphasizes the foundational elements essential to sustained recovery: access to employment, education, housing, family and social supports, childcare, transportation, and other social services. A ROSC moves beyond the traditional acute-care model, which focuses on symptom reduction to encourage a full and meaningful integration into community life.

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

NCAAR’s Public Affairs Unit advocates for individuals, communities, and families affected by substance use, mental health, and domestic violence by monitoring legislative developments in New Jersey related to these areas. One of our strategies involves tracking bills relevant to this spectrum and mobilizing our statewide advocate constituency to encourage them to submit testimony in person or electronically.

You can follow along by clicking the legislative session below to explore the bills we are currently monitoring.

CANDIDATE SURVEY

Each election year, NCAAR develops a survey for candidates running for the New Jersey legislature, providing them with an opportunity to share their positions on critical issues related to substance use and mental health (using input from many of you).  As we receive responses, they are made available on our website.

You can see what the candidates had to say by clicking the legislative session below.

HELPFUL LINKS

Legislative Bill Search
District Finder

New Jersey Voter Information Portal
Legislative Roster

Office of New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy

NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE
CONTACT INFORMATION

New Jersey State House
125 West State Street
Trenton, New Jersey 08608

You may call, write or email legislators at their district offices.
Consult the Legislative Roster listing on the New Jersey Legislature website for district office addresses and phone numbers. 

You may also write to your representatives either in care of:

New Jersey Senate
State House
P.O. Box 099
Trenton, NJ 08625-0099

New Jersey General Assembly
State House
P.O. Box 098
Trenton, NJ 08625-0098

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