Christie To Spend $200M On New Substance Abuse Initiatives

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to spend $200 million on new initiatives that he hopes will significantly improve the way the state approaches substance abuse treatment and prevention.

Christie told NJ.com (http://bit.ly/2fsu6uM) the money will target programs for underserved populations like the uninsured, Medicaid recipients, babies born with addiction and their mothers. He said the money will come from the budgets of eight state departments.

The Republican governor says the initiatives will put more emphasis on making sure care is geared toward sustained sobriety. That will be done by standardizing data collection and building seamless channels for holistic care for addicts through incentive-based programs that reward providers who focus on the long-term.

Christie has made battling opioid abuse a centerpiece of his second term in office.

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