CarePlus NJ is one of six grant awardees for statewide Maternal Wraparound (M-WRAP) Program

Paramus, N.J. (September 13, 2021) – Care Plus NJ, Inc. (“CarePlus NJ”), a pioneer in integrated primary and behavioral health services for adults and children, announces it has been awarded a $386,283 grant from the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) to launch the Bergen and Passaic County Maternal Wraparound (M-WRAP) Program.

CarePlus NJ has received one of six regionalized awards that comprise the statewide program, which will provide intensive case management, wraparound services, and recovery support services for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders.

Leveraging CarePlus NJ’s comprehensive expertise in both maternal health and addiction recovery services, the goal of the Bergen and Passaic County M-WRAP Program will be to reduce barriers to services for pregnant women who are dependent on substances by expanding the scope of care coordination from pre-pregnancy and birth to five major timeframes, during which it is possible to reduce potential harm to substance exposed infants (SEI): pre-pregnancy, prenatal, birth, neonatal, and early childhood. CarePlus NJ’s M-WRAP Program will serve a minimum of fifty women from pregnancy to up to one year after birth.

“Every year, over 400,000 infants across the country are affected by prenatal alcohol or illicit drug exposure, which has the potential to cause a range of physical, emotional, and developmental problems,” said Ann Marie Zihal, Senior Vice President of Clinical Services, CarePlus NJ. “By taking a more comprehensive, coordinated approach to care, the M-WRAP Program will not only address all stages of development to reduce potential harm of prenatal substance use exposure for the infant but also provide the mother with substance use disorder treatment and access to enhanced family services which are also critically important to the health and wellbeing of the entire family.”

CarePlus NJ’s M-WRAP Team will include a program supervisor, two intensive care managers who will provide care coordination, two recovery support specialists who will offer non-clinical assistance and recovery supports while maintaining follow-up with the women and their infants, and one administrative assistant. The program will also leverage CarePlus NJ’s longstanding relationship with Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (BNBMC), with a BNBMC employee serving as one of intensive care managers on the M-WRAP Team, which will provide access to BNBMC’s expert medical guidance and a hospital setting for women in the program with the most acute needs. 

Additionally, CarePlus NJ will collaborate with a local central intake provider, area hospitals, youth services providers, and substance use disorder treatment agencies to support the program and promote maternal health, improve birth outcomes, and reduce the risks and adverse consequences of prenatal substance exposure.

The M-WRAP Program further bolsters CarePlus NJ’s Addiction Recovery Services, which offers a holistic approach to outpatient addiction treatment and recovery services, as well as seamless access to wraparound support services. Additionally, the program builds upon CarePlus NJ’s Maternal and Family Center, which opened at its Paramus headquarters in October 2020 to provide comprehensive perinatal mental health services and specialty care for women and families who are trying to conceive, are currently pregnant, postpartum, or who have suffered grief or loss.

For more information about CarePlus NJ’s M-Wrap Program or to make a referral, please contact Matthew Grey, LCSW at 201-249-7616 or MatthewG@CarePlusNJ.org.

About CarePlus NJ

For more than 40 years, Care Plus NJ, Inc. (“CarePlus NJ”) has been a pioneer in integrated primary and behavioral health services for adults and children in northern New Jersey. Based in Paramus, New Jersey, CarePlus NJ is committed to providing the most comprehensive integrated treatment options through 72 programs designed to meet the full spectrum of health and wellness needs for adults and children in the communities it serves. Specializing in acute care, CarePlus NJ provides immediate, high-quality health services and support programs for individuals in crisis. Nationally ranked for excellence in customer satisfaction by the Mental Health Corporations of America, CarePlus NJ is mission driven ensuring that anyone who needs it has access to specialized care. To learn more about CarePlus NJ and its wide range of programs and services, visit https://www.careplusnj.org/.