Initiative Aims to Distribute 15,000 Kits Through Hospitals and Community Partners
RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery’s Community-based Recovery Support team tabling with the naloxone vending machine.
West Orange, NJ (May 20, 2026) – RWJBarnabas Health, via its Institute for Prevention and Recovery, is expanding a naloxone distribution initiative aimed at increasing access to life-saving resources across New Jersey. The program targets the distribution of over 15,000 naloxone kits and wellness bags through hospitals and community organizations.
Shalanda Tudor, Manager of Community-based Recovery Support Services at RWJBarnabas Health, stated, “The goal is simple but urgent. We want to make sure anyone has access to naloxone and knows how to use it. The more people who have it, the more lives we can save.”
This initiative builds on IFPR’s Peer Recovery Program, which provides continuous support for individuals with substance use disorders in various settings, offering connections to care through Recovery Specialists and Patient Navigators.
Shalanda Tudor, Manager of Community-based Recovery Support Services at RWJBarnabas Health’s Institute for Prevention and Recovery, with naloxone kits.
In its initial phase, IFPR collaborated with community providers in Hudson County. Following a needs assessment, 29 agencies expressed interest in receiving kits. To date, IFPR has worked with 10 partners and has distributed over 2,400 kits and wellness bags, each containing naloxone, xylazine test strips, harm reduction supplies, personal care items, and educational resources.
Phase two is under development and will include further distribution through RWJBarnabas Health hospitals, establishing centralized pickup locations for community partners while enhancing connections to peer recovery services. There has already been increased engagement, evidenced by more calls to community support lines post-distribution.
“Every kit represents an opportunity to save a life and connect someone to care,” Tudor emphasized.
This initiative seeks to expand access to naloxone and harm reduction resources, potentially impacting New Jersey’s ongoing overdose crisis. By equipping residents, community partners, and healthcare providers with these tools, the program aims to prevent fatal overdoses and facilitate connections to treatment and recovery services.
Support for the initiative comes from partnerships with community organizations, state agencies, and law enforcement, aimed at broadening access throughout the state.
For further details, visit www.rwjbh.org/peerrecovery or call 848-303-0008.
Source: www.rwjbh.org via Google News.
