Founded in 1980

152 Tices Lane
East Brunswick NJ 08816

Phone: (732) 254-3344
FAX: (732) 254-4224
E-mail: mail@ncadd-middlesex.org
Website: www.ncadd-middlesex.org

Executive Director: Steven G. Liga, MSW, LSW, LCADC, CPS

NCADD of Middlesex County is the premier prevention agency in the county. Our goal is to build truly healthy communities and we could never reach this goal without creating extensive partnerships with our neighbors. The Council has partnered with faith communities, schools, law enforcement, social service agencies, health care providers, businesses and other community groups to address the needs of the children, parents, families, neighborhoods, and towns in Middlesex County.

Working together, we believe that building healthy communities is not an impossible dream, but a reality that is growing more evident every year.  As a result of our excellent reputation and community relationships, the media— including ABC-TV’s Nightline, CBS Evening News, CNN, UPN/MY 9, FOX 5, NJN, News 12 New Jersey, Comcast Cable Channel 8, WMBC, National Public Radio (NPR), New Jersey 101.5 FM, WMGQ 98.3 FM/WCTC 1450 AM, The New York Times, the Home News Tribune and many local newspapers—often approach the Council seeking the most current information and research regarding alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues.

At NCADD we also impact the communities we serve through our various outreach efforts. As a result, we usually fill over 25,000 requests for information, resources and referrals, and we receive over 1,200 Helpline requests, either via the phone or our website. We annually distribute over 30,000 pieces of literature to our communities and greet almost 20,000 individuals at hundreds of community events.
We annually welcome over 30,000 visitors to our website, and we handle hundreds of requests for information by county schools and conduct in-school programs that reach over 19,000 students.

NCADD of Middlesex County brings the following NJPN programs to Middlesex County:

• Middlesex County Prevention Resource Center
• Childhood Drinking (CD) Coalition
• Compass Gang Prevention Program
• Disabilities and Addiction Project
• Faith-based Initiative
• Jason’s Message: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse Prevention
• Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE)

We also provide the following additional programs:

Countywide Prevention Campaigns
NCADD distributes a free printed quarterly newsletter to nearly 4,000 individuals, schools, agencies, and businesses in Middlesex County as well as a monthly parent-targeted, educator-targeted and agency-focused ectronic newsletters. Annual awareness campaigns include: Addiction Awareness Month in April, Sober Prom/Graduation season, Addiction Recovery Month in September, and the newly designated National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month in August.

Footprints for Life
Footprints for Life is an original, research-based primary prevention program that builds assets and teaches important life skills to students in grades two and three. Through the use of puppets and stories that feature “real life” situations experienced by a children’s soccer team, Footprints for Life teaches students about planning and decision-making practices, interpersonal skills, peer pressure, and peaceful conflict resolution. The goal of Footprints for Life is to help young children build a strong foundation of life skills rooted in key social competencies.

Forest Friends
Forest Friends is an asset-building program designed to develop and reinforce resiliency skills in children ages five through nine. In this engaging program, children learn about dealing with feelings and how to communicate effectively, how to make good and healthy decisions, the importance of truth and trust to develop healthy relationships, and effective coping skills to deal with difficult life situations.

Keys to Innervisions (KIV)
KIV is an in-school program for students in grades 6 through 9.  It features a curriculum about change—especially changing beliefs and behaviors that lead to difficulties in school and social situations.  It is delivered by trained facilitators from NCADD and school staff working in partnership.

Middlesex County Substance Abuse Coalition
The Coalition brings together professionals that have a passion for the prevention and treatment of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse problems. Their mission is to reduce substance abuse, especially among youth, by providing opportunities for increased collaboration, coordinated planning, and sharing of resources in order to maximize the quality and availability of services to the communities and residents of Middlesex County. The Coalition was one of only ten out of 7,000 nationwide chosen by CADCA to launch the new Medication Abuse Awareness Month in 2007.

Pathways
In an excellent example of a public/private partnership, NCADD is partnering with the Carteret Public School District to provide an on-site School Based Youth Services Program. Students and their families have access to comprehensive mental health services, primary and preventative health services, substance abuse counseling, employment services, pregnancy prevention programs, learning support services and recreation, as well as the evidence-based Safe Dates Program funded through a special grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Senior Programs
An original sponsor of the Wellness Initiative with Senior Educators (WISE) project, we continue to offer trainings for professionals working with older adults, education for older adults themselves, support groups at local senior centers, and intergenerational programming with older adults and high school students.

Strengthening Families
The goal of Strengthening Families is to prevent substance abuse in youth by helping them to build skills and by giving parents more tools to help their children become responsible young adults. The program also helps families improve the relationship between parents and youth and decreases the level of family conflict.

Technical Assistance to Schools
Each month, an informational newsletter is developed and distributed to school superintendents, principals, student assistance counselors, teachers and nurses, providing them with resources that are pertinent to their work with students and families. The Council provides ongoing technical assistance to schools in the county as it pertains to alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention, treatment and policy issues.

Training@NCADD-Middlesex
Each year, we provide courses that address certification and recertification needs of prevention specialists and addiction professionals, continuing education needs of social workers, and professional growth needs of educators, service providers and community volunteers.

Tree of Hope Celebration
Each year during National Addiction Recovery Month, a live evergreen tree, symbolizing hope, is donated to a local organization that has had a positive impact on recovery. Individuals hang ornaments on the tree dedicated in honor of individuals in recovery or those still struggling to attain it.

We’re Not Buying It!
We’re Not Buying It! provides research-based information without resorting to scare tactics, so middle-school youth can make well-informed decisions about alcohol and tobacco use.