From left are Ciara Price, residential specialist; Marva Jean, director; and Denisha Givens, residential specialist, all of New Day Residential, a home for at-risk teen girls at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH, NJ — Trinitas Regional Medical Center recently unveiled New Day Residential, a home for at-risk teen girls. Located on the third floor of the Trinitas Plaza Building in Elizabeth, which also houses New Point Specialty Adolescent Program, New Day is a 15-bed teen residential program with five private rooms, a kitchen and living/group rooms.
The program was specifically designed to support an all-female population based on need and supports traumatized teens who have endured physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
Earlier this year, Trinitas Behavioral Health received a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration “Certified Community Mental Health Center” grant for $3,719,000 for specific services for two years. More recently, Trinitas has changed status from community mental health clinic to certified community behavioral health clinic and is one of only a few to have met the criteria in the United States. Federal funds will help expand and increase operations of the CCBHC at Trinitas.
James McCreath, vice president of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry at Trinitas, said, “I’m very pleased that we can bring these new and needed services to the citizens of Union County and I am very proud of the CCBHC team. Not only did they start delivering services in record time, they met federal criteria to qualify as a CCBHC after an exhaustive review of the program.”
The CCBHC model was designed to alleviate outdated challenges that have prohibited access to mental health and addiction care in the past. The grant is awarded to exceptional organizations offering mental health services.
Marva Jean, director of New Day, said, “This is a great, intimate program to help traumatized teens learn to cope and work through their feelings. It is in a small setting that’s less overwhelming, less stimulating than other group homes.”
“Truly, we are so excited about this new beautiful space, and we’re so grateful that the Trinitas Health Foundation continues to support us so we can really make it look and feel more homelike, a place where our kids feel comfortable and safe.”