PROGRAM HISTORY
Newark Renaissance House was established in 1975 as a drug-free residential
therapeutic community for the treatment of substance abusing adults.
During 1980 Renaissance House developed an after school prevention program for
adolescents which provided much needed counseling and educational services for
high risk middle school youngsters. In 1984 the Head of Household program began.
This out patient drug treatment program addressed the needs of working adults
with evening hours and on site child care services.
As AIDS became a problem for our clientele, we were one of the first programs
to set aside beds for addicts with HIV. A short time later we were fortunate
enough to be funded for the nation's first mobile van to do community AIDS
prevention, education, physical examinations, and referrals.
In July of 1986, because of increasing demand, our funding sources allowed us
to convert our adult residential and the out patient Head of Household programs,
to a full service, family oriented, therapeutic community for chemically
dependent youth. This program offered a three phased continuum of care whereby
the adolescents moved from residential, to day treatment and then out patient
status. In February of 1988 we opened admission to the day treatment and out
patient programs to youth who were not in need of residential treatment.
One day in 1989, a young girl came to us and asked if there were services for
her mother who had promised her that she would stop using drugs as her 12th
birthday present. And so our outpatient Head of Household program reopened with
the addition of an intervention program for the children of substance abusers.
In 1993, after the completion of our newly constructed ambulatory care facility
the program was redesigned as an intensive outpatient program for pregnant women
and women with children ages 0 to 5 years. Children accompanied their mothers
to treatment and participated in our developmental therapeutic nursery program.
In 1994 we opened a residential program for women with their children on the
first floor of the adolescent residential program, only having to close it in
1996 due to limited space and insufficient funding.
In 2003, we built another building and moved the adolescent programs in and
refurbished the vacated residential facility to meet the needs of pregnant women
and women with children ages 0-5 years. We received funding in 2004 to reopen
our women and children’s residential program.
Newark Renaissance House, Inc. has a history of meeting the needs of the most
vulnerable members of society who are being affected by substance abuse.
Through the services we provide and the beautiful buildings we have built we
contribute to the rebirth of the individual’s and community’s potential for
success.
AGENCY MISSION
Newark Renaissance House is a private not-for-profit community based organization.
We serve clients, families and the community through innovative and multidisciplinary
programs that treat the disease of addiction and the behavioral, mental health and
lifestyle issues associated with this disease.
COMMITTED TO:
- CARING
- INTEGRITY
- INNOVATION
- LEARNING
- QUALITY
PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY
The rebirth of one's potential for success is the core principle of all our treatment
programs. Programs are designed to meet the unique needs of three of the most
underserved and least empowered populations of society; women, adolescents and
children of substance abusers.
By utilizing the therapeutic community model of treatment Newark Renaissance House
offers a continuum of comprehensive, personalized, drug-free services. This firm but
supportive behaviorally based method of substance abuse treatment with a focus on
honesty, self reliance and clear civic values is integrated with education, mental
health and medical services, and the concepts of the Twelve Step Program.
Communication skills, conflict resolution, anger management and socialization skills
are major components of each program. All clients are treated within the context of
their family and emphasis is placed on family participation in the treatment process.
We believe by treating women, adolescents and children of substance abusers we will
help break the generational cycle of substance abuse within the family. By healing and
building stronger families, we ultimately build better neighborhoods.