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 (RWJBH), through its Institute for Prevention and Recovery (IFPR), is expanding its hospital-based naloxone distribution initiative to individuals and communities across the state, increasing access to life-saving resources and connecting individuals to recovery support services. The program aims to distribute more than 15,000 naloxone kits and wellness bags through hospitals, community organizations, and outreach efforts across New Jersey.
“The goal is simple but urgent. We want to make sure anyone has access to naloxone and knows how to use it,” said Shalanda Tudor, Manager of Community-based Recovery Support Services at RWJBarnabas Health’s Institute for Prevention and Recovery. “The more people who have it, the more lives we can save.”
The initiative builds on IFPR' Peer Recovery Program, which provides 24/7 support for individuals with substance use disorders in hospital and community settings, connecting them 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 the first phase of the initiative, IFPR partnered with community providers in Hudson County and across the STAR Program’s network, where 29 agencies expressed interest in receiving kits following a needs assessment. To date, IFPR has worked with 10 partners and distributed more than 2,400 kits and wellness bags. Each kit contains naloxone, xylazine test strips, harm reduction supplies, personal care items, and educational resources.
Phase two is currently in development and will expand distribution through RWJBarnabas Health hospitals, creating centralized pickup locations for community partners while strengthening connections to peer recovery services. IFPR and its partners have already seen increased engagement, including more calls to community support lines following kit distribution.
“Every kit represents an opportunity to save a life and connect someone to care,” Tudor added.
By significantly expanding access to naloxone and harm reduction resources, this initiative has the potential to make a meaningful impact on New Jersey’s ongoing overdose crisis. Equipping thousands of residents, community partners, and healthcare providers with lifesaving tools not only helps prevent fatal overdoses but also creates more opportunities to connect individuals to treatment and recovery services. As distribution grows, RWJBarnabas Health aims to strengthen community-based support networks, reduce stigma, and ensure that more individuals across the state can access the care and resources they need when it matters most.
The initiative is supported through partnerships with community organizations, state agencies, and law enforcement, helping expand access across the state.
For more information, visit www.rwjbh.org/peerrecovery or call 848-303-0008.
About RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery
The RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery (IFPR) is a leader in creating the systems and services necessary to improve the health of communities throughout New Jersey. For over 30 years, IFPR has provided substance use disorder prevention programs, nicotine and tobacco treatment and innovative recovery support and social care services, taking a system change approach to address social determinants of health and enhance care delivery systems throughout RWJBarnabas Health and New Jersey.
For more information, visit www.rwjbh.org/preventionandrecovery.
About RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Healthcare
RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health, together with Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC), is a leading provider of integrated mental health and substance use treatment services, serving over half a million individuals each year. With both hospital and community-based care programs, we offer the broadest range of services in New Jersey, offering all levels of care for children and adults, including 24-hour crisis intervention and national peer helplines, inpatient and outpatient programs, psychiatric emergency screenings, case management, early intervention, counseling, medication management and integrated treatment plans. We are a leading provider of behavioral community-based programs, partnering with more than 300 schools and providing behavioral health care in all correctional facilities in NJ.
For more information, visit www.rwjbh.org/behavioralhealth or call 1-800-300-0628.
Media Contact:
Jaimee Cali
Jaimee.Cali@rwjbh.org
732-288-5334