Children growing up in Atlantic City experience risks for developing substance use and mental health disorders based on environmental factors they have no control over, Many also experience individual factors, including parental substance use disorders, loss of a parent to overdose and sibling substance use problems that further elevate their risks. Without addressing these risks in concrete ways that can reduce them, many children will end up with a substance use and/or mental health disorder that could have been prevented. A prevention approach that targets those with high risk factors and delivers impactful remedies to offset them is a needed addition to fighting the drug epidemic in Atlantic City. This need has contributed to the formation of a new Recovery Force strategy for preventing overdose deaths. This strategy is focused on reducing new cases of addiction among kids growing up in Atlantic City. We recognize that children are raised by a combination of family and community and building stronger Atlantic City children together has become our top priority. We believe that much more can be done to give every Atlantic City child a fair chance to grow up healthy and whole.

Our strategy increases protective factors to mitigate the known risks for developing substance use and/or mental health disorders among our children. It also provides added interventions for those most at risk, particularly children living in households with untreated parental addiction. Our approach is built on our long-standing commitment to fighting the disease of addiction while advocating for love and respect for those it has impacted. Further, everything we do will continue to reflect evidence-based practices vetted through the national organizations we are affiliated with. We are excited to pioneer new schools of thought and practices into Atlantic City.