After a 50-year partnership, Princeton will end its relationship with Corner House Behavioral Health for mental health and addiction services come the new year.
“This decision was made through a careful evaluation of the paradigm shift in behavioral health treatment toward the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics [CCBHC] standard; while also considering other factors, such as the expressed need from the public for expanded mental health services within the municipality,” said Jeff Grosser, Princeton’s deputy administrator and director of health.
The municipality will partner with Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton.
Beginning in January 2024, the switch to Catholic Charities will save Princeton $500,000 and expand and improve services for Princeton most vulnerable, according to Grosser’s release.
“After extensive research and re-evaluation of the program, the municipality has determined that the market alternative, Catholic Charities, is better suited to deliver the same quality of care for a wider range of services to more Princeton residents than Corner House Behavioral Health,” he said.
Grosser noted that Princeton residents will receive more comprehensive and coordinated spectrum of care, beyond substance use and mental health.
“By directly connecting patients to the CCBHC network, whose activities are largely funded by federal and state grants and offer low-to-no-cost services, they will receive more,” he added.
In a statement, Susan Loughery, associate executive director of operations for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton, said they are excited to begin work with Princeton.
“Catholic Charities looks forward to increasing access to mental health services for Princeton residents,” she said.
In addition to immediate access to mental health services, psychiatric urgent care and a broad continuum of substance use treatment, CCBHC programs provide integrated healthcare, she added.
“And, because we are a social services agency, we can also connect residents to our programs that provide food, housing assistance services and other social service supports.”
Grosser noted that Catholic Charities has been certified by the state as one of Mercer County’s CCBHCs.
“Which demonstrates that they meet an industry standard of best practices concerning the timeliness of care provision, the range of services provided, and access to 24/7 crisis services,” he said.
With regards to care for existing patients the municipality is going to be working with Corner House and Catholic Charities to make sure there are no gaps for those patients as services transition between organizations.
Princeton may be ending their partnership with Corner House, but the municipality is still supporting the organization’s prevention platform and Corner House’s Prevention team’s youth programming, alongside programs with the municipality’s Health and Human Services.
