Ocean County, New Jersey
Ocean County Addiction and Recovery Resources
Every number on this page was checked against the organisation's own listing. Most of these services are free. None of them require you to call us first, and most do not require insurance.
If someone is overdosing right now, call 911.
New Jersey's Overdose Prevention Act provides legal protections for certain drug-use and simple-possession offenses when someone seeks medical help in good faith for an overdose.
https://www.nj.gov/lps/dcj/agguide/overdose-prevention-act.pdf
If you need help right now
These lines are answered 24 hours a day, every day. You do not need insurance and you do not have to give your name.
988 · 988
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text.
ReachNJ · 1-844-732-2465
New Jersey's addiction helpline. A person answers, screens you and refers you to treatment regardless of insurance or ability to pay.
Addictions Hotline of New Jersey · 1-844-276-2777
Statewide addiction access line, 24/7.
CONTACT of Ocean and Monmouth Counties · 732-240-6100
Local 24-hour crisis line, staffed here in the county.
Psychiatric Emergency Screening Service · 732-886-4474
Ocean County's designated screening center, at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, 600 River Avenue, Lakewood.
NJ Vet2Vet · 1-866-838-7654
24/7 peer support for veterans and their families, staffed by people who served.
911 · 911
Suspected overdose or any medical emergency.
Free Narcan
Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose. In New Jersey anyone 14 or older can get it free, without a prescription and without giving a reason.
Ocean County Health Department · 732-341-9700 ext. 7285
Free naloxone training and kits. They also run free overdose-response programs for workplaces.
Naloxone365
Free naloxone at more than 40 participating pharmacies in Ocean County. No prescription, no appointment, no cost, no ID.
NJ Harm Reduction Coalition · 1-877-462-7226
Free naloxone and fentanyl test strips mailed to you, confidentially, anywhere in the state.
Harm reduction vending machine, Toms River
Free and available 24/7 outside Suburban Health Clinic on Mule Road. Dispenses naloxone, test strips, wound care and other supplies. No ID required.
County services
Ocean County Health Department, Substance Abuse and Addiction Services · 732-341-9700 ext. 7535
The county's substance use office. For treatment eligibility screening if you are uninsured, ask for ext. 7538. 175 Sunset Avenue, Toms River.
Ocean County Board of Social Services · 732-349-1500
SNAP, Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare, emergency assistance. 1005 Hooper Avenue, Toms River. Lakewood office 732-370-8854. Manahawkin office 609-242-6100.
Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, Operation Helping Hand
Three programs: First Step, which sends a peer recovery specialist to people after an overdose and also supports surviving family; Ocean County Helping Hand, which routes eligible municipal court defendants into treatment; and COTE, a mobile unit offering confidential assessment.
Intoxicated Driver Resource Center · 732-341-9700 ext. 7500
Required education and screening after a DUI or DWI conviction. 175 Sunset Avenue, Toms River.
Peer recovery centers
Free, drop-in, run by people who have been through it themselves. You do not need to be in treatment to walk in.
Hope Recovery Center · 732-244-0783
Ocean County's state-designated peer recovery center. Recovery coaching, telephone support, family education, meetings. 253 Chestnut Street, Toms River. Press 2 when you call. Second location in Manasquan.
ROADS Recovery Center · 732-244-0940
Free peer recovery coaching, classes and system navigation, from the Mental Health Association in New Jersey.
ROADS Recovery Center · 732-244-0940
Free peer recovery coaching, classes and system navigation, from the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. The Beachwood centre is open Friday and Saturday evenings, when most county services are closed.
St. Paul's Church, 130 Cable Avenue, Beachwood, NJ
Sea Change Recovery · 609-618-0360
Southern Ocean County. Peer specialists, harm reduction supplies, and free support groups most days of the week. Offices in Barnegat and West Creek. Call or text.
RWJBarnabas Peer Recovery Program 833-233-4377
Based at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus on River Avenue in Lakewood. A recovery specialist can meet someone in the emergency department at any hour, seven days a week. Free, and funded by the state.
Journey to Wellness · 732-914-1546
Peer-run wellness center. 25 South Shore Drive, Toms River.
Manahawkin office 691 Mill Creek Road, Unit 13
609-205-1600.
Support meetings
Alcoholics Anonymous · 908-687-8566
24-hour hotline, Northern New Jersey Intergroup. The Ocean County meeting list is on their site.
Sea Change peer support groups · 609-618-0360
Free groups nearly every day, in person and virtual. Includes All Recovery Mondays 5:30pm at the Pine Street Community Center in Manahawkin, a Recovery Dharma group, and an LGBTQIA2S+ group Thursdays at noon.
Cocaine Anonymous ·
800-347-8998
1-800-GAMBLER · 1-800-426-2537
For gambling alongside or instead of substance use.
NJ Self-Help Clearinghouse · 800-367-6274
Helps you find any kind of support group in the state.
For families and partners
You do not need the person who is using to agree to anything before you get support yourself.
If you're not sure what to do yet, start here:
what actually helps when someone won't admit they have a problem →
NJ Connect for Recovery · 1-855-652-3737
A free call line and support groups built specifically for family and friends. State-funded.
Al-Anon and Alateen of New Jersey · 888-944-5678
Meetings across the county for anyone affected by someone else's drinking.
Nar-Anon Family Groups of New Jersey
For families affected by someone else's drug use. They list meetings on their site rather than staffing a phone line.
ReConnections Family Support Center · 1-877-922-2377
The state's designated family support center for this region. Peer support and navigation for loved ones.
Recovery Family Support Services · 732-244-0940
Mental Health Association in New Jersey, Ocean County.
What Does a Crack Pipe Look Like? Signs and Next Steps — what these items look like, what else tends to be found nearby, and what an object does and does not prove.
After losing someone
Healing Hearts · 732-244-0783
Grief group for anyone who lost someone to substance use. Thursdays 6:00 to 7:00pm, 253 Chestnut Street, Toms River. Run by HOPE Sheds Light.
Ocean County Health Department bereavement support · 732-341-9700 ext. 7614
Cara O'Brien, LCSW, LCADC.
The Compassionate Friends, Ocean County · 732-363-3894
For parents who lost a child. First Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm, St. Luke's Church, 1674 Old Freehold Road, Toms River.
Sea Change Healing Circle · 609-618-0360
Second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:00 to 7:00pm.
The Haven · 732-349-1331
Tuesdays 10:00 to 11:30am, Presbyterian Church of Toms River, 1070 Hooper Avenue.
St. Joseph's Bereavement Support · 732-349-0018 ext. 2219
Eight-week sessions in Toms River, autumn and spring.
Veterans
Veterans Crisis Line · 988
Dial 988, then press 1.
NJ Vet2Vet · 1-866-838-7654
24/7 peer support staffed by veterans.
Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau · 732-929-2096
Help filing VA claims, plus transportation to VA medical centers. 1005 Hooper Avenue, Toms River.
Bud Lomell VA Clinic
Mental health and addiction care with same-day access. 1055 Hooper Avenue, Toms River. Shuttle to East Orange VA Tuesday to Thursday.
Veteran Peer Support · 973-856-1997
Mental Health Association in New Jersey. Lacey office at 4 Murray Grove Lane, Lanoka Harbor.
Parents and pregnant women
MORE Project · 732-244-0940
Free peer support built specifically for mothers in recovery, at any stage. Includes short-term help with transportation.
Connecting NJ, Ocean County · 1-877-352-7843
One number for pregnant and parenting families. Home visiting, doulas, NJ FamilyCare, case management.
Young people
PerformCare New Jersey · 1-877-652-7624
24/7. The single entry point for youth substance use treatment in the state. A young person can consent to treatment on their own.
2NDFLOOR · 1-888-222-2228
Call or text, 24/7, for New Jersey youth.
Ocean's Harbor House · 732-281-0822
24-hour emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless youth and young adults, in Toms River.
National Runaway Safeline ·
1-800-786-2929
LGBTQ+
PROUD Center at Community Medical Center · 732-557-2833
Affirming primary care, screening, PrEP and support groups. 99 Highway 37 West, Toms River. Adults only.
The Trevor Project · 1-866-488-7386
24/7, for young people.
Food, housing, transport and benefits
NJ 211 · 211
Dial 211 for any social service in the state. After hours in Ocean County, 877-652-1148.
Fulfill · 732-918-2600
The food bank for Monmouth and Ocean. More than 300 pantries and kitchens. For help applying for SNAP, call 732-643-5888. B.E.A.T. Center, 1769 Hooper Avenue, Toms River.
O.C.E.A.N., Inc. · 732-244-9041
The county's community action agency. Energy assistance, weatherization, homelessness prevention, Head Start. 40 Main Street, Toms River.
Just Believe Inc. · 732-279-6157
Homeless outreach, housing placement, meal delivery and Code Blue shelter. 734 Route 37 West, Toms River.
Ocean Ride · 732-736-8989
County transportation. Door-to-door rides for adults with disabilities and people over 60, plus 13 public bus routes.
Ocean and Monmouth Legal Services · 732-341-2727
Free civil legal help.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services · 732-505-2310
Help getting back to work.
Getting rid of old medication
Project Medicine Drop
There are 21 drop boxes across Ocean County, available 24 hours a day, no questions asked. Toms River Police, 255 Oak Avenue. Brick Township Police, 1872 Route 88. Barnegat Police, 900 West Bay Avenue. Jackson Township Police, 102 Jackson Drive. Beachwood Police, 1600 Pinewald Road. The full list is on the state site.
THE NUMBERS
Addiction Treatment in Ocean County: What the State Data Shows
New Jersey publishes county-level treatment data every year through the Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, drawn from the state's substance abuse monitoring system. Most people never see it. It is worth seeing, because it contradicts a fair amount of what people assume about addiction in this county.
In 2024 there were 6,708 substance use treatment admissions among Ocean County residents, representing 3,618 individual people. Alcohol, not opioids, was the most common primary substance at 48%. Outpatient, not residential, was the most common level of care at 26%. The largest age group in treatment was 35 to 44, and a further 32% were 45 or older.
The tables below give the full picture, with the statewide figure alongside wherever the state publishes one.
1. Ocean County at a glance, 2024
| Measure | Ocean County, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Treatment admissions | 6,708 |
| Unduplicated people admitted | 3,618 |
| Most common primary substance | Alcohol, 48% of admissions |
| Most common level of care | Outpatient, 26% of admissions |
| Largest age group | 35 to 44, 35% of admissions |
| Aged 45 and over | 32% of admissions |
| Self-referred | 60% of admissions |
| Living independently at admission | 75% |
| Homeless at admission | 14% |
| Employed full or part time | 31% |
| At or below 133% of the federal poverty level | 89% |
| Treated in their own county | 51% |
2. Primary substance at admission, 2024
| Primary substance | Ocean County admissions | Ocean County share | New Jersey share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | 3,200 | 48% | 42% |
| Heroin | 1,997 | 30% | 29% |
| Cocaine / crack | 521 | 8% | 9% |
| Other opiates | 396 | 6% | 7% |
| Marijuana / synthetic cannabinoids | 176 | 3% | 6% |
| Methamphetamine / other stimulants | verify | 3% | 3% |
| Other drugs | verify | 3% | - |
3. Level of care at admission, 2024
| Level of care | Ocean County admissions | Ocean County share | New Jersey share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outpatient | 1,711 | 26% | 21% |
| Detox, residential | 1,320 | 20% | 19% |
| Intensive outpatient | 1,309 | 20% | 20% |
| Short-term residential | 934 | 14% | 14% |
| Opioid maintenance, outpatient | 882 | 13% | 11% |
| Long-term residential | 291 | 4% | 7% |
| Partial hospitalization | 123 | 2% | 4% |
| Halfway house | 86 | 1% | 2% |
4. Three years of change, 2022 to 2024
| Measure | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Three-year move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total admissions | 6,599 | 6,440 | 6,708 | Up 2% |
| Unduplicated people | 3,653 | 3,602 | 3,618 | Flat |
| Alcohol as primary substance | 42% | 45% | 48% | Up 6 points |
| Heroin as primary substance | 38% | 34% | 30% | Down 8 points |
| Cocaine / crack | 5% | 6% | 8% | Up 3 points |
| Outpatient level of care | 23% | 24% | 26% | Up 3 points |
| Intensive outpatient | 19% | 18% | 20% | Up 1 point |
| Opioid maintenance, outpatient | 15% | 17% | 13% | Down 2 points |
| Partial hospitalization | 1% | 2% | 2% | Up 1 point |
| Injecting drug use | 33% | 29% | 26% | Down 7 points |
| Homeless at admission | 8% | 12% | 14% | Up 6 points |
| No health insurance | 12% | 12% | 19% | Up 7 points |
| Self-referral | 59% | 62% | 60% | Up 1 point |
| IDRC referrals | 8% | 8% | 9% | Up 1 point |
A single year says what the county looks like. Three years say which direction it is moving, and the direction is the part nobody else has published.
Four things stand out across three years. Alcohol has taken six points more of the county's treatment while heroin has given up eight, a reversal that is now consistent rather than a single-year blip.
Cocaine has climbed steadily. Injecting drug use has fallen by a third. And two measures of hardship have moved the wrong way at once: homelessness at admission has nearly doubled from 8% to 14%, and the share arriving with no health insurance jumped from 12% to 19% in a single year.
The total number of people entering treatment has barely changed in three years. What has changed is what they are using and what state they arrive in.
5. Where people come from: admissions by municipality, 2024
| Municipality | Admissions, 2024 | Share of county | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toms River Township | 1,500 | 22% | 1,318 |
| Brick Township | 755 | 11% | 741 |
| Berkeley Township | 508 | 8% | 508 |
| Manchester Township | 503 | 7% | 421 |
| Lakewood Township | 419 | 6% | - |
| Jackson Township | - | - | 408 |
Half the people from this county who enter treatment leave it to do so. In 2024, 51% were treated in Ocean County; the rest travelled, most commonly to Monmouth County (1,229 admissions) and Atlantic County (903).
6. Age at admission, 2024
| Age group | Admissions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 6 | 0% |
| 18-21 | 102 | 2% |
| 22-24 | 177 | 3% |
| 25-29 | 722 | 11% |
| 30-34 | 1,168 | 17% |
| 35-44 | 2,331 | 35% |
| 45-54 | 1,167 | 17% |
| 55 and over | 1,035 | 15% |
7. How people reach treatment: referral source, 2024
| Referral source | Admissions | Ocean County share | New Jersey share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-referral | 4,043 | 60% | 59% |
| Corrections related | 836 | 12% | 16% |
| Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC) | 633 | 9% | 6% |
| Addiction Services Program | 425 | 6% | 8% |
| Other sources | 300 | 4% | - |
| Child Protection Substance Abuse Initiative | 173 | 3% | 2% |
| Mental health | 137 | 2% | - |
| Reach NJ | 130 | 2% | - |
| Family or friend | 100 | 1% | - |
8. Legal involvement at admission, 2024
| Legal status | Admissions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No legal problems | 3,578 | 53% |
| Probation or parole | 1,016 | 15% |
| Case pending | 992 | 15% |
| Driving under the influence | 768 | 11% |
| Child protection or family court | 321 | 5% |
| Recovery Court | 309 | 5% |
| Other legal | 223 | 3% |
Just under half of admissions carry some legal involvement, and 22% are flagged as driving-under-the-influence cases. Court-involved treatment is not a niche in this county. It is close to half the caseload.
How treatment is paid for, 2024
| Coverage at admission | Admissions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Medicaid | 4,833 | 72% |
| No insurance | 1,241 | 19% |
| Private insurance | 971 | 14% |
| Medicare | 212 | 3% |
| Other insurance | 85 | 1% |
Shares total more than 100% because coverage is recorded in more than one category for some admissions.
10. Work and housing at admission, 2024
| Measure | Admissions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Not in the labor force | 3,194 | 48% |
| Employed full or part time | 2,050 | 31% |
| Unemployed | 1,435 | 21% |
| Living independently | 5,060 | 75% |
| Homeless | 940 | 14% |
| Dependent or supervised living | 705 | 11% |
| Completed high school | 4,445 | 66% |
| Some college | 1,490 | 22% |
11. Treatment history and outcomes, 2024
| Measure | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| First treatment admission | 2,022 | 56% of people |
| Second admission | 711 | 20% of people |
| Three or more admissions | 885 | 24% of people |
| Completed the level of care | 3,585 | 55% of discharges |
| Quit or dropped out | 1,762 | 27% of discharges |
| Needed a different level of care | 459 | 7% of discharges |
| Administrative discharge | 176 | 3% of discharges |
| Died during the episode | 24 | 0% of discharges |
Just over half of treatment episodes in Ocean County end in completion of that level of care, and more than a quarter end in someone walking away. Prior treatment is common: 44% of people admitted in 2024 had been in treatment at least once before.
Neither figure is a reason not to start. Both are reasons to pick a level of care that fits the life someone actually has.
12. Ocean County against New Jersey: who is in treatment, 2024
| Measure, 2024 | Ocean County | New Jersey | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injecting drug use | 26% | 16% | +10 points |
| Driving under the influence case | 11% | 7% | +4 points |
| Employed full or part time | 31% | 26% | +5 points |
| No health insurance | 19% | 15% | +4 points |
| Three or more prior admissions | 24% | 20% | +4 points |
| Aged 35 to 44 | 35% | 30% | +5 points |
| Living independently | 75% | 65% | +10 points |
| Homeless at admission | 14% | 18% | -4 points |
| Private insurance | 14% | 18% | -4 points |
| Male | 66% | 70% | -4 points |
| Aged 55 and over | 15% | 18% | -3 points |
| First treatment admission | 56% | 60% | -4 points |
| Completed the level of care | 55% | 54% | +1 point |
| Quit or dropped out | 27% | 27% | Level |
The picture that emerges is a county whose treatment population is more settled than the state's — more people housed, more people working — and simultaneously harder hit, with more injecting, more repeat episodes and more court involvement.
Those two things are not in tension. They describe a population with more to lose and more chances already spent.
Put the county beside the state and the differences are not small. People entering treatment in Ocean County are more likely to be working, more likely to be injecting, far more likely to be there because of a driving charge, and more likely to have been in treatment before.
13. Medication-assisted treatment planned at admission
| Medication planned | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Methadone | 1,231 (19%) | 1,153 (17%) |
| Buprenorphine | 599 (9%) | 674 (10%) |
| Naltrexone (Vivitrol) | 162 (3%) | 120 (2%) |
Medication is planned at admission for roughly three in ten Ocean County admissions, overwhelmingly methadone or buprenorphine. Naltrexone, the non-narcotic option, accounts for 2%, which is a smaller share than the alcohol figures in this county would suggest it could be.
14. Circumstances at admission, 2024
| Measure | Admissions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| At or below 133% of the federal poverty level | 5,512 | 89% |
| Uses tobacco products | 3,658 | 55% |
| Injecting drug use | 1,714 | 26% |
| Driving under the influence programme | 1,474 | 22% |
| Taking mental health or psychotropic medication | 1,171 | 17% |
| Attended AA in the past 30 days | 761 | 11% |
| Attended NA in the past 30 days | 632 | 9% |
| Child protection or child welfare involvement | 365 | 5% |
| Arrested in the last 30 days | 255 | 4% |
| Veterans | 82 | 1% |
| Pregnant | 52 | 1% |
| Gambling problem | 54 | 1% |
15. Where Ocean County residents go for treatment, 2024
| Treated in | Admissions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean County | 3,408 | 51% |
| Monmouth County | 1,229 | 18% |
| Atlantic County | 903 | 13% |
| Other New Jersey counties | remainder | 18% |
Half the people from this county who enter treatment leave the county to do it, most often northward into Monmouth or south to Atlantic. For someone holding down a job, that drive is frequently the reason a level of care gets declined.
Sources
All tables: New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Substance Use Overview 2022, 2023 and 2024, Ocean County and Statewide reports, drawn from the New Jersey Substance Abuse Monitoring System (NJSAMS).
Figures are treatment admissions rather than individuals except where stated; 6,708 admissions in 2024 represent 3,618 unduplicated people. Percentages are rounded and some categories allow more than one response, so columns may not total 100.
If you want to talk about treatment
Renova Recovery is an outpatient program in Brick. If we are the right fit we will tell you. If we are not, we will point you to somewhere on this page that is.
