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CareFull

From left, Dr. Michael Bizzarro, Ken Burkert and Jim Schneider work out of the First Responder Office, which is filled with inspiration to help officers being treated at Princeton House Behavioral Health.

Princeton House Behavioral Health offers a unique, personal, successful special treatment program that gives first responders the courage to face and conquer the addiction that threatens their jobs and their lives.

n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL n PHOTOS BY JIM CONNOLLY

Vista Bay Local 302 member Mason Milo fears that he’ s about to walk into the Cuckoo’ s Nest. He takes one look around the front lobby of Princeton House Behavioral Health and can only think,“ Where’ s the door? I’ m out of here.” The stress, depression and helplessness make him feel sick, but not as sick as another binge on the opiates and the alcohol.

Officer Milo had been holed up in his basement, contemplating ending it all. But he decided to call his State Delegate first. The delegate called on his peer assistance training, began the QPR process, reached out to Dr. Michael Bizzarro of the PBA’ s Clinical Services and alerted him that they were on the way to Princeton House.

It is 4 a. m., but Dr. B is there to meet Milo alongside retired PBA Peer Assistance Liaison and Union County Corrections Local 199 State Delegate Ken Burkert. They are part of the Princeton House First Responder Team. They soothe Milo through the admitting process, help him understand it’ s OK to be human and that he will never have to feel like this again.

Mason Milo is not his real name. There is no Local 302. His information has been changed to protect confidentiality. That’ s priority one for all first responders who come to Princeton House for treatment.

But confidentiality is just one element of the special treatment PBA members get at Princeton House, the preeminent facility in the state – perhaps even the country – for first responders to face and overcome the addiction and mental health issues that threaten their careers, not to mention their families and their lives.

Once in the door, law enforcement officers will soon realize they can face their fears and do the one thing they never thought possible: get well.

“ They’ ve heard our name, but just by meeting them at the door and letting them know we’ re going to be part of their treatment – that they’ re going to work with us and we’ re going to

work with them – kind of drops their anxiety level,” Dr. Bizzarro explains.“ Remember, cops are used to bringing people to places like this. So it’ s a real change and a real challenge for them. It’ s a process. But as they move through the treatment, inevitably they surrender to the process and allow themselves to be human.”

Moving through the process is the best way to understand the depth of treatment Princeton House offers. Hopefully, most members will never have to do this, but this walk-through of the facility might offer a glimpse at why so many first responders are surrendering to the process. As Dr. B adds:“ This is one place where you surrender and you win.”

Take Care

No facility offers more support and understanding of what it’ s like to be a first responder submitting to the treatment than Princeton House, and that’ s due to the presence of its First Responder Treatment Services Team. Dr. Bizzarro, a Ph. D, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and former law enforcement officer, directs the team, which Burkert joined as Senior Outreach Coordinator and Peer Support Liaison after retiring from duty

CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 www. njcopsmagazine. com ■ FEBRUARY 2017 31