Ronald Dudley credits Integrity House with helping him reclaim his life.

“I’ve been using drugs since I was very young,” Dudley said. “It got to the point where it was over — no fun left in it — and my life was going to end.”

Founded in Newark in 1968, the nonprofit Integrity House is one of New Jersey’s largest providers of addiction treatment and mental health services. It offers inpatient and outpatient care, supportive housing, medication-assisted treatment and counseling.

“When you’re addicted to drugs and alcohol, you lose everything and it happens in the blink of an eye,” Dudley said. “Integrity House is a community. We’re given direction, but we run the show. We help each other and we’re in charge of our own recovery.”

On Thursday, Integrity House hosted its second annual Integrity Day in Newark’s Lincoln Park, featuring wellness activities, health screenings, and with information from more than 20 community partners.

“This event is really important because we want to bring agencies and resources together,” said Robin Shorter, senior director of community engagement at Integrity House. “Substance use disorder and harm reduction can be uncertain areas for people, so we want to be visible and accessible, making sure those who need our services can get them.”

For clients like Claude Jannestil, that visibility matters. “You’re still going to have thoughts about drinking or getting high,” Jannestil said. “The question is, do you let it fester, or act on it? People want help but sometimes don’t know how to ask. Pride and ego can block us from getting the support we need.”

Integrity House’s president and CEO, Robert Budsock, said Integrity Day is as much about community as it is about celebration. “Yes, we’re celebrating Integrity,” Budsock said. “But we’re also celebrating with our community. Our partners are here bringing services and we’re inviting everyone in the community to take advantage of them.”

New Jersey recorded a decline in overdose deaths between 2022 and 2023, the first drop in a decade. Experts attribute the change largely to harm reduction strategies, such as distributing naloxone, fentanyl test strips and sterile syringes. But harm reduction remains politically divisive. The Trump administration has sought to restrict federal funding for such programs, arguing they facilitate drug use.

“The funding cuts are concerning because we’ve finally started to see progress — fewer overdoses, and more people entering recovery,” Budsock said.

Integrity House leaders say they’ll continue their mission, taking it one day at a time, just like their clients. “Our goal is to make sure the community always has access to resources that promote health and healing,” Budsock said.