SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY – Sea Change, a nonprofit with offices in Barnegat and West Creek, is making waves in assisting people with substance use challenges. Officially founded in January 2021 by Elizabeth Burke Beaty, Sea Change offers a unique blend of recovery assistance through peer support and harm reduction services, focusing on compassion, dignity, and meeting individuals where they are.
“We believe all people matter and should be treated with respect,” said Elizabeth, who has been in recovery for 33 years. “We’re here to support people in their recovery journey – not to label them or define them by their struggles.”
Elizabeth named the organization “Sea Change” to symbolize transformation and the metaphors associated with the endless body of water.
“It reflects my love for the ocean and the dramatic changes we help people make in their lives,” she said. “I grew up in the Outer Banks and now live in Holgate. The sea is part of who I am.”
Waves Of Compassion
Elizabeth’s passion for recovery and empowerment grew out of her own personal journey. Having worked as an entrepreneur and contemporary art dealer in Manhattan, she moved to Holgate to be with her husband, Tom, an avid surfer. However, Elizabeth’s transition wasn’t without its challenges.
After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the couple lost their home in Holgate. Like many others in the area, they and their two-year-old son faced the trauma of displacement.
But what Elizabeth noticed most was how the storm exacerbated substance use issues in the community. “People were using more and drinking heavier – trying to numb the pain of what they’d lost,” she said.
Elizabeth, who has always been open about her recovery, started informally helping neighbors cope. “I shared tools I’d learned to deal with trauma and stress,” explained Elizabeth. “People were asking for help around their substance use, whether they were addicted or not, even if it was just heightened.”
As a result of helping Sandy survivors, Elizabeth also became involved in the New Jersey Operating Project (NJOP). She is co-director of NJOP’s “Not One More – Ending Overdose” campaign.
A certified life coach, Elizabeth decided to pursue a certification as a peer recovery specialist. She studied the science behind alternate types of recovery, having been helped herself by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
“We support anyone that chooses recovery through AA and NA,” said Elizabeth. “But I was interested in all pathways and how people did it because I don’t believe there’s just one way to do it.”
Elizabeth’s resolve to address substance use deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The opioid crisis was in full force with prescription meds turning into addictions, but the isolation of the pandemic made things worse,” she added. “People were cut off from support systems and fell deeper into addiction. That’s when I knew we needed Sea Change.”
From Client To Advocate
Erin McGee, Chair of the Board of Directors, first became involved with Sea Change feeling broken. Grappling with the shame of relapse, she found little solace in traditional recovery programs. Meeting Elizabeth changed everything.
“Throughout my life, I’ve struggled,” McGee said. “It’s a really dark place. Mentally, you feel ashamed; you don’t want to reach out to someone. You feel like you’ve always messed up, and nobody believes in you. And it creates such issues with your husband or wife.”
“Elizabeth told me relapse wasn’t the end,” McGee shared. “She was open and positive, and everything just started to click. My husband went to the family meetings, and it helped our marriage. I felt comfortable, and the shame started to lift. It all started to come together as soon as I entered Sea Change.”
Now, McGee’s a driving force behind the organization that saved her. She’s even hosted a painting class to help others bond through their recovery efforts. McGee’s family’s building in Barnegat serves as one of Sea Change’s offices – a tribute to her late father’s commitment to the organization that helped his daughter.
“My family has always been supportive, and I’m fortunate to have that,” McGee said. “But substance use disorder is a disease, and it doesn’t discriminate. Sea Change helped me find hope and healing.”
Services Come In All Forms
Sea Change offers assistance to people suffering with substance use issues at all levels. This includes recovery specialist services, one on one coaching, case management, support groups, and harm reduction programs. Referrals are made to outside agencies to help clients navigate the path to their recovery.
Meetings are different than those that are the hallmark of AA and NA and are also evidence based. Members take turns as meeting facilitators and choose topics.
The nonprofit also collaborates with local businesses like two Manahawkin businesses, CrossFit A-Game and The Yoga Hive, to offer wellness programs tailored to its clients’ needs. Most recently, Causeway Honda donated a vehicle to assist their efforts through their Causeway Cares program.
Sea Change’s approach begins with meeting people where they are, both literally and figuratively. Transportation represents an issue for many that seek help. The new vehicle makes it easier to make home visits and provide assistance to the unhoused.
“We also do mobile outreach with Bright Harbor Healthcare,” said Elizabeth. “They have a big Winnebago that has their name on it. We take our harm reduction supplies and peer support materials; they take clinicians, and we go. We park at the Barnegat Food Pantry twice a month and twice a month in Little Egg Harbor.”
Harm Reduction To Save Lives
Central to Sea Change’s mission is harm reduction – keeping people safe and alive even if they’re not ready to navigate their paths to recovery. Free naloxone (Narcan) and education are provided to prevent fatal overdoses. The organization also distributes fentanyl and xylazine test strips and clean needles. They are the only group in Ocean County that provides this service and are authorized by the state.
“Harm reduction isn’t about condoning substance use,” said Elizabeth. “It’s about empowering individuals to make safer choices and keeping them alive long enough to seek recovery if and when they’re ready.”
Elizabeth explained that many people are unknowingly purchasing counterfeit pills online, often laced with fentanyl or xylazine, a dangerous horse tranquilizer. The same are often added to other drugs like cocaine and heroin. These substances can be deadly, and Sea Change aims to educate and protect individuals through tools like test kits.
The test kits are easy to use and look similar to pregnancy or COVID tests. They can save lives by identifying dangerous substances before someone uses them.
As far as confidentiality, Elizabeth makes it clear to clients that she’s there to keep them alive.
“I tell that to the people who are getting needles as well,” she shared. “Nothing goes past me unless they’re planning to hurt themselves or somebody else – they’re safe with me.”
An Ocean Of Possibilities
Currently, Sea Change works exclusively with individuals over the age of 18. However, Elizabeth noted a growing need to address substance use among younger people.
“One of the things brought to our attention by family members is the idea of starting a youth support group,” she said. “We could teach them how to facilitate their own group, and it would be peer-led. I think that’s something we can make happen, especially with support from schools.”
“Sea Change is about embracing our experiences and using them to grow,” emphasized Elizabeth. “We’ve faced our struggles and come out stronger. Now we’re here to help others do the same.”
Sea Change’s offices are located at 1 Cedar Street, Barnegat, and 1064 S Main Street, West Creek. The organization welcomes anyone seeking support, offering hope and transformation to those in need.
There are no costs associated with any of the services offered: peer recovery substance abuse and recovery support, harm reduction supplies, education, non-perishable food items, weather kits, first aid kits, overdose prevention kits, drug testing kits, sterile syringes, sharps disposal, hygiene supplies, condoms, and linkage to addiction treatment, clinical services, social services, housing support organizations as well as linkage to HIV, HepC and STI testing and treatment.
They are at the Lacey Treatment Services MAT Clinic, 411 Route 9, Suite 1, in Lanoka Harbor on the first and third Tuesdays of every month from 9 a.m. until noon (February 4 & 18).
They are at 360 Route 9 in Barnegat by the food pantry and gazebo next to East Bay Avenue on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (February 13 & 27)
They are at 200 Mathistown Road in Little Egg Harbor in the Dollar Tree parking lot on the 3rd Friday of every month from noon to 4 p.m. (February 21)
Locations and times are subject to change; contact 609-709-5754 for updates.
For more information, visit seachangerco.org.
