Robert Budsock, the president and CEO of Newark-based Integrity House, has been tapped to represent New Jersey on the world stage. Budsock will serve as a featured speaker at the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in Vienna, Austria, held from March 9–13.
The CND is the UN’s primary policymaking body for drug-related issues. Budsock’s selection highlights the growing international influence of New Jersey’s community-based treatment models in tackling the global overdose crisis.
How to Watch
The session will be accessible to the public via a global livestream, allowing New Jersey residents to watch their local leader address the international community.
- Date: March 12, 2026
- Time: 10:30 a.m. EST
- Link: Join the Zoom Livestream
On March 12, Budsock will join a panel titled “Meeting People Where They Are: Reducing Risk While Promoting Recovery.” The session, organized by the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities (WFTC), aims to dismantle the long-standing myth that “harm reduction” and “abstinence-based recovery” are at odds.
Instead, Budsock will advocate for a continuum of care—a model where structured treatment and risk reduction strategies work in tandem to keep individuals alive and engaged in the healthcare system, regardless of where they are in their recovery journey.
“We know that risk reduction and recovery are not competing philosophies,” he said. “When integrated thoughtfully, they strengthen engagement in care, reduce preventable harm, and create real opportunities for sustainable recovery.”
Integrity House, one of New Jersey’s largest nonprofit providers, serves thousands of individuals annually through residential and outpatient programs. Its “Newark-grown” approach is being looked at as a blueprint for:
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Enhancing treatment retention: Using risk reduction to keep patients in programs longer.
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Reducing stigma: Meeting patients with empathy rather than judgment.
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Strengthening outcomes: Collaborating with broader social services to ensure long-term stability.
Budsock will be joined by international experts from Macau, Portugal, Italy, and Hungary, providing a rare opportunity for New Jersey-specific insights to influence global UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) guidelines.
