NJAMHAA FY23 Advocacy Campaign

Having anAlly Strengthens Families “My time at Integrity House was amazing. I learned things about myself I didn’t even knowwere wrong,” said Stephanie Hover. “As addicts, we hear of a place like this and want to run, but it really is setting us up for real life. The counselors helped me through such a traumatic loss - my soulmate passed,” Stephanie shared. “We did everything we could to make sure Stephanie was grieving properly. We took her to the funeral and to spend more time with her family, and we reinforced that she had to recover for her children,” said Kayla Cheatum, LCSW, LCADC, Associate Director of Integrity House’s Women’s Residential Program. Stephanie received medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder and was cured of a health condition caused by her addiction, She also developed invaluable skills, including relapse prevention, coping skills and impulse control. “Everyone experiences trauma and some become victims of their circumstances. Stephanie learned at Integrity House that she can choose to be a victim or a victor,” Kayla said. Stephanie chose to keep fighting and she is well on her way toward lifelong recovery and success. She is continuing treatment in a halfway house and working at a job she recently secured. Investment Is Needed to Support Stephanie and Others’ Access to Timely, Integrated Care • Appropriate $10 million as an initial investment into facility resources for behavioral health providers to further develop integrated care. • Appropriate $10 million for mental health providers to upgrade, implement and maintain interoperable electronic health record systems. • Pass S930/A1476 to reinstate the 70+ year exemption of vehicle registration fees for nonprofit organizations’ vehicles that was reversed in 2017. 12 H   Watch Kayla and Stephanie describe how the services enabled Stephanie to strengthen her health and family.