FY2025-Annual-Report

20 Meeting Challenges Head On CO-CHAIRS: Alan DeStefano, MSW NJAMHAA Board Secretary and Executive Director, Cape Atlantic Integrated Network for Kids JULY: Gambling Issues for Children and Youth Lia Nower, JD, PhD Associate Dean for Research and Distinguished Professor Director, Center for Gambling Studies, Rutgers Brain Health Institute SEPTEMBER: Prioritizing Safety John Monahan, ACSW, LCSW President and CEO, Integrated Care for Recovery, LLC JANUARY: Pediatric Behavioral Health Access Expansion Initiative Lori Ann Rizzuto, LCSW Executive Director, Atlantic Health System In November, the Children’s Practice Group hosted Department of Children and Families (DCF) Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer, Children’s System of Care Deputy Director Melinda Carnassale and Deputy Director for Administration Jeff Carrick. Discussion focused on the FY2026 budget, children’s partial hospital rates, the Medicaid managed care carve-in and several other issues important to members. These included some identified by the practice group’s Acute Care Workgroup, specifically, training for working with children and youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and the need for data from DCF on youth with an IDD diagnosis who are seen in screening centers and served on non-specialized Children’s Crisis Intervention Services units. The Children’s Practice Group’s School-Based Services Subcommittee, which represents both School Based Youth Services Programs (SBYSPs) and member NJ Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S) programs, continues to identify challenging issues, which NJAMHAA then addresses through advocacy. Several challenges were identified in regards to the new software programs both services are required to use. NJAMHAA and member advocacy was successful in securing several changes and clarifications to improve the workflow and usefulness of the software systems. The group also conducted two surveys in FY2025: the SBYSP Recruitment and Retention Survey and the NJ4S Vacancy Survey. The Subcommittee shifted to a quarterly meeting schedule mid-year. VICE-CHAIR: Michelle Carlamere, LCSW Vice President, Outpatient and Community Services, Oaks Integrated Care The Children’s Practice Group includes representatives from PerformCare and the Juvenile Justice Commission, who provide updates at every meeting, and frequently hosts guests from the state government and the behavioral healthcare field. In FY2025, the group hosted specialists who shared their expertise: MARCH: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Youth Behavioral Health Strategy Inessa Vaccaro, LPC, CHHC Clinical Lead, Youth Behavioral Health Chris Barton, LCSW Senior Director, Integrated Systems of Care and Network Innovation MAY: Healing with Hooves, Unlocking Healing and Hope with Horses Amy Lipput CEO, Hope In Her Eyes, LLC, Equine Facilitated Wellness Children’s Practice Group and its Acute Care Workgroup and School Based Subcommittee Shavonda Sumter, MBA NJAMHAA Board Member and President and CEO, Children’s Aid and Family Services