FY2026 Annual Report

Annual Report FY2026 3 Dear NJAMHAA Members: Now more than ever, the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies’ (NJAMHAA’s) advocacy, communications, networking opportunities and other member services are critical to its members’ ability to successfully face current and impending challenges. This has been NJAMHAA’s legacy for 75 years and has been evident in so many ways in FY2026, as we stood side-by-side with members to navigate the many state and federal changes that impacted programs and the more than 500,000 served. NJAMHAA is committed to continuing to do so! As programs are carved into Medicaid managed care, workforce shortages continue amidst ongoing high demand, and New Jersey works to mitigate the negative impacts of H.R.1 on Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), child care and other services important to all residents’ well-being, we will continue to take concerns and issues to the leaders in the appropriate departments, divisions and regulatory or legislative bodies to address them through collaborative problem-solving. With its 75- year history, NJAMHAA is recognized as an influential voice and powerful force for its members, enabling NJAMHAA to achieve successful resolutions across a diverse spectrum of programs and services, including behavioral health, health care and the social determinants of health. In just the last decade, NJAMHAA successfully led our members through many substantial structural changes and other challenges to service provision. Shortly after effectively improving several aspects of the 2016 transition from contracts to fee-for-service, NJAMHAA was out in front navigating the first services carved into managed care – inpatient services for all populations and all behavioral health services for certain special populations. It was not long after those changes that the COVID pandemic upended operations. NJAMHAA continues to this day resolving COVID era challenges, as the last vestiges of Debra L. Wentz, PhD President and CEO Anthony Comerford, PhD FY2026 NJAMHAA Board Chair MESSAGE FROM THE President and Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair temporary rules and waivers came to an abrupt end. The most recent structural upheaval was the integration of outpatient services, with more significant changes on the cusp of implementation following the adoption of integrated facility licensing regulations by the Department of Health and integrated program standards by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. NJAMHAA has been at the forefront of advocacy, networking, education, information sharing and more in support of its members and those they serve through all these major changes, working to ease the burdens of change and secure provisions that support access and sustainability. As the workforce shortage continues; inadequate rates and contracts limit the ability of providers to offer competitive wages; additional programs are carved-in; and new regulations are rolled out, NJAMHAA will always be by the side of its members to meet and overcome these challenges. Working each and every day to change processes, regulations, legislation, budgets and more, our efforts are aimed at ensuring your success – successes that are measured by how they aid your work and sustainability. In the following pages, we will share many of our achievements from FY2026. They range from repeated extensions of the carve-in transition period, to permanently removing the joint protocol requirement for behavioral health Advanced Practice Nurses, to, very importantly, maintaining almost all behavioral health funding in the Governor’s FY2027 proposed budget. As NJAMHAA celebrates its 75 th anniversary, we look forward to working with our members to shape the future of behavioral health care with innovation, efficiencies and flexibilities that strengthen your organizations and open doors to expansion. We value the opportunity to support the important work you do every day and look forward to always providing you with impactful results! Sincerely,