Diverse Faces Many Lives: New Jerseyans Rely on Mental Health and Substance Use Services to Thrive

N ew Jersey is arguably the most diverse state in the nation with nearly 8.9 million infants, children, youth, adults and seniors of every ethnicity, race, language, culture, gender identity and religion. A high prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders is also present throughout all of these groups. As we look at the faces of our rich multicultural population, including the most recent addition of our Afghan guests, the effects of trauma, exacerbated by the pandemic and recent natural and man-made disasters, may not be visible…but their impacts are there. To achieve social justice and equity in health care, every individual must have access to mental health and substance use treatment; physical health care, housing, supported education and employment, and assistance in receiving benefits, as well as an array of other necessary services, such as child care and transportation. This is what it will take to create a healthy population. What has been missing to enable Jose, Tyrone, Lisa, Padma, Youssef, Lorenzo, Jacavi, Steven, Jibreel, Keisha, Orkeem and others to achieve good health and reach their potential is access to care. Right now, those connections are impeded by limited access to life-saving clinical care and support services. As a result, many are experiencing preventable exacerbation of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The lack of treatment causes missed opportunities to achieve physical and mental well-being and many other important goals – such as education, employment, and building and strengthening relationships with families, friends and colleagues. The number of children and adults needing these services has increased exponentially during the pandemic, which has also exposed striking inequities in the prevalence of illnesses and access to health care. There is a simple solution…to move toward equity in health care, contracts and fee- for-service rates for mental health and substance use treatment and supports need to be increased to match the cost of care and provide for a stable workforce. Without these resources, our diverse population will not be able to access the services they need and deserve to live their healthiest and most fulfilling lives possible. 2