NJAMHAA-70th-anniversary-publication

62 Similarly, former NJAMHAA Board member Jerome Johnson said, “I don’t know where we would’ve been without the IT Project. We would’ve been in the Dark Ages. We didn’t know about the intricacies of computers and software systems. The IT Project trained our staff and provided support and technical assistance. They’ve always been outstanding, very responsive and very knowledgeable.” There are a number of providers who choose to engage technology support services from the IT Project, as they have no other affordable choice and completely rely on the IT Project to meet their IT needs. In some cases, the IT Project team serves as agencies’ technical support staff. Not impeded by va- cations or sick time of internal staffers, these agen- cies know that the IT Project is available to support them every day. In addition, the IT Project can offer discounted rates for these services, largely because of the contract with DMHAS. Below are examples of services the IT Project offers:  Hands-on technical assistance and support ser- vices at discounted rates. o The IT Project supports hundreds of serv- ers and thousands of end users at provid- er organizations at savings of more than $200,000 annually to providers. o The IT Project hosts a low-cost annual IT/Health IT conference that is the only event of its kind in New Jersey, specifically targeted to mental healthcare and SUD treatment organizations.  FREE workshops to prepare providers for pro- posed changes to the treatment system, includ- ing billing and coding changes, Meaningful Use for electronic health records (EHRs), telehealth, disaster recovery and business continuity, and compliance with IT-related laws • Guidance on technology purchases and imple- mentations in order to save money and achieve greater efficiency • Help Desk support on various applications, such as Unified Services Transaction Forms (USTFs) and the Contract Information Management System, and contributions to the development of user manuals • Investigation of new technologies and services, and product demonstrations and webinars • Development of surveys and analysis of respons- es on various assessment instruments as re- quested by DMHAS. Regarding the USTFs and data reporting require- ments, NJAMHAA Board Chair Susan Loughery said, “NJAMHAA was a huge advocate about how USTFs were being used and bridging the data divide. This led to further evolution of the IT Project.” “NJAMHAA was the glue among providers for the first collaborative purchase of an electronic health record system. Providers pooled together human capital and fiscal resources. NJAMHAA moved the momen- tum forward to deploy EHRs,” Loughery added. “Of the many highlights of the IT Project, one that stands out in my mind was the team’s availability throughout the night on December 31, 1999 as we were heading toward Y2K. The IT Project remains just as dedicated and accessible to all its clients through day-to-day challenges and major difficult situations, with the pandemic being the most recent and notable,” Dr. Wentz said. “If the MIS Project didn’t bring mental health agencies into the computer age, where would agencies be today, especially with COVID and telehealth? The Project pushed providers to use technology and it expanded over the years.” – Pete Scerbo, Former NJAMHAA Board Member