NJAMHAA FY2022 Annual Report

14 NJAMHAA Continues to Serve as a Prime Resource for the Media N JAMHAA has not only continued to be the “go- to” source for many media outlets, but has also been called upon on an increasingly frequent basis as the years go by to share expert insights and recommendations. For example, from FY2020 to FY2021, the combined number of opinion-editorial (op-ed) pieces and letters to editors published, both in print and online, and interviews in print and online publications and on radio and television stations increased by just over 50%, from 41 to 62, and NJAMHAA is on track to increase this number during this fiscal year, with 30 instances of media coverage as of June 11, 2022. NJAMHAA’s campaign, Diverse Faces, Many Lives: New Jerseyans Rely on Mental Health and Substance Use Services to Thrive, gained media attention, including publication of NJAMHAA’s press release, “Behavioral Health Services Empower Diverse Individuals to Achieve Many Successes”, on InsiderNJ. com on February 16, 2022, and an op-ed piece, “We need to prioritize access to mental health services: No one should have to choose between seeking treatment and paying their bills,” written by President and CEO Debra L. Wentz, PhD, and published by the Star-Ledger on May 28, 2022. In addition, Dr. Wentz was interviewed about the campaign by Mental Health Weekly . NJAMHAA’s new website was featured in Mental Health Weekly on January 3, 2022. Dr. Wentz was interviewed for the piece, entitled “New Jersey provider association dedicates new website to increasing equity”. • The Star-Ledger also published one of Dr. Wentz’s earlier op-ed pieces “New Jerseyans with mental health and substance-use needs may lose critical help unless Congress acts,” on November 17, 2021. • Dr. Wentz was also featured several times on ra - dio and TV stations, with the most recent interview on PHL-17’s In Focus program on June 11 and 12, 2022. This program also featured “World Men - tal Health Day: Identifying Signs of Depression and Anxiety” on October 4, 2021, for which Shauna Moses, Vice President, Public Affairs and Member Services, was inter - viewed. In addition, the success of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) was featured in NJ Spotlight News and ROI-NJ, in response to a press release that NJAMHAA sent in October 2021.