NJAMHAA-FY21-annual-report

20 One of the many changes the pandemic required was holding meetings and training events virtually. Fortunately, Zoom enabled NJAMHAA to not only continue, but also add to its training offerings, many of which focused on topics related to the public health emergency. Conferences The first conference of the fiscal year was the eighth annual suicide prevention conference that NJAMHAA co-sponsors with Integrated Healthcare Council member Attitudes In Reverse (AIR). Although previous conferences were held in September as part of National Suicide Prevention Month, this year’s event, Packing a Toolkit for the New Norm , was held in August as it focused on preparing educators and other adults for the new school year. Presentations provided attendees with knowledge and resources to help students cope with the negative impact of COVID-19 and adjust to either returning to school full-time or starting hybrid schedules after having taken classes virtually for several months. In October, NJAMHAA and its Information Technology (IT) Project held their conferences that were originally planned as in-person events for the spring of 2020. While the theme of NJAMHAA’s Annual Conference, Reimagining Health Care , was created long before the pandemic started, it was even more relevant in the context of the public health emergency. The first day featured a keynote presentation, Behavioral Health Policy and Practice: Post-COVID Innovation , which was an insightful fireside chat with Leana Wen, MD, Visiting Professor of Health Policy and Management, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health; and Theresa Wilson, MSW, LCSW, President and CEO, South Jersey Behavioral Health Resources, Inc.; Executive Vice President, Inperium NJ; and NJAMHAA Board Member. The keynote presentation on the second day was Behavioral Health Market: Disruption and Evolution by John Talbot, PhD, Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS. NJAMHAA continued its trend of offering workshops on a variety of financial, operational and clinical topics and added a focus on social determinants of health, which is an increasingly needed component of behavioral health care, and presentations on using technology to enhance the quality of care both during and outside of scheduled therapy sessions. As the IT conference was originally planned for April 1st, the theme was No Fooling – IT is Critical! However, this is true throughout the year, so it remained the theme when the conference took place in October 2020. The presentations provided important information and resources for all behavioral healthcare staff, not just IT professionals. The conference began with a keynote presentation, Converting Awareness into Action: It Begins with Culture , by Daniel Eliot, who was Director of Education and Strategic Initiatives, National Cyber Security Alliance, at the time. While the plenary session was IT focused, it highlighted an essential opportunity for substance use disorder NJAMHAA’s Training Strengthens Providers’ Ability to Thrive through Changes and Challenges NJAMHAa' s 2021 IT Project Conference: Connection & Protection 06.09.21 program book No Fooling – IT Is Critical! NJAMHAA’s 2020 IT Project Conference: Program Book Sponsored by: October 21, 2020 Virtual Experience Provided by: PROGRAM BOOK Ammon Labs Accurate Reliable Testing Since 1998 NEW JERSEY ASSOCIATION OF MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION AGENCIES, INC. SPONSORED BY: OCTOBER 29-30, 2020 Virtual Experience provided by: