NJAMHAA-FY21-annual-report

21 (SUD) treatment providers: Jennifer D’Angelo, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Healthcare Division, New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), presented Why and How to Participate in the State’s Substance Use Disorder Promoting Interoperability Program . The New Jersey Departments of Health and Human Services selected the IT Project to partner with NJII on this initiative to enable SUD treatment providers to invest in electronic health record systems and connect with the New Jersey Health Information Network, which are critical for maximizing the effectiveness of the services they provide. The workshops focused on different technologies and related issues that are essential for all staff to know about: for example, transforming data into actionable analytics; ensuring security of data; and using artificial intelligence in clinical programming. The spring of 2021 was especially busy with two events that highlighted NJAMHAA’s 70th anniversary. The spring conference, For 70 Years Now: Building a Better Future , began with a keynote presentation, Preparing for the Future: The Trends Driving Change in Behavioral Health Services , by Monica Oss, Chief Executive Officer and Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS. The plenary session, What Impact Does a New Congress to a New Administration Have on Behavioral Health Policy?, was presented by Charles Ingoglia, MSW, President and CEO, National Council for Mental Wellbeing (formerly the National Council for Behavioral Health). Between and after these presentations were a variety of workshops sharing best telehealth practices, strategies for building the peer support workforce, the importance of medical- legal partnerships, and more. The official celebration of NJAMHAA’s 70th anniversary took place in May, which is appropriate as this is Mental Health Awareness Month. The event featured a message from Governor Phil Murphy delivered via video; a keynote presentation by Governor Richard J. Codey, who has worked with NJAMHAA for many years and had many members on the Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health that he established in 2004; and a video featuring past and present NJAMHAA Board members, as well as other members and stakeholders, sharing highlights of the trade association’s impact on funding and legislation, both state and national, over the years. Just a few weeks later, the IT Project held another conference, Connection & Protection , which continued the focus on cybersecurity, as the healthcare industry is hackers’ biggest target – an unfortunate trend that has worsened during the pandemic. For the keynote, Armour Cybersecurity Co-Founders David Chernitzky and Gilad Perry presented What Do Nuclear Facilities and Behavioral Health Clinics Have in Common regarding Cybersecurity ? The plenary, Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing in Behavioral Health , was presented by Corey Feldman, Head of Growth, and Alon Rabinovich, Chief Technology Officer, both from Eleos Health. Continuing the focus on data security, some of the workshop topics were Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices: The Carrot Replaces the Stick! and Cyb ersecurity and the Remote Worker. Other workshops provided tools and strategies for enhancing integrated, clinical care, as well suicide prevention. Webinars While these large events were being planned, promoted and presented, the staff offered many more learning opportunities through a series of webinars, several of which focused on pandemic- related topics and challenges. These presentations included: • Security Check-Up for IT Professionals, presented by Gilad Perry, Co-Founder, Armour Cybersecurity • The Future of Behavioral Healthcare Delivery, Corey Feldman, Head of Growth, Eleos Health, and Dennis Morrison, PhD, Private Consultant and Former CEO of Centerstone • Workplace Stalking: Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies, presented by Lisa A. Bellis, ARM, CSM, CIC, CRIS, Director of Risk Management & Loss Control Services, Brown & Brown of Lehigh Valley, LP • COVID 19 Vaccines: The Facts as We Currently Know Them, presented by Meg Fisher, MD, FAAP, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Special Advisor to the Commissioner of Health, and Denise V. Rodgers, MD, FAAFP, Vice Chancellor for Interprofessional Programs, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Endowed Professorship in Interprofessional Education, Professor of Family Medicine and Director of the Rutgers Urban Health and Wellness Institute • Synthetic Drug Threat 2021: New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), aka “Designer Drugs, presented by Lisa Marzilli, PharmD, CDOE, Director of Applied Clinical Research and Education, Ammon Labs • Pathways to Healing Prejudice, Discrimination & Racism, presented by Mayte Redcay, LCSW, LCADC, SAP, CEAP, Executive Director from Serise and arranged through Act- Cess USA “I have personally and professionally benefited from NJAMHAA’s professional development services. NJAMHAA’s commitment to its members is without parallel!” – Galindo “Glenn” King, MHS, LCADC Executive Director Freedom House, Inc.