NNews April 2024

33 April 2024 As the Behavioral Healthcare Field Evolves, Individuals Advance in their Careers As the behavioral healthcare field continues to undergo many changes —most notably, the upcoming carve-in of more services into Medicaid Managed Care—many professionals have demonstrated their dedication for many years and have advanced to leadership positions. NJAMHAA is pleased to recognize such individuals and share below interviews with several new leaders. Angela Calzone, President and CEO, Inroads to Opportunities Prior to joining Inroads, I’ve also had marketing, advertising and public relations companies, I’ve owned a lifestylemagazine, and a consultancy that provided outreach support services to for-profits, privately held companies and non-profits. I enjoyed it, but I was missing the passion. So, when the opportunity to be COO of Inroads arose, I took it. That was in 2020. I bring my business acumen to the agency, positioning it for growth and sustainability.. When I look at the commitment and care the staff and leadership display at Inroads, I knewboth as an executive and as a parent that Inroads was the place for me. My daughter is a teenager now and loves coming to Inroads to volunteer. She feels safe and confident here. That’s howwe want every parent, guardian and participant to feel about Inroads. Adoption made us family. I adopted Inroads and they adopted me. NJAMHAANews: What roles did you play in the programs that were launched or expanded in recent years? Angela Calzone: We’ve had the School toWork Transition program for many years. At age 21, if individuals were not quite job ready and couldn’t go to our supported employment program, there was a gap. Individuals who need more pre-vocational polish, training, job exposure and life skills development previously would have to go to another programoutside of Inroads; and programs for ages 21- 25+ that are not purely day habilitation programs were NJAMHAANews: Please share highlights of your experience as a serial entrepreneur and what led you from that career path to Inroads. Angela Calzone: I had known Inroads for about a decade prior to joining them full time in January 2020. It was originally called Occupational Center of Union County. I first met the folks at Inroads when introduced as a trainer and strategic planning consultant through Lorna Runkle, a colleague at Act-Cess USA, when I was a partner at Change & Response Strategies, LLC. Inroads is a special place. I enjoyed working with their leadership team. What stood out for me from the onset was their passion for and commitment to the people they support and the incredible longevity of staff. When I adoptedmy daughter fromNew Jersey foster care in 2014, she had significant challenges with bonding and amental health disorder, as well as a physical disability. Inroads has been my touchstone, offering guidance, options and resources. So, Inroads has always been a part of my family. (continued on page 34)