NNews December 2023

4 December 2023 These provisions were: An increase of $27million in state funds for rate and contract increases that was matched by $10.5 million in federal funding NJAMHAA and NJMHI Persevere to Build the Behavioral Healthcare Workforce (continued from page 1) NJAMHAA Provides Impactful Advocacy, Calls for More Funding in FY 2025 “With a laser focus on the need to sustain the current workforce and build the workforce of the future, we have secured funding increases, telehealth flexibilities, programexpansions and policy changes,” Dr. Wentz stated. In fact, all of the workforce priorities enumerated in NJAMHAA’s Diverse Faces: Partners in Care campaign were included in Governor Phil Murphy’s proposed FY2024 budget and retained in the final budget. The Biden Administration also recognizes the value of the behavioral healthcare workforce, as demonstrated by historic investments in the proposed FY 2024 Federal Budget. “While none of the proposed increases are in effect, as Congress and theWhite House have passed another continuing resolution extending the FY 2024 Budget until January and February, we remain persistent in our advocacy for increased funding for the workforce, as well as behavioral health services,” Dr. Wentz commented. “InNew Jersey, NJAMHAA continues to advocate for increased rates and contracts, recruitment and retention bonuses, loan redemption programs, and other fiscal and policy supports that will enable all our members to achieve theirmissions and serve their communities,” Dr.Wentz added. NJAMHAA also meets regularly with leaders in the Department of Human Services (DHS) and its Divisions, the Department of Health and the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety to addressmany challenges experiencedwith obtaining licenses for facilities, programs and individuals. This advocacy includes calls for increased funding for these Departments and Divisions to hiremore staff so that license applications can be processed more quickly to avoid delays in delivering services to individuals in need. Diverse Faces: Partners in Care $ 37.5M TOTAL $86.75M TOTAL $40M INCREASE A one-year, $86.75 million investment for the Department of Human Services to use for loan redemption programs for mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) service professionals, as well as Applied Behavioral Analysts and private duty nurses; and for recruitment, retention and training for MH, SUD and intellectual/ developmental disability (I/DD) professionals Funding for free certification for peers, community healthworkers and others A $40million increase for reimbursements to social service providers within the Department of Children and Families, including rates in Child Protection Clinical Services and the Children’s Systemof Care