NNews-July-2023

19 July 2023 Members and other Partners Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries NJAMHAA congratulates the members and other partners who reached significant anniversaries this year and is pleased to share highlights of their organizations’ achievements and impact. MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS staff, especially Michelle Borden, LCSW, CSWM, DRCC, Chief Executive Officer, who joined NewBridge 26 years ago and has always been involved in developing and implementing programs for the community. While greatly increasing the number of individuals served through a growing variety of programs, NewBridge faced many challenges, as many other providers also did. One of the most difficult situations was the change in funding streams. “It was hard to manage when almost everything went from deficit-funded contracts to fee-for-service, and it still is a challenge. We continue to find ways to support our programs that we worked so hard to put into place. We need support to be effective in the community,” Borden stated. As all other providers would also agree, the COVID pandemic was another major obstacle. “Our focus was on how to keep clients not only safe and healthy, but also still receiving all the treatment they need for physical and mental health issues. So many people in the field jumped in with both feet in a way they haven’t done before,” Borden said, citing telehealth as an example. “We were all edging toward telehealth, and COVID forced us to do it. It was not only a real challenge, but also a real pivot to move us forward with remote health care.” NewBridge Services, 60 Years O riginally Pequannock Valley M ental Health Center, NewBridge S ervices opened its doors on D ecember 23, 1963 in the former P ompton Plains library. It was co- f ounded by Rev. Donner B. Atwood, a pastor at The First Reformed C hurch of Pompton Plains, Dr. Kurt M anrodt, municipal judge Herbert Irwin and fellow residents Mary Jane Kelly and James Ryan. The opening coincided with President John F. Kennedy’s signing of the Community Mental Health Act into law. Over the years, NewBridge expanded its traditional counseling services and developed a broad array of other services, including education, housing/real estate and a seniors program. “The founders would be very proud and in awe of the growth the organization has achieved in 60 years,” said Debbie King, NewBridge Board President. NewBridge now has locations in Haskell, Parsippany, Pequannock and Sparta, operates five group homes and provides more than 100 units of affordable housing throughout northern New Jersey. Much of this growth is credited to many long-term volunteers, Board members and West BergenMental Healthcare, 60 Years L ooking back over W est Bergen Mental H ealthcare’s history, M ichael Tozzoli, L CSW, Chief Executive Officer, is “proudest of our continued focus on children and families.” A separate center for children and youth was created in Ramsey about 30 years ago. “That clearly indicated our serious focus and programmatic investment. All our specialty programs are under the umbrella of our services for children and families. They’re important from a strategic and programmatic perspective,” Tozzoli said. “We have been seeing more complicated cases that clinically require more depth from the staff. This led to expansion of outpatient programs to treat