NNews-July-2023

29 July 2023 LISA DRESSNER NJAMHAANews: What is your educational and professional background and what inspired you to pursue a career in behavioral health? Lisa Dressner: I’m fortunate. I always knew I wanted to be in the mental health field. I graduated from LaSalle University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Social Work, and I received my MSW fromRutgers University. I followed an unconventional journey. I first worked for Governor Jim Florio in the Office of Constituent Relations and worked on his campaign. After working for a community-based nonprofit, I started an LLC, a non-traditional private practice where we wrote grants to provide services for youth and families impacted by the justice system. I did this for 12 years and then found my way to hospital-based work at Trinitas. I saw joining Trinitas as an opportunity to effect change in a large system to ensure the same access for themarginalized communities, and address racial disparities in health andmental health, as well as economic inequality. I started at Trinitas in 2010 and served as Director of Psychiatric Emergency Services until 2016. Then, I worked for two years in a different healthcare system, thoughmy heart never left Trinitas. I returned to Trinitas in a leadership position three years ago and became Vice President when JimMcCreath retired last July. NJAMHAANews: What are the most prominent changes and developments that you have seen and achieved in your time at Trinitas? Lisa Dressner: Trinitas has participated in piloting many new programs that were rolled out by the state. A recent example is the Attorney General’s (AG’s) ARRIVE (Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence & Escalation) Together program, which has screeners ride with law enforcement officers, who are not in uniformand drive unmarked cars. This has helped to reduced individuals’ anxiety and preliminary outcomes are showing decreased use of force. Situations are de-escalated and if people need hospitalization, they are more likely to go voluntarily. The program started in Elizabeth and Linden and is expanding throughout Union County. We have jail diversion and non- traditional programs to help connect individuals to outpatient treatment. We recently received a grant from the AG’s Office to be a lead on a project with Prevention Links: Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD). LEAD is diversion that happens on the street, pre-arrest, for low level, nonviolent offenses. They connect the individuals to case managers, who provide all the needed support to address the underlying roots of substance use, poverty and other struggles. We’re putting our team together and launched this program on July 1, 2023. Trinitas has an inpatient unit for people with both intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) andmental illnesses. It is the only specialized unit inNew Jersey for this population. There is always a wait list, somany people wait in emergency rooms. We recently built 12 additional beds and look forward to receiving the license and starting to provide services to more individuals very soon. We also received a state grant to have one clinician focusing on gambling disorders. We added this to assessments in our substance use disorder program and recently started to provide this specialized service. Trinitas has two residential programs for youth: one for more than 15 years and one that started almost two years ago. We’re serving youth who are aging out of the children’s system and many don’t have families to return to, so we are filling that gap, as well as helping with the transition between the children’s and adults’ systems of care. Last year, Trinitas integrated with the RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) System and the Rutgers Behavioral Health and Addiction service line. We are fortunate to be part of a large, robust system and are glad to enhance and expand services to meet the community’s needs. NJAMHAANews: What new rewards are you experiencing as Vice President? How has your perspective changed and what new challenges have you encountered in this role? Lisa Dressner: I was working closely with JimMcCreath when I returned to Trinitas. I was Director of Behavioral Health Operations. So, it was a smooth transition tomy current role. It’s been rewarding to be able