NNews March 2026

March 2026 21 Community Health Law Project Reaches 50 Years of Serving Vulnerable Populations S ince being established in 1976, the Community Health Law Project (CHLP) has helped thousands of individuals with low incomes; physical, and/or intellectual/ developmental disabilities; mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders to secure and maintain housing, public entitlements, health care and other needs. The organization’s impact encompasses large-scale lawsuits and personalized guidance and representation, enabling individuals to live independently and with dignity. Erika Kerber, Esq., President/ Executive Director, joined CHLP more than 20 years ago as a Supervising Attorney. In that time, she has seen and led the organization through significant growth in size, scope of services and, of course, effectiveness. “In addition to direct client services, we are actively involved in policy and systems advocacy to ensure our clients’ rights are protected on a broader scale,” Kerber said. To maximize the impact of advocacy, she and her team collaborate with statewide entities, including the Mental Health Coalition, of which NJAMHAA is also a partner. Of course, they also work with NJAMHAA, for which Kerber has served on the Board of Directors since 2020. She also has served since 2018 on the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Mental Health Institute (NJMHI), a charitable organization that NJAMHAA established in 2000. When asked about CHLP’s numerous achievements over the years, Kerber highlighted the organization’s role in developing a law that provides due process rights to residents of free- standing residential healthcare facilities prior to eviction. “Also sincemy time as President/Executive Director, we have secured additional funding to growour housing advocacy practice and our healthcare access practice, andwe have expanded our work in the area of medical-legal partnerships. We have also expanded our outreach and education efforts to ensure that the communities we serve know about our organization and the assistance we provide in various areas of law,” she shared. Erika Kerber, Esq. President/Executive Director Community Health Law Project Member, NJAMHAABoard of Directors and NJMHI Board of Trustees continued on page 22