NNews October 2024

31 October 2024 (continued on page 32) Frank Ghinassi, PhD, ABPP President and CEO, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care Senior Vice President, Behavioral Health and Addiction Service Line, RWJBarnabas Health Vice Chair Get Better Aquainted with the NJAMHAA and NJMHI Board Members A fter sharing the NJAMHAA and NJMHI Board members’ views on the organizations’ impactful achievements and potential for continued success in the future, NJAMHAA is now presenting these leaders’ diverse backgrounds to build familiarity with their expertise and value. Anthony Comerford, PhD Chief Executive Officer New Hope Integrated Behavioral Health Care ANTHONY COMERFORDWAS first elected to the NJAMHAA Board of Directors in FY2016. He served as Treasurer in FY2021 and FY2022 and as Vice Chair in FY2023 and FY2024. He received his PhD in Organizational Psychology from the Harold Abel School of Psychology at Capella University, where he also completed a post- graduate program inmental healthcare management and utilization. He is licensed inNew Jersey as a psychologist, FRANKHAS SERVEDON THE NJAMHAA Board since FY2019. He was Treasurer in FY2023 and FY2024 and elected as Vice Chair for FY2025. He is also a former member of the NJMHI Board of Trustees. Dr. Ghinassi shared that the value of serving on the boards “has been an invaluable learning opportunity for me.” He credited the NJAMHAA staff for his initial education about the state and its behavioral healthcare system, upon his arrival toNew Jersey. When I came to New Jersey in 2016, I had to familiarize myself with the state of healthcare delivery here. NJAMHAA staff, led by DebraWentz were excellent sources of history, information, and forecasting. I was afforded the opportunity to interact with key leaders from across the state. I’ve continued to learn as new issues, new challenges and new leaders emerged.” “I benefited by being privileged to see the field through the lens of an academic medical delivery, training, Chair professional counselor and clinical alcohol and drug counselor. Tony entered the addiction treatment field after completing a fellowship in advanced leadership studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Georgian Court University, and the Rutgers University Center for Alcohol Studies. He also chaired the National Association of Behavioral Healthcare’s (NABH’s) Quality and PerformanceMeasurement Committee, and serves as NABH’s Board Chair. He received a BA from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, anMA from Duquesne University, and a PhD from the University of Akron. He completed a psychology internship and fellowship at McLeanHospital/HarvardMedical School. and research engine,” Frank stated about his perspective. Frank has served as UBHC’s President and CEO since July 2016 and in January 2020, he was appointed to his position at RWJBarnabas Health. Frank previously served in a variety of leadership roles at academic psychiatric treatment facilities, overseeing not only clinical programs, but also quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance and health informationmanagement. He has also served, and continues to serve, on the faculty at medical schools. In addition, he was a Player Development Educator and Evaluator for the National Football League and a psychologist for professional sports teams and college and university athletics departments. Frank has been an activemember on the Substance Abuse andMental Health Services Administration’s planning committees and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ commissioned technical expert panels. NJAMHAA Board Officers