NNews October 2024

NJAMHAA NEWS Your Voice in Behavioral Health since 1951 NJAMHAA and NJMHI Strengthen Behavioral Health Care System and its Beneficiaries Message from the NJAMHAA President and CEO and NJMHI Executive Director Dear NJAMHAANews Readers: I amdelighted to present youwith a special edition of NJAMHAANews . This publication is an excellent forum for highlighting our members’ impactful programs and the valuable products and services that our business partners offer to continually enhance providers’ effectiveness in serving vulnerable children, youth and adults throughout New Jersey. We will return to the standard format of featuring such organizations in January. This issue will acquaint youwith our trade association, the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA) Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees of our charitable entity, the New Jersey Mental Health Institute (NJMHI). In addition, this publication demonstrates the value of both NJAMHAA andNJMHI to the workforce. I am so proud to serve as President and CEO of NJAMHAA and Executive Director of NJMHI. Since coming on board in 1995, I have initiated newprograms and projects in collaborationwith our board, members and other partners to achieve NJAMHAA’s amazing growth in the size and diversity of its membership, and in our influence on funding, legislation and regulations. October 2024 NJAMHAA continues to evolve. The latest examples are newmission, vision and values statements that dynamically express our principles and objectives, and determination to accomplish all of them. These statements are featured on page 2. We established NJMHI in 2000 and carried out innovative initiatives to reduce and end stigma and discrimination and advance diversity, equity and inclusion in New Jersey, as well as nationally and internationally. NJMHI is contributing to an expanded and stronger behavioral workforce through its Leadership Academy and is developing strategies to create new opportunities for the African-American, Hispanic, Asian and other populations and providers. NJAMHAA is extremely fortunate to have a strong, stable membership and both NJAMHAA and NJMHI are clearly successful due to the leadership on our boards. This year, we are gratified to have on both boards newmembers who foster even greater innovation through their diversity of expertise and perspectives, and strong collaborative spirit. I amconfident youwill enjoy learning more about how you and your organizations benefit fromNJAMHAA andNJMHI’s initiatives; our vision for both entities and the entire behavioral healthcare system; and themembers of both boards. Everyone’s contributions fill me with gratitude, whether they are through work on the boards; participation in our membership meetings and on the practice groups and councils; or active involvement in other activities, such as our conferences and webinars. I urge all to continue participating and to encourage colleagues to get involved, as everyone’s input is invaluable for informing our advocacy, which tremendously reinforces our impact. FY2024 continued the trend of NJAMHAA and NJMHI’s growth and influence, and we will undoubtedly achievemuchmore in FY2025 and beyond. I deeply value our ongoing partnership and mutual commitment to building an ever stronger community behavioral healthcare system. Withwarmest wishes, Debra L.Wentz, PhD President and CEO, NJAMHAA Executive Director, NJMHI