NNews-Sep-2026

September 2026 11 NJMHI Chair andNewBoard Member Reinforce Vision to Strengthen theWorkforce, Increase Access to Care W hen Barrett Young, MS, NJAMHAA Board Member and CEO of Rescue Mission of Trenton, was elected to the New Jersey Mental Health Institute (NJMHI) Board of Trustees in 2023, he was most familiar with NJMHI’s Leadership Academy for Behavioral Healthcare Professionals among its numerous initiatives. “What the Leadership Academy offers is fantastic. It links a person froman agency with others at different organizations whomentor and coach them toward growth. Our staff enjoyed the process of learning fromsomeone outside our agency,” Young said. “Mentors and coachesmay say the same things we do to our staff. Thosemessages are reinforced by coming fromsomeone else. These are critical opportunities to expand staff’s breadth of knowledge and networks of individuals.” “As I got more involved with NJMHI, I became more impressed with its goal and role in the work we do,” Young added. Young was also impressed by Shelisa Foster, MA, LPC, Chief Operating Officer, Bergen’s Promise, when he met her at a conference earlier this year and recommended that she be nominated for election to the NJMHI Board. NJMHI is fortunate to continue having Young and now have Foster on the Board, along with other long-time leaders in the field. Young was elected as Vice Chair in 2024 and Chair in 2025, and Foster’s first term as an At-Large Board Member began on July 1, 2026. Barrett Young Young has worked at the Rescue Mission of Trenton since 2003, when he began as an Emergency Shelter Associate. He worked his way up through the ranks, having served as Manager of Operations from 2010 through 2013; Chief Operating Officer from 2013 through 2020; and CEO since January 2021. Young earned a Master of Science degree in Management from Thomas Edison State University and a Master of Science degree in Non-Profit Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor. Regarding workforce development, Young stressed the “need to be more solutions focused”. He specified that “rate increases are great, but the solution really is in workforce development, especially for peers to become counselors.” “It’s hard to get people into this field unless they have the passion and calling for it. People with lived experience have this passion, whichmakes themextraordinarily effective,” Young stated. He was pleasedwhen the state created the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) certification for substance use programs and Certified Recovery Support Practitioner (CRSP) credential for mental health programs three years ago. However, there is “no pathway for peers to become counselors if they don’t have Bachelor’s degrees. Peers’ lived experience and CPRS should be sufficient to work toward becoming certified addiction and drug counselors, but high school diplomas are not enough, according to current regulations.” He added that CPRS is the last possible career step for many, as they do not have the financial resources to go back to school. continued on page 1 2