NJAMHAA News Winter 2023

NJAMHAA NEWS Your Voice in Behavioral Health since 1951 Innovative Clinical Care and Technology Help Individuals Avoid the Criminal Justice System and Progress toward Recovery (continued on page 8) More than 25% of incarcerated individuals have mental health disorders, and connecting them with services instead of jailing them would not only better address their needs, but also reduce recidivismand save the state money. In recognition of this fact, the New Jersey General Assembly introduced Bill A1700/ S524 in September 2022 to establish a Mental Illness Diversion Program. A similar program for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), known as Recovery Court, has been effective and several New Jersey counties have been operating jail diversion programs for individuals who have SUD and/or mental illnesses. To build awareness of these programs and their positive impact, NJAMHAA hosted events that were supported by a Behavioral Health + Economics Network (BHECON) grant from the National Council onMental Wellbeing. BHECON grants are focused on improving the lives of individuals at the intersection of criminal justice and behavioral health. For the October 13, 2022 event, NJAMHAA brought together New Jersey’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), reentry service providers and providers with Justice Involved Services (JIS) contracts with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services and other diversion programs. NJAMHAA’s second event was held on November 30, 2022. Several legislators and their staff, as well as staff from offices of the Governor, Attorney General and County Prosecutors, attended to hear the recommendations arrived at during the initial forum. NJAMHAA achieved the 2022 grant goals of raising awareness of the need to improve and expand services for justice-involved individuals; establishing a set of recommendations to guide that improvement and expansion; and taking the initial steps to connect with the policymakers and legislators who can transform those recommendations into policy, legislation and resources. Identifying priorities and getting legislation written and items funded in the state budget will be the work NJAMHAA undertakes with a 2023 BHECONgrant that was recently awarded. Highlights of the discussions and recommendations are below, followed by information about Recovery Pathways, a program using a digital therapeutic developed by GoMoHealth®, aNJAMHAA Approved Vendor andmember of the IntegratedHealthcare Council. Inside this Issue NJAMHAA and NJMHI Welcome New Board Members PAGE 4 NJMHI LeadershipAcademy Creates Career Paths for all Professionals in the Behavioral Healthcare Field PAGE 13 CEO JoeManger Shares How Aetna Better Health of NJ Is Helping Providers Prepare for Managed Care PAGE 18 IT Project Provides Cost-effective Services with Technical and Behavioral Healthcare Expertise PAGE 24 Eleos Health’s Advanced Technology Automates Documentation and Reduces Staff Burnout PAGE 28 This issue sponsored by: winter 2023