NJAMHA

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NJAMHA Continues Mission of Reintegrating Individuals with Mental Illness into the Community, Five Years After Earning Eli Lilly Award

MERCERVILLE, NJ (October 3, 2006) – Five years after receiving a first-place Lilly Reintegration Award for its advocacy campaign, “Visionary Views in Mental Health,” the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHA) continues to strive to build society’s acceptance of individuals with mental illness and to improve their opportunities to recover and achieve personal goals. NJAMHA and other organizations and individuals who received Lilly Reintegration Awards during the past ten years will convene at Eli Lilly and Company’s headquarters in Indianapolis, IN, from October 5-7, 2006, to share their experiences and build a vision for the future of mental healthcare throughout the United States.

“While the Lilly Reintegration Awards were designed specifically to recognize efforts to reintegrate individuals with schizophrenia and related disorders, this is a goal NJAMHA continually strives to achieve for individuals with all types of mental illnesses. When an individual can sufficiently control symptoms or recover from a mental illness and become reintegrated into the community, there are many significant benefits for that individual and his family, as well as the community at-large. With proper treatment and opportunities, individuals who have mental illness are highly capable of thriving in school, jobs and their familial roles,” said Debra L. Wentz, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of NJAMHA. “I am looking forward to learning from other award winners and developing new ideas for improving access to and quality of mental healthcare. Just as mental health providers and other professionals strengthen their abilities by adopting best practices, I am sure fellow advocates and other mental health leaders have much to offer and gain by sharing experiences.”

Established in 1997, the Lilly Reintegration Awards honor organizations and individuals who are dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with serious mental illnesses. NJAMHA’s advocacy campaign, “Visionary Views in Mental Health,” which earned the first-place Lilly Reintegration Award for advocacy in
2001, appropriately featured a powerful visual design to profoundly illustrate the goals NJAMHA strives to achieve: raise awareness to ultimately eradicate stigma and ensure acceptance of individuals with mental illness; empower these individuals to live and thrive in the community; discover a cure for mental illness; and achieve equality between individuals with mental illness and those who do not suffer from any mental health issues. Since receiving the 2001 Lilly Reintegration Award, NJAMHA has made substantial strides toward achieving this mission and will continue to forge ahead with its vital undertaking.

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