NJAMHAA-70th-anniversary-publication

16 2002 - Dr. Wentz served on incoming Governor James McGreevey’s Transition Team for DHS. - NJAMHAA moved from Manasquan to a larger o ce in Mercerville. 2001 - President Clinton ordered all health plans in the Federal Employees Health Bene ts Program to begin parity coverage for treatment of mental illness. 2004 - NJAMHAA Board member Bob Davison was selected to chair the Task Force on Mental Health, whose recommendations closely paralleled NJAMHAA’s priorities. 2001 - Following the horri c events of 9/11, NJAMHAA took a leading role, communicating with media and serving as a referral and information source. - NJAMHAA’s CFO Practice Group’s advocacy resulted in contract reform. 2004 - In November, Governor Richard J. Codey created the Task Force on Mental Health. - The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act was signed into law. 2002 - President George W. Bush established the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health to conduct a comprehensive study of the mental healthcare system and make recommendations. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was very little state contribution to the mental health system. Then, the Division of Mental Health and Hospitals (now the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services [DMHAS]) in the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) decided to contract for community services. NJAMHAA started its still ongoing advocacy to DOH, the Division, other state departments (which now include the Department of Human Services [DHS]) and legislators for additional funding as the demand for services continuously increases. Federal funding began in the 1970s and, of course, NJAMHAA has been equally active and effective in advocating to New Jersey’s and other states’ Congressional rep- resentatives. In addition, the New Jersey Mental Health Act was enacted to protect the rights for individuals with mental illnesses and address the legal commitment process. In 1969, New Jersey doubled the per- capita allocation from 25 cents to 50 cents, which NJAMHAA’s advocacy was instrumental in achieving. NJAMHAA successfully fought for additional increases in 1973 (doubled to $1) and the 1980s (doubled again to $2). In the 1970s, federal agencies promoted new laws to require remedial education and assessment-re- ferral-treatment services for individuals arrested for alcohol-impaired driving; the Hughes Act for com- prehensive alcohol abuse and alcoholism prevention was passed; and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism was founded. In addition, cri- teria for the diagnosis of alcoholism were published; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first described; and the first program to credential alcoholism counselors was launched. In 1974, NJAMHAA, which was originally called the New Jersey Association of Mental Hygiene Clinics, was renamed the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies and in the following year, hired