NJAMHAA-70th-anniversary-publication

40 While the HMO Council and HCIC operate as practice groups, other councils are membership categories for business partners. In 1996, NJAMHAA created the Managed Health Care Council to initiate dialogue between behavioral healthcare providers and man- aged care companies. Since NJAMHAA succeeded in preventing behavioral healthcare from being carved into managed care, the group was transitioned into the Integrated Healthcare Council, which also in- cludes businesses that offer a variety of products and services (e.g., furniture, insurance, staffing), as well as the HMOs. “We are always looking to expand the Integrated Healthcare Council with more traditional players, such as specialty managed care, as well as other orga- nizations that provide services to the industry and im- pact the workforce. As the field is definitely evolving to provide integrated care, including a focus on social determinants of health, Integrated Healthcare Council members will reflect the changing environment and continue to offer information and resources to service providers,” Dr. Wentz stated. In 1996, NJAMHAA established the Pharmaceutical Advisory Council, which was later renamed the Life Sciences and Innovation Council (LSIC) to reflect the evolution of the field and the group’s growth with rep- resentation of a broader scope of companies and an expanded focus on the life sciences industry, as well as the pharmaceutical and pharmacy fields. While the official LSIC members are representatives from pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, many providers, as well as state representatives from the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Medicaid, participate in the meetings to gain valuable information from a variety of guest presenters. For example, recent presentation topics were telehealth regulations; the legalization of recreational marijua- na and its impacts on individuals’ health and work- places; and addressing health disparities to achieve equity. “There will always be a vital role for the life sciences and innovation fields as they develop new treatments for mental illness, substance use disorders and phys- ical health conditions, as well as vaccines. The LSIC works against that backdrop,” Dr. Wentz said. “In the future, the LSIC will continue to explore ways to sup- port and enhance integrated health care and address issues that impact people with behavioral health chal- lenges. Then, we will go beyond to lead initiatives to improve quality of patient services and access to that integrated system of care.” In 2000, the Technology Council was created to connect providers with vendors of products and services, such as electronic health record (EHR) systems; cybersecurity support and tools; and online training on a broad array of clinical and nonclinical topics. “Because NJAMHAA houses the IT Project and has leadership in that area, the Technology Council always reflects providers’ current and future needs for hardware, software and policy,” Dr. Wentz said. She cited Meaningful Use, EHR systems, reducing the risk of cyberattacks, and compliance with confidentiality laws and regulations as examples of policy issues with which Technology Council members, as well as NJAMHAA’s IT Project, assist providers. Technology Council members often present webinars and share their products and services at the NJAMHAA and IT Project conferences. “Looking ahead, the Technology Coun- cil will take on new importance as the behavioral healthcare system continues to evolve toward operating in a more remote environment,” Dr. Wentz said. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘Wow! There is such a wealth of information being presented among agencies. This is the place to be!’ It was so encouraging to see that for myself and such an eye opener as I was new to the behavioral health field.” – Karen Acker, West Bergen Mental Healthcare