NJAMHAA 75th Anniversary

Commemorative Journal 15 NJAMHAA’s Pioneers (continued) hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents. For example, in July 2012, under Masciandaro’s leadership, CarePlus NJ launched a formal partnership with Turning Point to ensure individuals with mental illnesses and SUDs received treatment for both conditions. Additional partnerships with Integrity House and Rutgers Medical School led to the creation of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, the largest hospital in New Jersey and fourth largest public hospital in the nation, in 2017. “Joe always put the individual first. And he was always recovery oriented. Few could match his leadership in creating innovative, empowering services. Few could match his genuine commitment to helping mental health consumers recover and to supporting their families, as well,” Dr. Wentz said. John Monahan John Monahan took the lead on many major initiatives. Around 1985, when Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Care’s care management program was depleted as staff left for expanded state-run programs, he went to NJAMHAA. He led the charge to advocate for funding to increase salaries at community organizations. He assembled a mental health coalition with several other organizations. This group, along with individuals receiving services, FY2007 NJAMHAA’s persistent advocacy resulted in the first Cost of Living Adjustment in 15 years, despite many legislators and policymakers’ insistence that the budget deficit would not be able to accommodate it. NJAMHAA also convinced DCF to rescind its initial requirement for prior authorization of medication for children under the Division of Youth and Family Services’ (DYFS’) guardianship who already had treatment plans in place. NJAMHAA worked closely with Senator Ronald Rice to introduce the Safety Bill (S1855/A3172), which would provide additional resources for supplementing salaries to protect workers at DHS-funded agencies. The bill was passed by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and amendments were developed to broaden the bill, as well as the Assembly companion bill to also apply to DCF- funded agencies, and to increase the appropriation from $8 million to $12 million. Other legislators worked with NJAMHAA on identifying alternate sources of funding for providers, and areas of regulatory relief and cost savings, as well as developing the Medication Monitoring, Outreach and Support Bill (S1370/A988). NJAMHAA’s negotiations with the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services resulted in the reinstated allowance of billing for both medication management and evaluation and management services on the same dates of service. Also that year, New Jersey Medicaid rates for children’s outpatient and psychiatric services were significantly increased. This was achieved through the use of a position paper, created by a subgroup of NJAMHAA’s Children’s Committee, that reinforced NJAMHAA’s consistent advocacy for increased rates for these services. NJAMHAA successfully advocated for the removal of Third-Party Contract Language Amendments that would have affected members’ fringe benefits policies; and secured changes that benefit members, including such areas as severance payments, allowable tuition reimbursement costs, reimbursable training expenses, in-state and out-of-state travel provisions, and leased fleet management practices. These changes led to an increase in many organizations’ contract ceilings from those under the state’s original contract language amendment proposals. There were approximately 337,000 beds for state hospital patients nationwide. This represents a reduction from nearly 560,000 in 1955. Federal agencies promoted new laws to require remedial education and assessment-referral-treatment services for individuals arrested for alcohol-impaired driving. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism was founded. 1970 The Hughes Act for comprehensive alcohol abuse and alcoholism prevention was passed. FY2009 FY2010 FY2011