NJAMHAA 75th Anniversary

NJAMHAA has been equally impactful in its advocacy to New Jersey’s Congressional delegates and other federal legislators and officials. . Federal The Community Mental Health Services Act was passed to promote colocation of physical and behavioral health services; expand behavioral and mental health education and training programs; address the mental health workforce shortage; and promote paperwork reduction. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which brought millions of stimulus dollars to New Jersey, especially to Medicaid, which received $2.2 billion over three fiscal years to stave off deeper service cuts to persons with mental illnesses. The Melanie Blocker-Stokes MOTHERS Act (Mom’s Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act), made grants available for the establishment and coordination of effective and essential services to individuals with a postpartum condition and their families. Federal parity legislation was enacted, prohibiting group insurance plans that cover mental health treatment from setting higher co- payments, deductibles or stricter limits on mental health benefits than they do for physical health care. In addition, NJAMHAA’s steadfast advocacy to New Jersey’s Congressional delegation led to the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which included expansion of public health insurance coverage for thousands of additional children in New Jersey. FY2009 28 75 th Anniversary • Recognition for Support during the Aftermath of Hurricane Irene from All Access Mental Health – Debra Wentz, Ron Gordon 2008 • ASAE Gold Circle Award – Bottom Line media advocacy campaign • Golden Bell Leadership Award from the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, Inc. – Debra Wentz • Welcome Back Award for Destigmatization from The Lilly Foundation – Debra Wentz 2007 • APEX Awards for Publication Excellence-Best Redesigns – Stemming the Stigma for Mental Illness • APEX Awards for Publications Excellence - Marketing & Public Relations Campaigns - Mental Health: A Wise Investment in People, Families, Communities media advocacy campaign • Associations Advance America - ASAE – Honor Roll for the Wise Investment Advocacy Campaign • ASAE – Honor Roll for Tsunami Mental Health Relief Project – Debra Wentz 2006 • Aesculapius Awards - Health Improvement Institute - Certificate of Merit for Website • APEX Awards for Publication Excellence – Feature Writing – From Paper and Pencil to Point and Click • APEX Awards for Publication Excellence - Health & Medical Writing – Shoring Up a Mental Health System NJAMHAA Awards (continued) The federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment began to fund community support projects. 1998 The State of New Jersey further encouraged community living by closing Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital, and the state psychiatric hospital census was fewer than 2,000, compared to 15,000 in the 1970s. Late 1990s The number of individuals in state psychiatric hospitals nationwide was further reduced to about 72,000.