NJAMHAA 75th Anniversary

Commemorative Journal 31 2002 • Ann Klein Advocate Award – Debra Wentz • APEX Award of Excellence –One-to- Two Person Produced Newsletters • APEX Award of Excellence – Design and Layout, Visionary Views in Mental Health – Debra Wentz • Association Advance America – ASAE – Award of Excellence for American Heroes of the Heart • Association Advance America Honor Roll - Visionary Views in Mental Health Campaign – Debra Wentz • Association Advance America Honor Roll – Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for Hispanics 2001 • Lilly Reintegration Award – Debra Wentz • Aesculapius Awards for Excellence in Health Communications – Certificate of Appreciation – World Wide Web Site – Debra Wentz • Associations Advance America Honor Roll – Debra Wentz 2000 • Aesculapius Awards for Excellence in Health Communications– Certificate of Appreciation – World Wide Web Site • APEX Awards for Publications Excellence – Education and Information Programs – Mugshots, An Anti-Stigma E ort – Debra Wentz • Associations Advance America- Honor Roll - Safe Schools and Communities Violence Protection and Response Plan – Debra Wentz NJAMHAA Awards (continued) HHS selected eight states in December 2016 to be part of the demonstration, New Jersey was one of them, and seven NJAMHAA member agencies were certified to participate in this demonstration. Signed into law in July 2016, CARA aims to increase access by including nurse practitioners and physician assistants as authorized prescribers for medications that support treatment, and expand treatment and prevention services, as well as access to Naloxone to reverse overdoses. CARA also authorized grant programs to help address the opioid epidemic. In December, the 21st Century Cures Act was signed into law. It includes $1 billion specifically to address the opioid epidemic, as well as funding and oversight for substance use and mental illness prevention, treatment and recovery support services. In March 2017, NJAMHAA’s aggressive advocacy – up until the day when a vote was scheduled – contributed to Republican Congressmen’s decision to withdraw their bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). NJAMHAA educated the legislators about the negative impact the ACA repeal would have on children and adults with mental illnesses, substance use disorders and developmental disabilities. In 2017, seven NJAMHAA members were selected for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) demonstration program creating Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). Over the following five years, 12 additional NJAMHAA members received SAMHSA grants to become CCBHCs and two more were added in FY2023. NJAMHAA played a significant role in securing this additional federal support and has continued to advocate to open the certification process to all providers wanting to establish CCBHCs. FY2017 CARA was reauthorized and expanded. In addition, the Senate passed S.1732, the Improving Access to Behavioral Health Information Technology Act, which would expand electronic health record incentive payments to behavioral healthcare providers. The House companion bill, H.R. 3331, was adopted by the House Energy and Commerce Committee as part of the package of opiate crisis-related legislation that was passed. FY2018 2004 New Jersey Governor Richard Codey signed an executive order creating the Task Force on Mental Health. The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act was signed into law. It aimed to prevent youth suicide by supporting prevention and intervention programs.