NJAMHAA 75th Anniversary

32 75 th Anniversary • Associations Advance America – A Springboard to Lobby from Public Policy Platform – Debra Wentz • Associations Advance America - Safe Schools Legislation Introduced – Debra Wentz 1999 • Gold Circle Awards – ASAE- Certificate (2nd Place) – A Powerful Voice that Commands Attention – Debra Wentz • Ann Klein Advocate Award – James Lape, NJAMHAA Board President • NAMI New Jersey – Administrator Recognition Award – Debra Wentz • Certificate of Appreciation from the Mental Health Association in New Jersey for leadership and commitment to the Campaign for Full Parity – Debra Wentz • Associations Advance America - Honor Roll – Collaborating for Care (The Managed and Health Care Council) – Debra Wentz • Associations Advance America – Honor Roll – The Prescription for Success (The Pharmaceutical Advisory Council) – Debra Wentz • Associations Advance America – Honor Roll – NJAMHA News – The Prevailing Source (NJAMHA newsletter) – Debra Wentz • Associations Advance America – Honor Roll – Meeting the New Millennium Head On (the MIS Project) • Associations Advance America – Honor Roll – A Springboard to Lobby (Public Policy Platform Newsletter) NJAMHAA Awards (continued) FY2019 FY2020 NJAMHAA’s advocacy contributed to various provisions of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6), including the expansion of electronic health record incentive payments to behavioral healthcare providers, and the Institutions for Mental Disease exclusion waiver for up to 30 days, which was amended to include individuals with any substance use disorder. In addition, NJAMHAA was actively involved in the successful fight against repealing the Affordable Care Act and continuing to lobby for protection of Essential Health Benefits and coverage for pre-existing conditions. NJAMHAA’s advocacy also contributed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) decision to keep Medicare’s six protected classes of medications, which include those for mental illness, HIV and epilepsy, intact in Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. NJAMHAA was successful in seeing two priorities implemented: Audio-only services are now permitted by Medicare and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a letter solely for the purpose of specifying that all behavioral health providers are essential healthcare workers. NJAMHAA’s advocacy also contributed to increased appropriations in the SAMHSA’s Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Block Grants as part of the Omnibus Appropriations and Coronavirus Relief Package. “ NJAMHAA’s value is its multidimensional approach to advocacy on the local and national levels on behalf of its member organizations, giving us the ability to tackle one of the greatest challenges in behavioral health care: access. ” Deborah Hartel, MSW, ACSW Former NJAMHAA Board Chair and former Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health 2005 The National Suicide Prevention Hotline was launched. It received one million calls by 2009. The New Jersey Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma was established. This was one of the Task Force on Mental Health’s recommendations.