NJAMHAA 75th Anniversary

34 75 th Anniversary • Advertising Women of New York – NY ADDY Awards – Citation of Excellence – Local Television, Single – Mugshots – Debra Wentz • ASAE – Government Relations Section Awards of Excellence Competition – First Place – Overall – State – Legislative Program – Survival of the Fittest – Debra Wentz • NJ Communications and Marketing Association – NJ Astra/ADDY Awards – Best of Show – Public Service Announcement – Mugshots – Debra Wentz • NJ Communications and Marketing Association – NJ Astra/ADDY Awards – Gold Trophy – Public Service Announcement – Mugshots – Debra Wentz • Cable Television Awards – Telly Award – First Place, Public Service Category Public Service Announcement – Mugshots – Debra Wentz 1997 • ASAE – Award of Excellence in Membership – Certificate of Excellence – Best Non- Dues Revenue Program – Preparing Mental Health Agencies for the Next Millennium – Debra Wentz • ASAE – Award of Excellence in Education - Certificate of Excellence – Education Curriculum/ Coordinated Series of Seminars – Keeping Our Members One Step Ahead – Debra Wentz • Dynamic Graphics – Better Than Ever Competition – Winner – Identity Piece NJAMHAA Awards (continued) The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (CAA, 2024), was signed into law and included a codified definition of CCBHCs under Medicaid, creating a permanent CCBHC option for states under the Medicaid program. This law authorized the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to operate and fund its FY2024 budget, which included a historic $10.8 billion request to expand community mental health services, crisis care, and behavioral health clinic capacity throughout the nation. Also that year, the United States Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury issued a final rule to clarify and strengthen protections to expand equitable access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment for more than 175,000 people in the United States with private health coverage. FY2024 A Continuing Resolution extending federal funding at FY2024 levels through the remainder of the federal fiscal year included funding for CCBHC Expansion Grants and an extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities. NJAMHAA’s advocacy also led to SAMHSA awarding 14 states and Washington, DC with $1 million for one-year CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration Program planning grants with funding authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 to address ongoing national mental health and substance use disorders. In addition, the bipartisan Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act was introduced to strengthen CCBHCs by creating a permanent funding structure and expanding coverage for their services under Medicare. NJAMHAA advocated for and secured level funding in the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant in the Senate’s FY2025 annual spending bill, sparing it from across-the-board cuts. NJAMHAA also championed the reintroduction of numerous bipartisan bills, including the Early Minds Act, which gives flexibility to states to use Mental Health Block Grant funding for prevention and early intervention activities; and reauthorization of key substance use treatment programs under the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. FY2025 2010 The federal Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was passed. It is an expansion of the 1996 law. The United States Government passed the Affordable Care Act, which identified mental health services as essential. The law includes Medicaid payments for institutions for mental disease (IMDs) in certain cases.