NJAMHAA News Spring 2021

spring 2021 11 The original PACT Practice Group began in late 1997 or early 1998, soon after PACT programs were established in New Jersey, recalled Buddy Garfinkle, MSW, Associate Executive Director of Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services, Inc.. He noted that ICMS programs were established at the same time. Funding that became available from the closing of Marlboro Hospital was invested primarily into PACT and ICMS, and each of the hospital’s patients was assigned to one of these programs as they left county and state institutions. “The Practice Group allowed us to advocate directly to the Division about what this program needed to be. The state really allowed us to be the driving force. We focused a lot on integration of the medical model (nursing, psychiatry) into community based programs, so it wouldn’t be just case management, and we created a skill-building component,” Garfinkle said. Warren Ververs, MSW, LCSW, C-ASWCM, Manager, Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, Saint Clare’s Hospital, had participated on the original PACT Practice Group and is involved with the current group. “From early on, it was a strong group. We worked with the state to determine the best model and reimbursement structure to keep our programs operating. It’s inspiring to hear from others how they’re making the model work. The group keeps up the camaraderie,” he said. Several members of the ICMS and PACT Practice Groups participate in the Addictions and/or Mental Health Practice Groups, as well as the new Evidence Based Practices (EBP) Practice Group, which was proposed by Anna Marie Toto, EdM, ProgramAnalyst at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care’s (UBHC’s) Behavioral Research and Training Institute, in 2020 and is led by Toto, along with Elizabeth O’Callaghan, BA, CADC, Training and Consultation Specialist, also at UBHC. “Using implementation of one EBP, Illness Management and Recovery, and data as a foundational example, this practice group is exploring opportunities to evolve EBPs, individually and cross- functionally, across the continuum of care. We are examining paradigms that promote or challenge EBP implementation, as well as the positive impact that EBPs can have on the workforce and client outcomes,” Toto explained. Other practice groups are facilitated by NJAMHAA’s Information Technology Project, which are described in a feature article about this Project’s evolution over the years and the services offered, which begins on page 16. Practice Groups Seen as a Significant Benefit of Membership “The networking and information both provided by NJAMHAA and gained through sharing with colleagues make the practice groups an important way for providers to gain the most from their membership,” Dr. Wentz said. Both the individuals participating in the groups and their coworkers benefit. “NJAMHAA is not just a top-focused entity. The practice groups allow our directors and managers to also be the eyes and ears of our agency and provide me, as well as the full agency leadership team, with information that is critical for making decisions,” said Jacques Hryshko, MS, LPC, NJAMHAA’s current Board Vice Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Family Connections. The practice groups allow our directors and managers to also be the eyes and ears of our agency and provide information that is critical for making decisions. Jacques Hryshko, MS, LPC, NJAMHAA Board Vice Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Family Connections Immense Value from Practice Groups