NJAMHAA News Spring 2021

spring 2021 6 that Governor Richard Codey established in 2004. Many of the Task Force’s recommendations closely paralleled NJAMHAA’s advocacy priorities, including – and resulting in – substantially increased funding for behavioral health services and the creation of the $200 million Special Needs Housing Trust Fund. “We spent a significant amount of time interacting with the state on improving the reimbursement system. It was great dialogue. NJAMHAA is an enormous conduit, so when the dialogue is re- created with new leaders, it has context,” said Don Parker, LCSW, a former NJAMHAA Board Chair and currently President of Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic and President of Hackensack Meridian Health Behavioral Health Care Transformation Services/ Integrative Medicine. “In the most recent past, we made enormous progress in howwe are paid for our work and people recognizing its importance. We also made more progress in eliminating stigma, and these efforts included discussions with Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy,” Parker added. “Now, it’s much easier for people to reach out for behavioral health support. We don’t need to whisper as much and there’s a lot more open discussion, a lot less nervous discussion. As a result, we got more people into care. Services have grown because of increasing demand.” “NJAMHAA is a connector of organizations with state government, a way for people to come together and discuss relevant policy issues. As the years progressed, NJAMHAA has had more influence on decisions in Trenton that impact people’s day-to-day lives. This is the place where people are heard and voices are lifted to the chambers of state government,” said Lou Schwarcz, MA, Chief Executive Officer of The Bridge and a NJAMHAA Board member since 2014. Specific Highlights of Advocacy Successes One of NJAMHAA’s numerous advocacy achievements that stands out in Monahan’s mind is the successful fight against having behavioral health care carved into Medicaid managed care. He recalled an article in Mental Health Weekly stating that New Jersey’s progress toward managed care was going “at a glacial pace” compared to the rest of the nation. “This was a good thing and it was because of NJAMHAA,” he said. In 1995, NJAMHAA succeeded in convincing then-Governor Christine ToddWhitman to not include behavioral health in Medicaid managed care. Susan Loughery, MBA, Associate Executive Director of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton and NJAMHAA’s current Board Chair, recalled learning about NJAMHAA in 2000 when DMHAS was implementing a process for agencies’ licensing inspections to be conducted every three years. “NJAMHAA was very involved, advocating about what this means to providers and the impact it would have on costs and services,” Loughery said. In 2008, the state was working to establish an Administrative Services Organization (ASO) and asked providers to share feedback on the idea of having an ASOmanage deficit-funded contracts. “NJAMHAA brought providers together and developed a collaborative agenda should the state move in this direction,” Loughery shared. Another major accomplishment cited by many former and current Board members is the organization’s becoming the official trade association for addiction treatment providers, as well as mental healthcare providers, and NJAMHAA reflected this change by adopting its current name in 2010. In fact, NJAMHAA achieved this integration before the state merged the Division of Mental Health Services and Division of Addiction Services. “This broader membership strengthens our ability to advocate on the complex issues in achieving integrated health care, wellness and recovery for everyone. Each of us, large or small, has become an integral, significant member of the business community of New NJAMHAA has always been a strong organization. For the agency you want to go to, NJAMHAA is #1, #2 and #3. - Governor Richard Codey NJAMHAA Celebrates 70 Years of [continued from page 5]