Press Releases

April 26, 2024 All Healthcare Staff Need Information Technology Knowledge, Skills and Tools to Ensure Safety and Quality of Care May 1, 2024 Conference Features Experts with Critical Advice and Resources As information technology (IT) continues to evolve and risks to data secu...

April 19, 2024 On April 18, 2024, leaders from several statewide advocacy organizations held a press conference, New Jerseyans Cannot Wait Any Longer for Life Saving Care, and highlighted compelling examples of the negative impact of long waits for services - many of which are due to ...

April 11, 2024 "We are so fortunate here in New Jersey to have a behavioral health workforce of amazing heroes, a statewide heroic staff whose personal mission is to give so strongly to others …. to ensure that all our Diverse Faces have access to the behavioral health services we d...

March 26, 2024 "My life has truly been shaped, and continues to be by Preferred Behavioral Health Group's School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP) in Brick Schools and I am so grateful to be a part of it," said Nick Spanola, MS, LPC, Program Director and Former Program Participant,...

March 14, 2024 Alice's metamorphosis happened with the help of NewBridge Services. After a three-month hospitalization in 2019, Alice began attending NewBridge Services' day treatment program. In addition to recovering from depression, which she has experienced since childhood, Alice ...

March 14, 2024 NJAMHAA Is excited to present the following awards during the Annual Champions of Courage and Compassion Awards Reception. The ceremony will be held at the end of the first day of the Spring Conference, Advancing Opportunities, Improving Lives, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p....

At 10 years old, Zhan was referred by an inpatient child psychiatric unit to CFG Health Network's A Step Ahead Elmer program. Although the treatment team was told that Zhan would most likely be residential bound when she finished the program, Zhan achieved a complete turnaround. ...

February 20, 2024 The New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA) is grateful to Illias Duval for sharing his story to demonstrate the tremendous value of mental health care as part of NJAMHAA's campaign, Diverse Faces: All Are Worthy of Full Investment. N...

February 13, 2024 "Not only did our Pathways School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP) help Lauren, but because of her connections with this program, Lauren saved her friend." - Lauren Balkan, Deputy Director, Wellspring Center for Prevention, speaking of Lauren, a former SBYSP part...

January 31, 2024 "While advances in vaccines and treatment have reduced the death toll from COVID and people have gone back to offices, family gatherings and public events, one thing has not changed - the pandemic's impact on the mental health of New Jersey's youth and adults. As indi...

January 31, 2024 Shauna Moses, NJAMHAA's Vice President, Public Affairs and Member Services, shares her stories as a survivor of suicide with the goal of encouraging others to open up about their struggles, seek help and choose life. "There are so many success stories out there. How...

January 16, 2024 Everyone in New Jersey's Diverse Community Is Worthy of Full Investment in the Behavioral Healthcare System According to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration November 2023 report, 48.7 million Americans (17.3%) aged 12 or older had a substan...

December 27, 2023 While the holiday season is a joyful time for many people, this is unfortunately not the case for other individuals, especially those who have friends and relatives in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza and, therefore, are worried about their safety or have lost loved ones dur...

June 28, 2023 The New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies' (NJAMHAA's) advocacy resulted in significant funding for the behavioral healthcare workforce and increases for some of the services these essential workers provide in Governor Phil Murphy's proposed budg...

May 1, 2023 NJAMHAA Advocates for Support of All New Jerseyans' Wellness by Strengthening the Behavioral Healthcare System The theme for Mental Health Month 2023 (May) is Take Some Time to Look Around, Look Within to encourage individuals to realize how their surroundings impact t...

March 28, 2023 Statement from Debra L. Wentz, PhD, President and CEO Barely three months into 2023, the 89th school shooting of the year occurred in Nashville yesterday. Actions must be taken immediately and on an ongoing basis - through strong legislation and expansion of the beh...

March 1, 2023 COVID-19, associated isolation and other related difficulties are commonly considered to be the most significant factors contributing to the increasing rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among teenagers. While this is a fact, it is also true...

February 28, 2023 Statement from Debra L. Wentz, PhD, President and CEO The New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA) is elated with Governor Phil Murphy's proposed significant investments in the behavioral healthcare workforce. It is clear that Gov....

January 19, 2023 Greater Investment in the Behavioral Healthcare Workforce Is Needed for the Wellbeing of New Jersey's Diverse Population A March 2022 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that the nationwide number of behavioral health soci...

September 26, 2022 Dr. Otto Wahl, Author of Media Madness: Public Images of Mental Illness, to Deliver Keynote and Anti-Stigma Guidelines at this Event October 3, 2022 After a hiatus of several years, the Governor's Council on Mental Health Stigma* was reactivated in January 2022. U...