NJAMHAA’s Year of Advocacy Achievements further Highlighted with Award from the National Council for Behavioral Health

NJAMHAA’s recent Annual Membership Meeting was a celebration of NJAMHAA’s advocacy achievements and its members’ contributions. It was even more meaningful because shortly before the event, NJAMHAA learned that it was selected to receive the prestigious Advocacy Leadership Award for Organizational Excellence from the National Council for Behavioral Health. This recognition is a meaningful testament to the effectiveness of our efforts.

For example, our advocacy has led to the state's increased reimbursement rate for long-term residential substance use disorder treatment services, which went into effect on June 1, 2020, despite budgetary challenges; the federal government's extension and expansion of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics; and relaxation of the state and federal governments’ telehealth regulations during the pandemic. We are advocating strongly for these regulatory changes to be permanent, as NJAMHAA members want to maintain the option of using them either in a hybrid model of in-person and virtual service delivery as per the needs of each organization. Telehealth has clearly increased access to services and it will be needed to meet the expected increased demand for services after the pandemic is declared to be over.

Many more examples of our impactful advocacy are highlighted in our FY2020 Annual Report: A Year Like No Other. Please click here to read this report and gain the details of how our work together is continually reinforcing New Jersey’s mental healthcare and substance use treatment system.