NJAMHAA Celebrates 70 Years of Impactful Advocacy
Statement from Debra L. Wentz, PhD, President and CEO
Since its inception in 1951, the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHAA) has been at the forefront in leading its members in sustaining and strengthening New Jersey’s system of care. Comprised of the premier mental health, substance use disorder, intellectual/developmental disability and social services organizations in New Jersey, NJAMHAA’s members in aggregate serve more than 500,000 children and adults every year and employ more than 61,000 of the state’s workforce. Champions for transforming lives and behavioral health care for 70 years, NJAMHAA has fostered the growth and vitality of the community system through relentless, proactive and effective advocacy; technology and educational leadership that builds bridges to the future; and communication and media coverage that have made it a highly visible and authoritative source for all information in the behavioral health field.
New Jersey’s rich multicultural population has evolved over the decades and since early 2020, our state, along with the entire nation, has been greatly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and traumatic incidents that led to a heightened focus on inequities in health care and society in general. With a keen focus on these issues and a reinforced goal of achieving equity in access to health care and all other needed services, NJAMHAA created its current advocacy campaign, Diverse Faces…Many Lives: New Jerseyans Rely on Mental Health and Substance Use Services to Thrive.
Please join us in our initiative to ensure its success for the benefit of the thousands of children, youth, adults and seniors of every ethnic and cultural population throughout New Jersey who need behavioral health services in order to lead the healthiest and most successful lives possible. Click here to view the Diverse Faces campaign publication.
Throughout its seven decades, NJAMHAA has been a beacon as time and crises changed the world and the field evolved, always keeping the recovery and well-being of the individuals served by its members as its primary focus. Throughout New Jersey and in the national forefront, NJAMHAA has been fighting stigma and discrimination and helping children, youth and adults lead successful lives. In the community, NJAMHAA is positioned to provide strategic direction in helping members and residents overcome challenges and change the course of the field and of people’s lives in powerful and meaningful ways.
Please join us to help strengthen your organization, further benefit the individuals you serve and reinforce New Jersey’s behavioral healthcare system. Click here for details on membership and how to apply.
Debra L. Wentz, PhD
President and CEO
For additional background on NJAMHAA and details on its impact, please click on the following links:
- 70th anniversary commemorative publication
- 70th anniversary video featuring Governors Codey, McGreevey and Chris Christie, as well as several past and present NJAMHAA Board members
- FY2021 Annual Report, From Pandemic to Possibilities
