March 26, 2024
NJAMHAA Urges State Legislators to Support the Behavioral Health System and Workforce in the FY2025 Budget
"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." - Nick Spanola, MS, LPC, Program Director and Former Program Participant, SBYSP, Brick Township High School
"The Bridge helped me to mold myself in becoming the person I am." - Marcus St. Vil, Youth Liaison, Marketing Coordinator and Data Analyst at The Bridge and a Rutgers University business student
“I just want to be the person that I wish I had when I was their age. I struggled through so much...Even if I can just be there and let them know that they are here and they are heard and they are loved, that they belong, that, to me, is all that matters because I promised myself that if I ever got through those moments in my life, I would be that for somebody else." - JP Pedoto, LSW, Pride+, Program Coordinator and Clinician, Family Connections.
Please click here for details on Nick, Marcus and JP's stories.
Click here to read additional success stories of individuals of various ages and backgrounds in NJAMHAA's campaign brochure, Diverse Faces: All Are Worthy of Full Investment, and click here to watch videos that feature additional inspiring examples of the value of behavioral healthcare services and the workforce who provides them.