All in NJ struggling with mental health deserve recovery
Although I lost my brother Mike to suicide more than 20 years ago, I will always remember that shocking day. I returned home from running errands and felt happy until my husband told me to call my dad. Along with the news of my brother's death, I learned that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 18 years earlier. That was another shock, because Mike was almost always happy and extremely funny. I saw him depressed sometimes and figured that was due to his business failing and his marital troubles, which I was sure he would overcome. His depression now made more sense, and his energy and humor at other times were now shadowed by the knowledge of his illness.
Not surprisingly, I was very depressed, and I expected to be for a long time. I eventually agreed to see a counselor, because my mom and husband pointed out that I wasn't emotionally available for my son. I was diagnosed with depression and grudgingly agreed to take medication. I am still taking an antidepressant and will continue to do so — as I will continue to grieve over losing Mike — for the rest of my life, though depression doesn't make me nonfunctional as it did in the past.
My experience with severe depression and suicide did not end in 2003. In 2012, I felt like a failure after having been divorced twice and not having any social life for a long time. This led to acutely feeling the pain of losing Mike again, and suicidal thoughts filled my head.
Fortunately, I was not effective at cutting my wrists, and miraculously, I had a breakthrough that I couldn't do this to my family. I went to Carrier Clinic, where I underwent a major transformation and I observed others transform — from withdrawn, angry and unwilling to participate in therapeutic activities to opening up and embracing all that the Carrier Clinic team offered.
Not every resident is so lucky
Not everyone is fortunate enough to receive life-enhancing — and, in many cases, life-saving — behavioral health care services because of the workforce crisis and other barriers, such as stigma and a lack of parity in insurance plans.
The workforce crisis, in particular, and the limited funding for provider organizations that primarily serve Medicaid beneficiaries are the focus of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies' new campaign. In “Diverse Faces: All Are Worthy of Full Investment,” we share success stories made possible by behavioral health treatment and support services — and especially the dedicated staff who provide them. We urge all government leaders, as well as members of the public, to view the campaign publication and video to gain the full sense of what these services mean for children, youth and adults throughout our state.
We hope these compelling stories lead to significantly increased funding in the fiscal year 2025 state budget, including higher rates and contracts for services funded by the Department of Human Services, or DHS, and Department of Children and Families, or DCF, as well as additional fiscal resources to increase staff recruitment and retention. We also urge the Legislature to pass and Gov. Phil Murphy to sign legislation, including S1032/A1143 and S318/A2231, which would establish an annual costof-living adjustment for behavioral health care programs within DHS and DCF, respectively, based on the Consumer Price Index.
Legislature, governor must act
These and other investments are essential for New Jersey residents to achieve a high quality of life. They are also critical for strengthening our state’s economic status, as these services help prevent emergency room visits, hospitalizations, homelessness and situations that could lead to incarceration — and they enable individuals to lead productive lives as taxpayers.
NJAMHAA urges Murphy to include all of this necessary funding in his proposed fiscal year 2025 budget and exhorts the Legislature to ensure that the final budget makes all of these muchneeded investments.
Shauna Moses is vice president for public affairs and member services at the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, a statewide trade association representing 164 organizational providers of services for more than 500,000 children and adults with mental illnesses, substance use disorders, intellectual/developmental disabilities and co-occurring disorders.