download conference program - NAMI New Jersey

40 Pages·2013·7.95 MB·English

by  Stacy Hollingsworth

2013 Annual Conference
2013 Annual Conference ~ Saturday, December 14, 2013 ~ Crowne Plaza Monroe, Jamesburg, NJ
PATHWAYS TO
RECOVERY
Treatment Options
& Approaches
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Crowne Plaza Monroe
Jamesburg, NJ

Agenda
8:30
 AM

 REGISTRATION

9:30
 AM

  WELCOME
Mark Perrin, MD, NAMI NJ President
Sylvia Axelrod, MA, NAMI NJ Executive Director

9:45
 AM
  OPENING
 REMARKS
Lynn Kovich, MEd Deputy Commissioner, Division of Mental Health & Addictions Services
10:00
 AM
  INTRODUCTIONS

  Aruna Rao, MA, NAMI NJ Associate Director

  DSM5
 AND
 RDOC:
 PERSPECTIVES
 ON
 DIAGNOSIS
 &
 TREATMENT

  Steven Silverstein, PhD, Director of Research, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care;
Professor of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Robert Stern, MD, Director of Treatment Programs, Essex County Hospital Center &
Institute for Mental Health Policy, Research and Treatment, Associate Clinical
Professor, RWJ Medical School
10:45
 AM
  KEYNOTE
 ADDRESS:
 MENTAL
 DISORDERS
 IN
 THE
 GENOMIC
 AGE

Jay A. Tischfield, PhD, FFACMG, Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Distinguished Professor
of Genetics, Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School, Scientific Director & CEO, RUCDR, Executive Director, Human Genetics
Institute of New Jersey

12:00
 PM
  LUNCH/BOOK
 SIGNING/SALES/DISPLAYS
12:45
 PM
  DRUM
 PERFORMANCE
Mike Veny, Drumming Facilitator

1:00PM
  LUNCHEON
 PANEL
 –
 EXPRESSIVE
 ARTS
 &
 RECOVERY

  Jacquese Armstrong, Writer & Poet
Jason Insalaco, NAMI NJ In Our Own Voice Presenter
Mike Veny, Drumming Facilitator
Celina Grey, Acting Executive Director, Governor’s Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse,
Panel Moderator
1:50
 PM
  BREAK
2:00
 PM
  CONCURRENT
 WORKSHOPS
 AND
 WHITE
 HOUSE
 DIALOGUE
 ON
 MENTAL
 HEALTH

3:30
 PM
  ADJOURNMENT
3
Afternoon Workshops
1.Finding
 Success
 Through
 High
 School
 and
 Beyond:
 Discussing
 EffecUve
 Services,
 Supports,
 Programs,

 AcUviUes
 and
 Resources
 for
 Children
 and
 Young
 Adults
 in
 School
 &
 College

 Loca)on:
 Windsor
Judy Thompson, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, SHRP, Rutgers
Michelle G. Mullen, MS, CRC, CPRP, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, SHRP, Rutgers
Erin Seigh, Transition Coordinator, Transition to Adult Life Project, The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network
2.Aging
 Well:
 Mental
 Health
 Among
 Seniors

 Loca)on:
 Brunswick

  Dale L. Ofei-Ayisi, MA, LCSW, Coordinator of Community Services, COPSA Geriatric Services, Rutgers
University Behavioral Health Care
Michelle Zechner, MSW, LSW, CPRP, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation &
Counseling Professions, Rutgers School for Health Related Professions
3.Training
 the
 Judiciary
 on
 Mental
 Illness

 Loca)on:
 Princeton
Anthony Kearns, Prosecutor, Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office
Theodore J. Romankow, Attorney at Law, Javerbaum Wurgaft
Philip Lubitz, MSW, Associate Director, NAMI NJ, Panel Moderator
4.CogniUve
 Behavioral
 Therapy:
 How
 it
 Helps
 Depression
 &
 Anxiety

 Loca)on:
 Kingston

  Seth J. Gilihan, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology, Haverford College
5.Caring
 for
 Your
 Whole
 Body:
 Hearts,
 Minds
 &
 More

 Loca)on:
 Forsgate
Kristen Heckeroth & Neha Mehta, NAMI NJ Hearts & Minds
Jill Williams, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Director of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry, Rutgers
Megan Maroney, PharmD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychiatric Pharmacist, Ernest Mario
School of Pharmacy, Rutgers and Monmouth Medical Center
Meena Murthy, MD, FACE, Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Associate Professor
of Medicine at Drexel University & Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
6.Ask
 the
 Doctor

 Loca)on:
 Middlesex
Robert Stern, MD, Director of Treatment Programs, Essex County Hospital Center & Institute for Mental
Health Policy, Research and Treatment, Associate Clinical Professor, Rutgers
7.The
 Affordable
 Health
 Care
 Act
 and
 its
 Impact
 on
 New
 Jersey

 Loca)on:
 Mercer
Maura Collinsgru, Health Policy Advocate, NJ Citizen Action
8.Thinking
 Outside
 the
 Box:
 Non-­‐TradiUonal
 &
 AlternaUve
 Therapies

 Loca)on:
 Nassau

  Tricia Baker, Co-Founder of Attitudes In Reverse, Director of the AIR Dogs: Paws for Minds Program
Mei T. Liu, PharmD, BCPP, Clinical Assistant Professor and Psychiatry Clinical Pharmacist, Ernest Mario
School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University and Princeton House Behavioral Health
Kathy Lutz, LCSW, LCADC, CP, TRI, Clinical Coordinator, Rocking Horse Rehab
Donald A. Rauh, MD, PhD, Panel Moderator
4
Featured Speakers
Mark
 Perrin,
 MD
 currently
 serves
 as
 Board
 President
 on
 the
 NAMI
 NJ
 Board
 of

trustees.
 He
 has
 been
 an
 Educa)ng
 the
 Educators
 Program
 Presenter
 and
 is
 the

author
 of
 “Psychiatric
 Medica)ons
 for
 Children”.

 Mark
 has
 served
 as
 President
 of
 the

NJ
 Parent’s
 Caucus,
 which
 spearheaded
 the
 Children
 and
 Family
 Ini)a)ve
 in
 order
 to

obtain
 beVer
 mental
 health
 services
 for
 children.
 He
 has
 served
 as
 Chair
 on
 the
 NJ

Community
 Mental
 Health
 Ci)zens
 Advisory
 Board,
 the
 State
 Mental
 Health
 Board

and
 the
 Warren
 and
 Sussex
 County
 Mental
 Health
 Boards;
 a
 member
 of
 the

Governor’s
 Task
 Force
 on
 Mental
 Health
 Children’s
 CommiVee.
 He
 is
 a
 family
 member

with
 two
 sons
 who
 suffer
 from
 a
 mental
 illness.

 A]er
 comple)ng
 his
 bachelor’s

degree
 at
 Princeton
 University,
 he
 earned
 his
 MD
 Degree
 at
 NYU
 School
 of
 Medicine.

He
 has
 been
 a
 physician
 for
 50
 years
 and
 currently
 serves
 as
 the
 Medical
 Director
 at

Crystal
 Lake
 Healthcare
 &
 Rehabilita)on
 Center
 which
 has
 become
 a
 residence
 for

many
 individuals
 with
 serious
 and
 persistent
 mental
 illness.

Sylvia
 Axelrod,
 MA
 is
 the
 Execu)ve
 Director
 of
 NAMI
 NEW
 JERSEY.

 During
 her
 tenure

at
 NAMI
 NJ,
 Ms.
 Axelrod
 has
 ini)ated
 a
 wide
 range
 of
 programs
 focused
 on
 providing

educa)on,
 support
 and
 advocacy
 for
 families
 and
 consumers.

 She
 was
 also
 a
 pioneer

in
 the
 fight
 for
 parity
 legisla)on,
 promo)ng
 comprehensive
 services
 for
 mentally
 ill

chemical
 abusers,
 and
 mental
 health
 educa)on
 to
 reduce
 the
 s)gma
 of
 mental
 illness

across
 cultures.

 Ms.
 Axelrod
 has
 served
 on
 numerous
 governmental
 and
 stakeholder

advisory
 commiVees
 and
 is
 currently
 the
 Chair
 of
 the
 Governor’s
 Council
 on
 Mental

Health
 S)gma.
 She
 has
 received
 numerous
 awards
 for
 comba)ng
 s)gma
 and

promo)ng
 understanding
 about
 mental
 illness,
 including
 the
 New
 Jersey
 Community

Health
 Law
 Project
 Ann
 Klein
 Advocacy
 Award,
 the
 Eli
 Lilly
 “Welcome
 Back”
 Award
 for

De-­‐s)gma)za)on,
 the
 NJ
 Psychiatric
 Associa)on
 Ci)zen
 of
 the
 Year
 Award,
 and
 the

Kindred
 Spirit
 Award.

Lynn
 A.
 Kovich,
 MEd
 is
 the
 Assistant
 Commissioner
 for
 the
 New
 Jersey
 Division
 of

Mental
 Health
 and
 Addic)on
 Services
 (DMHAS)
 in
 the
 Department
 of
 Human
 Services

and
 is
 the
 single
 state
 authority
 for
 Mental
 Health
 and
 Substance
 Abuse
 Disorders.

The
 Division
 is
 responsible
 for
 the
 coordina)on,
 administra)on,
 management
 and

supervision
 of
 the
 ins)tu)onal
 and
 community
 public
 mental
 health
 system,
 and
 is

also
 responsible
 for
 regula)ng,
 monitoring,
 planning
 and
 funding
 substance
 abuse

preven)on,
 treatment
 and
 recovery
 support
 services.
 Prior
 to
 her
 appointment,
 she

was
 the
 Director
 of
 Human
 Services
 in
 Lehigh
 County,
 Pennsylvania.
 Ms.
 Kovich
 holds

a
 Bachelor’s
 degree
 in
 psychology
 from
 Allentown
 College
 of
 St.
 Francis
 DeSales
 and
 a

master’s
 degree
 in
 educa)onal
 administra)on
 from
 Lehigh
 University.
Aruna
 Rao,
 MA
 is
 the
 Associate
 Director
 for
 NAMI
 New
 Jersey
 where
 she
 is

responsible
 for
 educa)on
 and
 community
 outreach.
 She
 has
 helped
 develop
 and

sustain
 mul)cultural
 programming
 and
 cultural
 competence
 training,
 manages
 the

state
 NIMH
 Outreach
 Partnership
 Program,
 and
 the
 annual
 NAMI
 NJ
 Walk.

 Aruna
 is

the
 recipient
 of
 the
 2002
 NAMI
 Na)onal
 Mul)cultural
 Award,
 the
 2003
 NJ
 Asian

American
 Associa)on
 for
 Human
 Services
 Leadership
 Award

 and
 the
 2010
 South

Asian
 Americans
 Leading
 Together
 Changemaker
 award.
 She
 received
 her
 BA
 from

Bangalore
 University
 and
 a
 Masters
 in
 Mass
 Communica)on
 from
 Temple
 University.
5
Featured Speakers (cont.)
Steven
 Silverstein,
 PhD
 is
 Director
 of
 Research
 and
 of
 the
 Division
 of
 Schizophrenia

Research
 at
 Rutgers
 University
 Behavioral
 Health
 Care
 (UBHC).

 He
 is
 also
 Execu)ve

Director
 of
 the
 Violence
 Ins)tute
 of
 New
 Jersey
 at
 Rutgers-­‐UBHC;
 Execu)ve
 Director
 of

the
 Predoctoral
 Internship
 Program
 in
 Clinical
 Psychology
 at
 Rutgers-­‐UBHC;
 and

Professor
 of
 Psychiatry
 at
 Rutgers’
 Robert
 Wood
 Johnson
 Medical
 School.
 He
 is
 the

former
 Chair
 of
 the
 American
 Psychological
 Associa)on’s
 Task
 Force
 on
 Serious
 Mental

Illness,
 a
 member
 of
 the
 execu)ve
 commiVee
 for
 the
 NIMH
 Cogni)ve
 Neuroscience

Treatment
 Research
 to
 Improve
 Cogni)on
 in
 Schizophrenia
 project,
 a
 member
 of
 the

Adult
 Psychopathology
 and
 Disorders
 of
 Aging
 NIH
 study
 sec)on,
 and
 an
 Execu)ve

CommiVee
 member
 of
 the
 Society
 for
 Research
 in
 Psychopathology.

 Dr.
 Silverstein

received
 his
 PhD
 in
 Psychology
 from
 the
 State
 University
 of
 New
 York
 at
 Buffalo
 in
 1989,

and
 completed
 his
 internship
 and
 fellowship
 at
 Cornell
 Medical
 College
 from
 1988-­‐1990.

His
 research
 interests
 are
 in
 cogni)ve
 and
 perceptual
 impairments
 in
 schizophrenia,

rehabilita)on
 of
 these
 problems,
 and
 psychometric
 and
 methodological
 issues
 related

to
 their
 assessment.

 He
 has
 over
 150
 publica)ons
 related
 to
 schizophrenia,
 is
 currently

Principal
 Inves)gator
 (PI)
 on
 mul)ple
 grants.

 Dr.
 Silverstein
 received
 the
 2008
 US

Psychiatric
 Rehabilita)on
 Associa)on’s
 Armin
 Loeb
 Award,
 the
 2009
 New
 Jersey

Psychological
 Associa)on’s
 Dis)nguished
 Researcher
 Award,
 and
 the
 2010
 American

Psychological
 Founda)on’s
 Alexander
 Gralnick
 Research
 Inves)gator
 Prize.
Robert
 G.
 Stern,
 MD
 is
 the
 Director
 of
 Treatment
 Programs
 at
 Essex
 County
 Hospital

Center
 and
 Clinical
 Associate
 Professor
 in
 the
 Department
 of
 Psychiatry
 at
 Robert
 Wood

Johnson
 Medical
 School
 in
 Piscataway.
 For
 the
 past
 20
 years
 Dr.
 Stern’s
 clinical
 work
 and

research
 have
 focused
 on
 the
 treatment
 of
 pa)ents
 with
 severe
 mental
 illness
 in
 general

and
 schizophrenia
 in
 par)cular.
 Dr.
 Stern
 has
 published
 over
 100
 ar)cles,
 book
 chapters

and
 abstracts.
 Dr.
 Stern
 graduated
 from
 Sackler
 School
 of
 Medicine,
 University
 of
 Tel

Aviv,
 and
 completed
 his
 residency
 training
 and
 fellowships
 at
 Mount
 Sinai
 School
 of

Medicine
 in
 NYC.
 Dr.
 Stern
 currently
 serves
 as
 the
 chairperson
 of
 the
 Public
 Psychiatry

CommiVee
 of
 the
 New
 Jersey
 Psychiatric
 Associa)on.
 Dr.
 Stern
 was
 inducted
 in
 2013
 as

a
 Board
 Member
 on
 the
 State
 Board
 of
 Trustees
 for
 NAMI
 NJ.
Jay
 A.
 Tischfield,
 PhD,
 FFACMG
 is
 Founder,
 CEO
 and
 Scien)fic
 Director
 of
 RUCDR
 Infinite

Biologics
 and
 is
 responsible
 for
 its
 scien)fic
 direc)on,
 funding
 and
 overall
 mission.
 His

over
 200
 publica)ons
 describe
 the
 gene)cs
 of
 severe
 combined
 immunodeficiency

disease,
 inherited
 kidney
 stone
 diseases,
 alcoholism,
 limb-­‐girdle
 muscular
 dystrophy,

au)sm
 and
 ToureVe
 syndrome,
 as
 well
 as
 basic
 science
 related
 to
 our
 understanding
 of

gene)c
 stability
 in
 soma)c
 and
 pluripotent
 stem
 cells.
 Jay
 is
 among
 the
 top
 five
 percent

of
 Na)onal
 Ins)tutes
 of
 Health-­‐funded
 researchers
 for
 over
 38
 years,
 with
 over
 $350

million
 in
 total
 funding
 during
 the
 past
 15
 years.
 Jay
 has
 current
 cer)fica)on
 in
 two

Medical
 Gene)cs
 sub-­‐special)es
 and
 is
 a
 Founding
 Fellow
 of
 the
 American
 College
 of

Medical
 Gene)cs.
 He
 received
 the
 Dis)nguished
 Alumnus
 medal
 from
 Brooklyn
 College

and
 was
 elected
 a

 Fellow
 of
 the
 American
 Associa)on
 for
 the
 Advancement
 of
 Science.

He
 served
 as
 a
 biomedical
 infrastructure
 advisor
 to
 Singapore
 for
 nearly
 two
 decades.

He
 has
 held
 professorial
 appointments
 at
 five
 U.S.
 Schools
 of
 Medicine
 and
 is
 currently

MacMillan
 Dis)nguished
 Professor
 at
 Rutgers,
 Professor
 of
 Pediatrics
 and
 Psychiatry
 at

Rutgers
 Robert
 Wood
 Johnson
 Medical
 School
 and
 Director
 of
 the
 Human
 Gene)cs

Ins)tute
 of
 New
 Jersey.

 He
 received
 his
 MPhil
 and
 PhD
 degrees
 from
 Yale
 and
 did
 a

postdoctoral
 fellowship
 in
 Pediatrics
 at
 the
 University
 of
 California,
 San
 Francisco.

6
Featured Panel
Jacquese
 Armstrong
 is
 an
 In
 Our
 Own
 Voice
 presenter,
 group
 facilitator
 for
 NAMI

Connec)on,
 a
 volunteer
 at
 the
 NAMI
 NJ
 office
 and
 the
 volunteer
 coordinator
 of
 the

Expressive
 Arts
 Poetry
 Program
 for
 NAMI
 NJ.
 She
 is
 also
 a
 freelance
 poet
 and
 writer

in
 Edison,
 NJ.
 Jacquese’s
 work
 can
 be
 seen
 most
 recently
 in
 SZ,
 Anchor
 Magazine,

Black
 Magnolias
 Literary
 Journal,
 Blackberry:
 a
 magazine,
 Linden
 Avenue
 Literary

Journal
 and
 Vintage
 Script.
Jason
 Insalaco
 began
 his
 recovery
 in
 April
 1995
 following
 a
 drug-­‐induced
 manic

episode
 that
 led
 to
 his
 dual
 diagnosis
 of
 bipolar
 I
 and
 alcohol/drug
 addic)on.
 Since

that
 )me,
 he
 has
 self-­‐published
 a
 book,
 No
 More
 Crutch,
 which
 is
 a
 collec)on
 of

poetry,
 feelings,
 and
 thoughts
 from
 early
 recovery.
 He
 also
 is
 producing
 videos
 and

speaking
 publicly
 about
 his
 personal
 experience
 with
 mental
 health
 and
 addic)on

issues.

 Jason
 serves
 the
 mental
 health
 community
 as
 a
 trained
 presenter
 and

speaker
 for
 the
 NAMI
 NJ
 In
 Our
 Own
 Voice
 educa)onal
 and
 advocacy
 program.
 Visit

his
 website:
 ins)nc)vebird.com

Mike
 Veny
 is
 a
 drummer,
 entrepreneur,
 speaker,
 consultant,
 and
 has
 been
 able
 to

parlay
 his
 love
 of
 music,
 and
 of
 drumming
 in
 par)cular,
 into
 mul)ple
 successful

career
 paths
 and
 charitable
 endeavors.
 Mike
 is
 the
 founder
 and
 owner
 of

FastDrumSkills.Com,
 MusicLessonBusiness.Com,
 and
 SupportMusicEduca)on.Com.

Mike
 is
 on
 the
 Board
 of
 Directors
 for
 the
 Fender
 Music
 Founda)on
 and
 a
 member
 of

the
 NAMM
 Founda)on’s
 SupportMusic
 Coali)on,
 which
 seeks
 to
 strengthen

community
 commitment
 and
 support
 for
 quality
 music
 educa)on
 in
 schools.
 As
 a

person
 who
 struggles
 with
 mental
 health
 challenges
 on
 a
 daily
 basis,
 he
 is

commiVed
 to
 sharing
 his
 experience.
 He
 is
 a
 mental
 health
 speaker
 at
 mental
 health

events
 throughout
 the
 world.

MODERATOR
Celina
 Gray
 is
 a
 graduate
 of
 Brooklyn
 College
 and
 the
 Juilliard
 School
 of
 Music.

Celina
 currently
 serves
 on
 efforts
 that
 include
 New
 Jersey
 Veterans
 Services

Enhancement
 Coali)on,
 Monmouth
 County
 Suicide
 Preven)on
 Task
 Force,
 Bergen

Community
 College
 Wellness
 Planning
 CommiVee,
 Division
 of
 Mental
 Health
 and

Addic)on
 Services
 Suicide
 Preven)on
 CommiVee,
 and
 the
 New
 Jersey
 Youth

Development
 Council.
 She
 is
 currently
 the
 Ac)ng
 Execu)ve
 Director
 of
 the

Governor’s
 Council
 on
 Alcoholism
 and
 Drug
 Abuse
 (GCADA).
 In
 her
 previous
 posi)on

as
 Execu)ve
 Director
 of
 the
 Governor’s
 Council
 on
 Mental
 Health
 S)gma,
 Celina

developed,
 implemented
 and
 oversaw
 the
 Council’s
 signature
 statewide
 mental

health
 and
 an)-­‐s)gma
 public
 awareness
 campaign,
 “A
 Community
 Effort,”
 working

with
 community
 partners
 across
 New
 Jersey
 and
 beyond
 to
 help
 change
 the

conversa)on
 about
 mental
 health.
7
Speaker Biographies
Tricia
 Baker,
 CPDT-­‐KA
 (Cer)fied
 Professional
 Dog
 Trainer-­‐
 Knowledge
 Assessed)
 is
 a

Therapy
 Dog
 Specialist.
 Tricia
 is
 the
 Co-­‐Founder
 of
 AIR
 Aqtudes
 In
 Reverse®,
 with
 the

mission
 to
 educate
 about
 mental
 health
 &
 suicide
 preven)on.
 Tricia
 is
 the
 Director
 of

AIR
 Dogs:
 Paws
 for
 Minds™
 program
 which
 is
 helping
 to
 improve
 the
 overall
 mental

well-­‐being
 of
 humans
 by
 bringing
 dogs
 into
 their
 lives.
 Tricia
 is
 a
 Cer)fied
 American

Kennel
 Club
 (AKC)
 Canine
 Good
 Ci)zen
 Evaluator
 (CGC)
 and
 Cer)fied
 Bright
 &

Beau)ful
 Therapy
 Dog
 (B&BTD)
 Evaluator.
 She
 and
 her
 six
 dogs
 are
 involved
 in
 many

dog
 ac)vi)es,
 but
 most
 especially
 therapy.
Maura
 Collinsgru
 is
 the
 Health
 Policy
 Advocate
 for
 NJ
 Ci)zen
 Ac)on.
 She
 coordinates

the
 development
 and
 implementa)on
 of
 public
 advocacy
 campaigns
 on
 health
 care

issues
 and
 facilitates
 the
 organiza)on
 and
 work
 of
 the
 NJ
 for
 Health
 Care
 Coali)on.

Creator
 NJ
 for
 Health
 Care
 ACA
 Ambassador
 Program,
 Maura
 has
 trained
 hundreds
 of

individuals
 around
 the
 State
 on
 the
 new
 health
 reform
 law.
 Prior
 to
 joining
 NJ
 Ci)zen

Ac)on
 Maura
 served
 as
 Execu)ve
 Director
 of
 the
 Parent
 Informa)on
 Center
 of
 NJ.

Maura
 completed
 her
 BA
 in
 Communica)on
 and
 Public
 Service
 at
 the
 University
 of

Pennsylvania
 gradua)ng
 Magna
 Cum
 Laude
 in
 the
 spring
 of
 2012.
 Born
 and
 raised
 in

South
 Central
 New
 Jersey,
 Maura
 currently
 resides
 with
 her
 family
 in
 Palmyra,

Burlington
 County.

Seth
 J.
 Gillihan,
 PhD
 is
 a
 Clinical
 Assistant
 Professor
 of
 Psychology
 in
 the
 Psychiatry

Department
 at
 the
 University
 of
 Pennsylvania,
 and
 a
 visi)ng
 Assistant
 Professor
 of

Psychology
 at
 Haverford
 College.
 Dr.
 Gillihan
 completed
 his
 doctoral
 training
 in
 clinical

psychology
 at
 the
 University
 of
 Pennsylvania
 where
 he
 also
 was
 on
 the
 faculty
 at
 the

Center
 for
 the
 Treatment
 and
 Study
 of
 Anxiety,
 Department
 of
 Psychiatry,
 from

2008-­‐2012.
 His
 research
 publica)ons
 include
 ar)cles
 and
 book
 chapters
 on
 the

effec)veness
 of
 cogni)ve-­‐behavioral
 therapy
 (CBT)
 for
 anxiety
 and
 depression,
 how

CBT
 helps
 people
 to
 get
 beVer,
 and
 the
 use
 of
 brain
 imaging
 to
 study
 psychiatric

disorders.

Kristen
 Heckeroth
 is
 the
 Hearts
 &
 Minds
 coordinator
 and
 Development
 and
 Database

Manager
 at
 NAMI
 NJ.
 She
 serves
 on
 the
 Board
 of
 Trustees
 for
 NAMI
 Ocean
 County,

where
 she
 also
 serves
 as
 a
 NAMI
 Connec)on
 facilitator.

 As
 part
 of
 her
 advocacy

efforts
 she
 is
 an
 In
 Our
 Own
 Voice
 speaker
 and
 has
 tes)fied
 before
 Congressman

Patrick
 Kennedy
 on
 the
 topic
 of
 mental
 health
 insurance
 parity.

 She
 completed
 her

BA
 in
 English
 Literature
 at
 Thomas
 Edison
 State
 College.

8
Speaker Biographies (cont.)
Anthony
 P.
 Kearns,
 III
 Former
 Prosecutor,
 Hunterdon
 County
 Prosecutor’s
 Office,

graduated
 from
 Suffolk
 University
 Law
 School
 a]er
 previously
 receiving
 a
 Masters

in
 Counseling
 from
 Loyola
 College.
 Prior
 to
 that,
 he
 graduated
 with
 a
 double
 major

in
 Psychology
 and
 Spanish
 from
 Saint
 Anselm
 College.
 In
 private
 prac)ce,
 Mr.

Kearns
 focused
 on
 Criminal,
 Family,
 and
 Land
 Use
 Law.
 As
 Prosecutor,
 Mr.
 Kearns

announced
 the
 launching
 of
 Hunterdon
 County’s
 Law
 Enforcement
 Adolescent

Program
 (L.E.A.P.),
 which
 is
 an
 early
 youth
 interven)on
 program
 that
 will
 serve
 as
 a

diversion
 from
 the
 legal
 system
 and
 help
 young
 offenders
 and
 their
 families
 receive

the
 necessary
 services
 to
 help
 avoid
 further
 entanglement
 in
 the
 criminal
 jus)ce

system.
 He
 has
 worked
 with
 county-­‐based
 organiza)ons
 to
 encourage
 and
 support

the
 preven)on
 of
 substance
 abuse
 and
 other
 preventa)ve
 and
 educa)onal

programs.
 Mr.
 Kearns
 recently
 worked
 on
 several
 statewide
 commiVees,
 including

being
 appointed
 to
 the
 New
 Jersey
 Supreme
 Court
 Mental
 Health
 CommiVee
 by

Chief
 Jus)ce
 Rabner.
 Mr.
 Kearns
 served
 as
 the
 President
 of
 the
 Hunterdon
 County

Bar
 Associa)on.
 He
 is
 also
 a
 trained
 as
 a
 family,
 adolescent
 and
 individual

therapist.
 Mr.
 Kearns
 has
 dis)nguished
 himself
 as
 Deputy
 AVorney
 General
 for
 the

State
 of
 New
 Jersey.

Mei
 T.
 Liu,
 PharmD,
 BCPP
 received
 her
 Doctor
 of
 Pharmacy
 degree
 from
 the
 Ernest

Mario
 School
 of
 Pharmacy
 in
 2004.
 A]er
 gradua)on,
 she
 completed
 a
 pharmacy

prac)ce
 residency
 at
 Saint
 Barnabas
 Medical
 Center
 and
 psychiatry
 specialty

residency
 at
 University
 of
 North
 Carolina
 Hospitals.
 Dr.
 Liu
 is
 currently
 the
 Clinical

Assistant
 Professor
 at
 Ernest
 Mario
 School
 of
 Pharmacy
 and
 Psychiatry
 Clinical

Pharmacist
 at
 Princeton
 House
 Behavioral
 Health.
 She
 also
 achieved
 cer)fica)on

as
 Board
 Cer)fied
 Psychiatric
 Pharmacist
 since
 December
 2007.

Philip
 Lubitz,
 MSW
 is
 the
 Associate
 Director
 of
 NAMI
 NJ
 where
 he
 is
 responsible

for
 advocacy
 programs
 and
 law
 enforcement
 educa)on.
 He
 has
 more
 than
 30
 years

of
 experience
 in
 the
 public
 mental
 health
 system
 as
 a
 therapist,
 administrator
 and

family
 advocate.
 He
 has
 served
 as
 the
 New
 Jersey
 Family
 Support
 Coordinator
 for

15
 years
 and
 is
 responsible
 for
 adop)ng
 the
 State
 Family
 Support
 Plan
 for
 Persons

with
 a
 Serious
 Mental
 Illness
 under
 P.L.
 1995,
 c314
 a
 law
 he
 helped
 to
 write.
 He
 is

currently
 the
 Chair
 of
 the
 New
 Jersey
 Mental
 Health
 Planning
 Council.
 He
 was

awarded
 the
 Senator
 Paul
 Wellstone
 award
 for
 Mental
 Health
 Advocacy
 by
 the

NJAMHA
 and
 The
 Governor
 Richard
 J.
 Codey
 Mental
 Health
 Champion
 Award
 from

NAMI
 New
 Jersey.
 He
 received
 a
 BA
 from
 the
 George
 Washington
 University
 and
 a

Masters
 in
 Social
 Work
 from
 the
 Rutgers
 School
 of
 Social
 Work.

Kathy
 Lutz,
 LCSW,
 LCADC,
 CP,
 TRI
 is
 a
 Licensed
 Clinical
 Social
 Worker,
 Licensed

Clinical
 Alcohol
 and
 Drug
 Counselor,
 a
 Cer)fied
 Psychodrama)st
 and
 a
 PATH
 Intl.

Registered
 Cer)fied
 Riding
 Instructor
 at
 Rocking
 Horse
 Rehab
 (RHR)
 providing

equine
 assisted
 therapies
 to
 children,
 adolescents
 and
 adults.
 Kathy
 developed

RHR’s
 equine
 assisted
 mental
 health
 services
 and
 is
 the
 interna)onally
 known

author
 of
 the
 social
 skills
 training
 manual,
 Horsemanship/Humanship
 Skills:
 How

Horses
 Make
 Us
 BeVer
 People.

9
Speaker Biographies (cont.)
Megan
 Maroney,
 PharmD
 earned
 her
 Doctor
 of
 Pharmacy
 degree
 with
 highest
 honors

from
 the
 Ernest
 Mario
 School
 of
 Pharmacy
 at
 Rutgers,
 the
 State
 University
 of
 New

Jersey
 in
 2009.
 A]er
 comple)ng
 a
 one
 year
 pharmacy
 prac)ce
 residency
 with
 a
 focus

in
 psychiatry
 at
 Barnabas
 Behavioral
 Health
 Center
 in
 Toms
 River
 New
 Jersey,
 she
 went

on
 to
 join
 the
 faculty
 at
 the
 Ernest
 Mario
 School
 of
 Pharmacy
 as
 a
 Clinical
 Assistant

Professor
 in
 2010.
 She
 provides
 clinical
 pharmacy
 services
 and
 pa)ent
 medica)on

educa)on
 at
 Monmouth
 Medical
 Center
 in
 Long
 Branch,
 New
 Jersey
 in
 both
 the

inpa)ent
 and
 outpa)ent
 programs.

Neha
 Mehta,
 MPP
 Candidate
 graduated
 from
 Rutgers
 University
 with
 a
 BA
 in
 Poli)cal

Science
 and
 a
 minor
 in
 Psychology
 and
 Philosophy.
 She
 is
 cer)fied
 as
 an
 ESL
 (English

as
 a
 Second
 Language)
 instructor
 with
 over
 2
 years
 of
 teaching
 experience.
 Currently

she
 is
 geqng
 her
 Masters
 in
 Public
 Policy
 at
 the
 Bloustein
 School
 of
 Planning
 and

Public
 Policy
 at
 Rutgers
 University
 and
 interns
 at
 the
 Na)onal
 Alliance
 on
 Mental

Illness
 New
 Jersey
 (NAMI
 NJ).
 She
 is
 currently
 the
 Resident
 Advisor
 at
 the
 Rutgers

Recovery
 House,
 for
 students
 who
 are
 ac)vely
 in
 recovery
 from
 alcohol
 and
 substance

abuse.
 She
 serves
 the
 mental
 health
 community
 as
 a
 trained
 presenter
 and
 speaker

for
 two
 of
 NAMI
 NJ’s
 educa)onal
 and
 advocacy
 programs:
 In
 Our
 Own
 Voice
 and

NAMI
 NJ
 Hearts
 &
 Minds.
 Addi)onally,
 she
 is
 a
 facilitator
 at
 NAMI
 NJ’s
 SAMHAJ

consumer
 support
 group.
Michelle
 G.
 Mullen-­‐Gonzalez,
 MS,
 CRC,
 CPRP
 is
 an
 Assistant
 Professor
 in
 the

Department
 of
 Psychiatric
 Rehabilita)on
 of
 the
 School
 of
 Health
 Related
 Professions

at
 Rutgers.
 She
 is
 director
 of
 a
 research
 team
 at
 Rutgers
 that
 focuses
 on
 developing

and
 evalua)ng
 psychosocial
 interven)ons
 that
 aim
 to
 improve
 func)onal
 outcomes
 of

individuals
 with
 psychiatric
 condi)ons
 through
 a
 focus
 on
 career
 development.
 She
 is

currently
 implemen)ng
 several
 NIDRR-­‐funded
 projects
 focused
 on
 supported

educa)on
 and
 other
 career-­‐development
 services
 targe)ng
 college
 students
 and/or

transi)on-­‐age
 youth
 with
 psychiatric
 condi)ons.
 Ms.
 Mullen-­‐Gonzalez
 is
 the
 statewide

technical
 assistance
 advisor
 and
 trainer
 for
 the
 supported-­‐educa)on
 programs
 in
 New

Jersey
 and
 has
 provided
 trainings
 na)onally
 and
 interna)onally
 on
 supported-­‐
educa)on
 service
 elements
 and
 research.

Meena
 Murthy,
 MD
 is
 Chief
 of
 the
 Division
 of
 Endocrinology,
 Nutri)on
 and

Metabolism
 at
 Saint
 Peter’s
 University
 Hospital.
 She
 is
 the
 Director
 of
 Saint
 Peter’s

Thyroid
 and
 Diabetes
 Center
 and
 Community
 Outreach
 Director
 for
 the
 Department
 of

Medicine.
 She
 is
 an
 Associate
 Professor
 of
 Medicine
 at
 Drexel
 University
 College
 of

Medicine
 and
 at
 Rutgers
 –
 Robert
 Wood
 Johnson
 Medical
 School.
 Dr.
 Murthy
 serves
 as

master
 trainer
 for
 Stanford
 Chronic
 Disease
 Self-­‐Management
 Program
 (CDSMP)
 and

works
 with
 New
 Jersey
 Department
 of
 Health
 and
 Senior
 Services
 (DHSS)
 to
 develop

peer
 leader
 par)cipants
 for
 this
 program.

10