Jennifer Obsuth

January 5, 2020. Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG) is pleased to announce that Tara Chalakani, PsyD, of Brick, has been selected to fill the new position of Chief of Quality and Health Integration. Dr. Chalakani has previously served as the organization’s Vice President of Mental Health Services for Youth and Families. Dr. Chalakani will now oversee PBHG’s quality initiatives and implement health integration throughout all its programs. “It is vitally important to provide services to people that incorporate both physical health and mental health. Dr. Chalakani successfully spearheaded our trauma-informed care approach and has the experience, the education, and most importantly, a great passion and commitment to improve the health and well-being of children, adults, and families.” Mary Pat Angelini, President and CEO Dr. Chalakani has served in leadership roles in the non-profit and for-profit sectors of behavioral health and has over 25 years working in healthcare. She has undergraduate degrees in Nursing and Psychology, a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, and a Doctorate ofPsychology specializing in Behavioral Health Leadership. Preferred Behavioral Health Group is a non-profit organization that has served the community for over 40 years. PBHG provides mental health and substance abuse education, prevention, support, and treatment to over 30,000 children, adults, and seniors every year.

July 2019 (with a September 2020 update)! “Fighting an addiction is harder than fighting in a war…in war, your fellow soldiers have your back; in the drug world, it’s brutal; no one has your back.” Former Army Ranger Marvin speaks candidly about his history of drug addiction and recovery. Raised in Tinton Falls and Neptune in a stable family with lots of love and support, Marvin joined the army in 1983 after graduating from high school. It wasn’t just the army but the Army Rangers, the elite airborne special operations force. In the early 90’s, he was sent to Baghdad and served honorably for 5 months during Operation Desert Storm. Prior to joining the Army, Marvin had no problems with drugs. But the war took its toll. Returning to civilian life following an honorable discharge, Marvin was wracked with nightmares and sweats. To deal with it, he turned to drug use, and then drug sales to make money to buy the drugs his body was craving. For the next 25 years, Marvin struggled through several incarcerations and drug treatment programs. All of his jail sentences were a result of his addiction; for possession, selling drugs, and parole violations based on drug use. He was self-treating his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with drugs rather than seeking treatment for it. In September of 2018, Marvin went into another drug treatment center, and upon his release, he learned about the STAR program through a relative who was in the program. STAR (Support Team for Addiction Recovery), funded through the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, is an initiative designed to provide case management and recovery support services for individuals with opioid use disorders. It is now offered in 11 counties and expanding soon to all 21 – Preferred Behavioral Health Group manages the team for Monmouth County. Struggling, but determined to continue to stay abstinent after being home from treatment for 6 weeks, Marvin met Nicole (pictured here with Marvin), a Peer Recovery Specialist (PRS) for STAR, and he found his “lifeline.” Peer Recovery Specialists are all recovering addicts and are part of each STAR team. Nicole, in recovery since 2015, had also struggled for years to find her way out of her drug addiction but finally discovered her self-worth and sobriety and found her passion working with this population. She has been with STAR since its inception in February of 2018. Nicole believes the STAR program fills a void – when people leave treatment programs, often the hardest part is getting connected to existing resources in the community and staying away from the people and environment that were harmful. “This is the missing link,” she says, “helping people find the practical support they need to become and remain clean.” Marvin found a mentor in Nicole and drew strength from her. “Nicole is great; she never wavers. Whatever you need, she is there for you – she is caring and strong.” With Nicole’s support, Marvin is close to securing permanent housing (he is now living and caring for his mother in Long Branch), he attends PBHG group sessions and is active in Narcotics Anonymous (NA).  He is also getting his driver’s license back (he lost it years ago because of DUIs and other fines and violations), and he has decided he wants to become a Peer Recovery Specialist himself. He recently successfully completed the Recovery Coach Academy course and has 2 additional courses to take. Nicole believes that as a Peer Recovery Specialist and a veteran, Marvin will be able to uniquely help fellow veterans who are suffering. “He understands them, because he’s been there,” she said. Marvin is now finally receiving support and treatment for his PTSD through the Veterans Administration, and he has also applied for benefits he earned as a serviceman – disability benefits, a VA mortgage loan, and GI education benefits for his youngest daughter to attend college. He is immensely grateful to his family, and he has a very close relationship with his parents, his siblings and his children. “Without my family, I would probably be dead or in jail for the rest of my life. My parents have not left my side.” When speaking about her work with STAR, Nicole says, “I love it – I was able to take the worst part of my life and turn it into something positive.” She has a special understanding of the emotions and struggles facing those she works with, because of her personal experiences. She wants to continue her journey and plans to start taking classes to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. For Marvin, it’s one day at a time but he feels confident and strong. “I am where I need to be, learning to forgive myself and looking forward to my future.” September 2020 Update: Marvin is about to celebrate 2 years in recovery. He is now employed by Preferred Behavioral Health Group as a Peer Recovery Specialist and as a Casemanager in our Ocean County Veterans Program. He spends his days helping others find their way. His next career goal is to work towards obtaining his Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor certification. He is now living on his own in an apartment in Keansburg with a gorgeous water view. His daughter Natasha graduated high school this year with an accelerated Associate’s degree from Brookdale and is now attending Columbia College in South Carolina majoring in Business Administration. He is one proud Dad! He is so appreciative of the support he continues to receive from his PBHG colleagues. “Everyone, from our CEO Mary Pat to everyone I work with, treats me so well, like gold. I am so grateful.” During Recovery Month this year, Marvin is joining the voices for recovery and we celebrate his success! For more information on the STAR program, contact Jean Hennon at jhennon@preferredbehavioral.org.

Our highly regarded school based programs in Brick and Lakewood, along with all of the other school based mental health programs in New Jersey, have been eliminated due to state budget cuts. We have until September 30th to advocate for reinstatement of this funding. Now, more than ever, our children need mental health services and these programs have proven direct, immediate, and long-term benefits. You can help. Sign this petition started by PBHG School Based Counselor Nick Spanola – https://bit.ly/2EUchV2 and take a look at other ways to advocate to our legislators and the media here (thanks to New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc. for putting these resources together.) https://bit.ly/2Dee3Q8. Please share! Read Justin’s impact story here: https://bit.ly/3hKzxTZ Here are some facts about the School Based Programs in New Jersey: School Based Youth Services Programs (SBYSP) first began in 1987 as a pilot with 12 programs. Today, there are 91 programs in all 21 counties. Preferred Behavioral Health Group manages 4 programs: Brick Township High School, Brick Memorial High School, Veterans Memorial Middle School, and Lakewood High School. SBYSP operates 12-months a year, including school breaks, and after-school hours to student enrichment programs and counseling. SBYSP is completely free and confidential. In addition to providing crisis intervetion, suicide screening, substance abuse screening, individual counseling, group counseling, class presentations, peer leadership, summer transition programming for incoming freshmen, and monthly youth prevention campaigns, SBYSP links students/families to other community resources providing a safety net outside of school hours. SBYSP maintains a Community Liaison Board group of stakeholders from various local and state officials, agency providers, school staff, students, and parents. The major source of referrals to SBYSP are made from Guidance departments freeing them up to conduct scheduling, college planning, testing, and scholarship responsibilities.   Last fiscal year (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020) Brick SBYSP provided counseling to a total of 937 students out of 3671 total students in the 3 hosting schools which equates to approximately 25% of the student population in those buildings overall.  Over 3000 total students participated in another format of our programming known as an “event.” Lakewood High School SBYSP counselled 350 students (27%). During the COVID homeschool quarantine, all 4 SBYSP sites provided daily outreach and telehealth individual and group counseling.

Lakewood. June 2020. Preferred Behavioral Health Group is pleased to announce Grace Hanlon as the new Chair of the Board of Trustees.  Grace has been a valuable member of the board for many years and will now take on this leadership role.  Grace succeeds Sr. Rosemary Jeffries, President Emeritus of Georgian Court University, who served as the chair for the past two years.  Grace brings a diverse background to her duties as the former Executive Director of the NJ Division of Travel & Tourism.  She also founded the multi-media production company Edvantage Media Group, which produces broadcast-quality educational and parenting programs.  As a passionate advocate for helping the local community, Grace serves on the Board of Trustees for Jersey Shore Partnership and the Red Bank Visitor Center; as well as being a volunteer and supporter of the Dynamite Youth Center. Grace and her family live in Fair Haven.  Grace is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, where she received a Master’s Degree in Psychology.  “As Preferred Behavioral Health Group continues to grow and support over 30,000 children, teens, adults, and seniors through more than 70 comprehensive programs, Grace’s role will be critical in strengthening the strategic direction or our organization to help those in the community struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders.” Mary Pat Angelini, CEO Preferred Behavioral Health Group is the leading behavioral healthcare organization in central New Jersey. For over 40 years, Preferred Behavioral Health Group of NJ has supported those in need of guidance, counseling, assistance and treatment.  Our mission is to deliver quality and compassionate behavioral health services to individuals and families all the time through a Trauma-Informed Care philosophy and approach.  For more information about Preferred Behavioral Health Group, the services available and/or ways to help, please go to:  www.preferredbehavioral.org

Let’s get out and play for a great cause! All proceeds benefit our mental health and substance use programs and services for children, families, adults, veterans, and seniors in our communities. Now is the time to secure your reservations and sponsorship! Here are some of your options: Update (9/16/2020) – We are at capacity for golfers this year due to the need for a more limited number of foursomes. Please consider supporting us by being a sponsor. We need you more than ever this year! Individual Player Fee – SOLD OUT (due to limited capacity this year) VIP Foursome – $2,500 (1 foursome, tee sign, 4 mulligans, 4 putting contest entries) – SOLD OUT Title Sponsor – $20,000 (exlusive, 2 foursomes, special recognition and speaking opportunity at Awards Banquet, 2 tee signs) – SOLD OUT Event Sponsor – $10,000 (2 foursomes and tee sign) – SOLD OUT Golf Cart Sponsor – $5,000 (1 foursome, tee sign and signage in carts) – SOLD OUT Awards Banquet Sponsor – $4,000 (1 foursome and tee sign) Favor Sponsor – $2,000 (signage in all golfer gift bags) 19th Hole Sponsor – $1,500 Putting Green Sponsor – $1,000 Clubhouse Refreshments Sponsor – $750 Lunch Sponsor – $500 Tee Sign – $250 Greens fees, golf cart, locker, practice range, lunch, course refreshments, dinner and awards reception with live entertainment for all golfers! For more information on sponsorships and to reserve your spot: Register online here. To see or download the brochure, click here. For personal attention, contact Linda Keenan at lkeenan@preferredbehavioral.org

May 20, 2020. Preferred Behavioral Health Group extends a very special thank you to Entertainer Billy Lawlor for his commitment to supporting people with mental health issues. His hour long benefit performance at his home on May 19th featured cover songs and original songs, interspersed with deeply personal stories. His openness and candor shone a light on the importance of mental health care. Billy Lawlor is a is a well known and accomplished Jersey Shore pianist, keyboardist, vocalist and entertainer, and is always in high demand. As a recording artist, Billy has recorded 4 CD’s, 2 of which are live recordings at Jersey Shore locations. Learn more about Billy Lawlor here. Billy asked his audience to donate to Preferred Behavioral Health Group and we are still accepting donations for this event. Click here to make a donation. His performance is viewable on YouTube here.

May 12, 2020. Linda Keenan, Chief Development Officer for Preferred Behavioral Health Group, speaks with George Veitengruber of Veitengruber Law on mental health services available locally during this pandemic. This aired live on Facebook & is now on YouTube. Click on the picture to get the link. Watch it here.

Ocean County. April 2020. Many parents have been faced with the challenge of balancing work and family responsibilities during this pandemic. Working from home while managing your childrens’ academic needs can be a daunting experience. At PBHG, many of our staff are facing the same challenges. Today we introduce you to Dave Seegert and his son Miles. Dave directs our School-Based programs in the Brick and Lakewood school systems. Like many parents right now, he spends his days juggling work responsibilities and tutoring Miles. “Yikes,” he says. “Fractions are tough!” Dave’s advice is to “remember to prioritize your daily plan by breaking your work into smaller chunks and to take breaks when needed.” Here are some more insights from Dave: “You don’t have to answer every email in one day or attend every training that is offered. This experience is giving us a different perspective of how we can find ways to enjoy our time. I even found pleasure in pulling weeks from the garden this week, something I would normally dread. Whatever you’re doing, do it mindfully and it won’t feel like work. People, especially kids, thrive on routines.  It’s important to stay on the usual schedule you would if you were leaving the house to go to work or school every day.  Stick with regular sleep patterns (6-8 hours for adults & 8-10 hours for kids/teens), get dressed out of your pajamas, and create a balanced routine that includes work, exercise, creative time, family time, cleaning, and getting outside.  Create a big chart that your kids can easily see giving them an hour to hour plan that will help them (and you) have a focused and predictable routine, as if they were in a real classroom.  Also remember that it’s ok to stay flexible with the routine at times, in order to meet the needs of your family and yourself, but resist the urge to get into bad habits of working all hours of the day into the night and relentlessly sitting in front of a screen.  Now more than ever is the time to create good habits that you can keep when life gets back to normal and we feel too busy to make changes.  A lot of good things can come from this time of quarantine if we all learn to live differently by putting our physical and mental health first, prioritizing our family obligations, setting boundaries with the work-life balance…Which will be the most valuable lesson we can teach our kids as these  same habits will also shape them into being healthier adults.”   Dave Seegert is a New Jersey Licensed Clinical Social Worker and in addition to being the Director of the School Based Youth Services Program, he is the clinical supervisor of the PBHG Visitation Program and maintains a private practice.  Dave originally started with Preferred in 2000 and has worked in his current role since 2006.  In addition to traveling with his family, he also enjoys coaching soccer, hiking, and building things. He can be reached at dseegert@brickschools.org. The School-Based Youth Services Programs promote healthy youth development. Normally, they are conveniently located within the school setting, where students feel comfortable accessing a full array of behavioral health and social services. The services include, but are not limited to: individual, group, and family counseling, case management, substance abuse services, college exposure, job readiness training, and recreation. Locations are: Lakewood High School, Brick Township High School, Brick Memorial High School, and Veteran’s Memorial Middle School. While schools are closed, the counselors are staying in touch by phone, video counseling, and social media until the schools reopen. Brick parents and students can connect right now on Instagram #brickschoolbasedprogram and Twitter @brickschoolbase For more information, contact Dave at dseegert@brickschools.org.

April 2020. Ocean County. Preferred Behavioral Health Group continues to be actively dedicated to providing critical mental health services for children and families. The Children’s Mobile Response and Stabilization program provides crisis intervention and stabilization services to youth (birth to age 21). The program is actively providing case management, support and service linkages for youth and famlies throughout Ocean County. The professional staff are providing regular check-ins with children and families, and advocacy when needed. The Mobile Response team links familes and youth with in-home counselors who can provide intensive counseling, teaching, coping and behavioral wellness skills. Numerous therapists are available to provide tele-therapy through video chat or telephone calls. Families can access services by contacting Perform Care and asking for Mobile Response. The toll free number to call is 1-877-652-7624. Click to download and English or Spanish informational flyer.