Jennifer Obsuth

September 24, 2019— Ocean County, NJ – The Nicholson Foundation has awarded Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG) a $1.1 million grant to pilot a project in Ocean County that will benefit Ocean County infants and toddlers aged 0-36 months and their parents who are recovering from a substance use disorder. The In-Home Recovery Program (IHRP) will be run in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, the Yale Center for Child Studies, and the NJ Department of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P). The IHRP will provide the support needed for families to remain in their homes while parents are receiving treatment for substance use disorders. Child and family therapists and family support specialists will work closely with the enrolled families and offer parenting education, linkages and referrals to community resources, problem-solving tools, and more. “Too often we see young children removed from their homes which can cause irreparable trauma while adding further stress to parents who are struggling to stay in recovery,” said Tara Chalakani, PBHG Vice President of Mental Health Services for Youth and Families and the project lead. “Rather than weaken family bonds through separation, we expect to strengthen the bonds between parent and child.” Yale University piloted this program in Connecticut for one county, and its success is spreading through the state and now is active in 18 Connecticut counties. The Nicholson Foundation, based in Newark, is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in New Jersey. “As we watched the success of this program in Connecticut, we wanted to bring it to New Jersey, said Shannon Ayers, PhD, Senior Program Officer for The Nicholson Foundation. “We chose Ocean County based on the proliferation of individuals struggling with opioid use disorders, and we chose Preferred Behavioral Health Group to manage the project due to their 40 plus years of experience providing mental health and substance use programs and services for all ages,” she continued. “Parental separation is one of the greatest traumas of childhood, so if we can provide the supports to keep babies and toddlers in a stable environment in their home, we may be able to stop the cycle.” Chalakani said. Hiring for the program is in process, and families will be enrolled beginning in January of 2020. It is an 18-month pilot project. For more information, email info@preferredbehavioral.org. For IHRP job listings, see www.preferredbehavioral.org/careers. ### 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.  Its mission is to deliver quality and compassionate behavioral health services to individual and families all the time.  For more information:  www.preferredbehavioral.org.

August 20, 2019. Brick—Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG) announced it has received a Major Grant in the amount of $10,000 from The Provident Bank Foundation to support their Shore Adolescent Independent Living  (SAIL) program in Toms River. Preferred Behavioral Health Group was selected to receive the grant based on their 41-year history of providing mental health and substance use programs in the area.  The SAIL program provides critical programming five days a week to teens 13-18 years of age that live with a mental health condition. The students receive individual, group, and family therapy as well as academic education, psychiatric treatment and medication monitoring. The grant from Provident Bank Foundation will support the program by assisting with the transportation costs enabling the teens to get to and from the program. “As with any daily program, often the greatest challenge is providing participants with reliable transportation,” said Mary Pat Angelini, PBHG President and CEO “We are extremely appreciative of Provident Bank for helping us bring this successful program to youth with mental health challenges throughout Ocean County,” she continued. “The Provident Bank Foundation is honored to help further initiatives that are making a difference in the lives of residents in our local area,” said Jane Kurek, Executive Director, The Provident Bank Foundation. “We are pleased to support organizations that contribute to a sense of community and offer a diverse set of programs that make people healthier, happier and safer.” The goal of the Major Grant is to support organizations that have identified an immediate need in the community and for the individuals they serve. The Provident Bank Foundation’s funding directly supports efforts to enhance the quality of life in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania communities served by Provident Bank through three Funding Priority Areas: Community Enrichment, Education, and Health, Youth & Families. Picture Caption. Jane Kurek, Executive Director of The Provident Bank Foundation (2nd from left), along with Stacey Kavanagh, VP/Market Manager of Provident Bank (left) and Virginia Tesch,VP/Market Manager of Provident Bank (far right) presented The Provident Bank Foundation’s $10,000 Major Grant to Mary Pat Angelini, Preferred Behavioral Health Group President and CEO . About Preferred Behavioral Health Group Preferred Behavioral Health Group is the premier mental health and substance use provider serving Ocean and Monmouth Counties and beyond, helping to build up individuals, communities, and families so they can live improved lives, embrace healthy lifestyles, and can enjoy a higher quality of mental, psychological, and physical health. For more information, visit www.preferredbehavioral.org About The Provident Bank Foundation The Provident Bank Foundation was established in 2003 by Provident Bank to enhance the quality of life in the region through support of not-for-profit groups, institutions, schools and other 501(c)(3) organizations that provide services in communities served by the Bank. Since inception, the Foundation has granted more than $25 million to not-for-profit organizations and institutions working toward stronger communities. For more information, visit www.theprovidentbankfoundation.org or call (862) 260-3990.

July, 2019 — Last year, we began an extensive renovation of our mental health outpatient center in Lakewood. Titled, “Be The Change,” the goal of the renovation is to strengthen healing and comfort through interior updates and enhancements using evidenced-based design. Here in our news blog, we will begin featuring different aspects of this renovation, beginning with our chosen wall art. For more information on our campaign to fund this renovation, please contact Linda Keenan at lkeenan@preferredbehavioral.org. At Preferred Behavioral Health Group, we recognize that all environmental factors impact healing and wellness.  For this renovation, every interior design element, including the artwork, was selected for the positive impact it would generate. Research has indicated that patients exposed to nature or images of nature, were likely to heal more quickly.  In addition, they exhibited less stress and required less pain medication.  Therefore, we curated our artwork from 2 photographers whose work focused on nature and resonated with our wellness initiative –Dr. Henry Domke and Parker Hilton.  Dr. Henry Domke was a Family Practice Physician for over 20 years, but he always had in interest in photography.  He completed a graduate program in Fine Arts and combined his passions to launch an art collection of photographs of native plants and animals.  He works closely with interior healthcare designers to provide the artistic pieces that will enhance and promote wellness.  After his career as a physician, he continues to heal through his photographic art.  Parker Hilton is a native of the New Jersey shore.  Starting his career as a professional travel and fashion photographer, Parker later completed a graduate program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  He has now found innovative ways to combine his passion for photography with his understanding of the clinical benefits that art can have as part of overall wellness and healing.  Here at our Lakewood location, the art and artists have compelling stories.  But more importantly, the stories of how the art has moved individuals a positive way while visiting our site are the stories of which we are the proudest.

June 2019. In January of this year, PBHG began a journey to become a Trauma-Informed organization. What is Trauma-Informed Care? The definition: a framework of thinking and acting, which is directed by understanding the profound neurological, biological, psychological, and social effects trauma has on an individual. In simpler terms, it means that we recognize there are all types of trauma that impact who we are and who we have become. We ask “what’s happened to you?” rather than “what’s wrong with you?”. Being a trauma-informed organization has many benefits for both our employees and the consumers we serve. At PBHG, we recognize that being a trauma-informed organization is a process and not a destination. We have a Trauma-Informed Care Change Team meeting regularly to shape this process and the team has just finalized the first of a number of tool kits designed for employees and consumers. To learn more about trauma and trauma-informed care, please click the link below to take a look at our first Toolkit. For questions or comments, email us at tic@preferredbehavioral.org. https://www.preferredbehavioral.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/TIC-Toolkit-1.docx

May 1, 2019. By Mary Pat Angelini. Well, it is that time of year again…spring is in the air and we are all counting down the days till summer break.  For many parents, this is also the time of year when our children are planning proms and graduation parties.  We at Preferred Behavioral Health Group want to remind you to make this a safe and sober time for your children and communities.  Young people are bombarded with messages about alcohol every day.  Unfortunately, many of these messages are not reality based… The reality is that underage drinking can lead to car crashes, drowning, personal injury accidents, unplanned pregnancies and school failure.  The messages parents send to children about alcohol are crucial.  Many parents allow their teenage children to drink alcohol at home in an effort to teach them how to drink responsibly.  They may have good intentions, but the results can be deadly.  What parents do, in fact, is facilitate their child’s comfort with alcohol by sending a dangerous mixed message.  Too many adults think underage drinking is harmless or worse – acceptable if parents take cars keys away from youth.  Every year we hear about teens dying from alcohol poisoning or alcohol related poisonings and drowning that occur after adults provide alcohol to youth.  Nobody has the right to endanger the welfare of someone else’s child by providing them with alcohol. Individuals who purchase, provide or pour alcohol for anyone under age 21, except their own child, is breaking New Jersey law and can be charged under state or municipal law.  Underage drinking is illegal, has long term health consequences and is a factor in all five of the leading causes of death among youth.  We want this to be a happy prom and commencement season, underage drinking isn’t part of that picture. So please make time to talk to your children and set clear boundaries.  Surveys show that parents have a tremendous impact and influence on their children’s decisions about drinking.   It is imperative that parents are aware of the risks posed to their children, most especially at this festive time of year.  Proms, graduation and the parties that follow make this a perfect time to talk to your child about alcohol and to set up some prevention strategies.  Make a Safety Plan–  Talk to your teen about not drinking and driving and not being a passenger in unsafe circumstances.  Who will they call if they need a ride?  Role play some scenarios until you are sure they will not be pressured to take any unnecessary risks. Hiring a Limo-Don’t leave the hiring to your teen.  Make the arrangements yourself, and make it clear that the driver is to make no stops other than those you’ve pre-authorized.  Ask what measures the driver takes to prevent the limousine from becoming a place for children to drink.  Renting Hotel Rooms-In general, hotels don’t rent to minors and need a parent’s involvement.  A parent whose credit card is used is liable for damages, which can be considerable if a party gets out of hand.  Don’t let your child attend a hotel party unless you know and trust the chaperones. Throwing a Post Prom Party at Home– Make it clear that you won’t allow gate-crashers.  Get advance agreement with your teen on the party rules.  Greet guests at the door.  Your teen will want you to keep a low profile, but it is responsible to circulate.  Check your yard periodically.  Do not serve alcohol! If the party is at Someone Else’s House-Call the host parent in advance to find out the ground rules.  Find out when the party will end and who will be chaperoning.  If your child has more than one party invitation on prom night, it’s safest to have him/her pick one for the evening and not party-hop. Through our prevention unit, Prevention First offers a wide variety of information regarding the dangers of underage drinking, the legal consequences of hosting underage drinking in your home and how parents and other family members can host safe and fun alcohol free events for youth.  Call us at 732-458-1700 ext. 3102 or visit our resource center for free information on this and many other related topics at 185 Rt. 36, Building B, Suite B20, West Long Branch, NJ 07764. Mary Pat Angelini, Chief Executive Officer, Preferred Behavioral Health Group

April 2019. Special thanks to Jim and Carmella for sharing their very personal story to inspire and bring hope to those suffering from mental illness. The road was not an easy one for Jim and Carmella of Toms River. They were both diagnosed with bi-polar disease early in their 20’s, and spent several decades struggling to find happiness, success, and peace. Jim (age 55) started with Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG) when he was 23 in our Interact and DARE programs, but he had difficulty adhering to the guidelines and the structure. In his words: “I bottomed out and continued to drink, which made my mental illness worse – I was in denial.” His illness caused paranoia, anxiety, and depression. Over the next decade, he was in and out of psychiatric hospitals; returning regularly to our Interact program (which is a partial care program in Lakewood that runs daily Monday to Friday, providing therapy and services to support those with mental illness). He lost his driver’s license due to his drinking and was heavily fined as a result. His last hospitalization was in 2004, and he has spent many years living in a PBHG group home and until recently, a PBHG apartment. Carmella (age 53) began in a PBHG group home in 1986, but said she left soon after beginning. She returned to her roots in north Jersey but began associating with people that were not a good influence on her. “I spent the next 20 years in my drug addiction and mental illness and ended up in 2005 living in my car,” she said. After a hospitalization, she was referred to the Interact program, and slowly began to turn her life around. Jim and Carmella met in 2005 at a peer-led support center, and their relationship bloomed when they were both in Interact. They got engaged in 2007 and married in 2009! Jim and Carmella both have a strong work ethic; while in Interact they reached out to learn more about PBHG’s Supported Employment and Education program.  The Supported Employment program provides individualized service offering help with resumes, interview skills, on and off-site job coaching, and even transportation. Supported Education (offered in Monmouth, Ocean, Cape May and Atlantic counties) supports those interested or enrolled in post-secondary and certificate programs. Both Jim and Carmella have worked at a number of different jobs, receiving help from the Supported Employment program, and Carmella eventually opened up her own office cleaning business in 2008, “Carmella’s Cleaning Crew.” Carmella also was encouraged and supported in her efforts to go back to school and she received her Associate’s degree in business administration from Ocean County College in 2018. Jim and Carmella now run the business together. Both eventually needed less support from the Interact program and “graduated” to the StepDown program run in the evenings. A few years ago, they began serving as “Peer Specialists” at the Interact program, because they wanted to help others find their way. “If I didn’t accept the help from Preferred, the way I was going, I’d be dead.” said Carmella. “Preferred helped me obtain two of my life goals: to get my college degree and to get married!” Today, Jim and Carmella are doing very well. Their illnesses are controlled by medication, they are happily married, running their own cleaning business, and they recently moved into a non-PBHG apartment for 55+ seniors in Toms River.  “But this is not where we are going to finish,” said Carmela. “I want to continue my education and Jim wants to pursue getting his personal training certificate. We want to grow our business and keep helping others.” For more information on our Supported Employment and Education programs, please contact Jimmy Mezzo at jmezzo@preferredbehavioral.org. For information on our partial care programs, Primetime and Interact, contact Keryn Shane at kshane@preferredbehavioral.org.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. An editorial by Mary Pat Angelini, CEO. April 12, 2019—Before one more high school student dies in an alcohol-related accident or another college student dies of alcohol poisoning or another family breaks up because of alcohol, the seriousness of the public health problems associated with alcohol and alcoholism must be brought into focus through the spotlight of public awareness. Alcohol is America’s most frequently-used drug, resulting in more than 88,000 alcohol-related deaths each year, and young people consume it more frequently than they use all other illicit drugs combined. Annually alcohol-impaired driving fatalities account for close to 9,000 deaths (31 percent of overall driving fatalities). Alcohol-related problems and alcoholism affect each and every one of us, directly or indirectly, and are our nation’s number one public health problem. Alcohol is a drug that affects every cell and organ system in the body, affecting judgment, coordination and long-term health. The earlier children are exposed to alcohol, the greater the probability of alcoholism and addiction. In fact, recent scientific research suggests that early use of alcohol by teenagers may contribute significantly to dependence on alcohol and other drugs later in life, with 40% of children who begin using alcohol before the age of 13 becoming alcohol dependent at some point in their lives. Regrettably, too many dismiss underage drinking as a “youthful indiscretion” or a rite of passage from adolescence into adulthood, and many underage drinkers are often first presented with alcohol in their own dining rooms, living rooms and kitchens. Alcohol is marketed to them aggressively and associated with athletic and social events that are popular with high school and college students. Legal or not, bars and clubs that knowingly serve underage drinkers, often with a wink and a nod to fake identification, do exist. Nationally, the annual economic cost of alcohol-related problems exceeds $249 billion. Cost includes health care, business and criminal justice costs and costs due to lost productivity. These are but a few of the fundamental reasons why we must increase public awareness. Not only is there a frightening set of increased short-term effects — car crashes, violent crimes, assaults, burns, drowning, suicide attempts, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisonings and high-risk sexual behavior – but there are long-term physical and biochemical effects that put drinkers at risk for the rest of their lives.  “Alcohol is a drug — a powerful, mood-altering drug, and alcoholism is a chronic disease from which people can and do recover,” says David E. Lewis, M.D., Chair of the Medical-Scientific Committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD). “Over the past two decades, scientific research has revolutionized our understanding of how alcohol and drugs affect the body and the brain. We now know that prolonged, repeated alcohol and drug use can result in fundamental, long-lasting changes in the body, including brain structure and functioning.” We need to educate ourselves – as parents, teachers, clergy, employers, counselors, friends and neighbors. It is through education and understanding that we can reduce the stigma often associated with alcoholism that prevents millions of individuals and family members from seeking help. While the issue of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems is complex, it is one that can be resolved – but only through a sustained and cooperative effort between parents, schools and colleges, community leaders, health care providers, employers and young people There are areas that have proven to be effective in prevention and intervention of underage drinking. They include: Curtailing the availability of alcohol to underage populations; Consistent enforcement of existing laws and regulations regarding alcohol purchase; Changing cultural misconceptions and behaviors about alcohol use through education and; Expanded access to treatment and recovery support for adolescents and their families. In New Jersey, we must do a better job increasing understanding of and support for prevention, treatment and recovery. Make no mistake — underage drinking leads to extremely risky behavior — not only in the life of the underage drinker, but also with the lives of friends, neighbors, loved ones and innocent bystanders.   Mary Pat Angelini, CEO of Preferred Behavioral Health Group

April 2019…We are pleased to welcome Peter F. Kisylia of Clark who has joined Preferred Behavioral Health Group as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Kisylia brings extensive experience to his new position, including administrative positions in finance at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Aristacare Health Services, Saint Clare’s Health System, and Meridian Health. At the non-profit Preferred Behavioral Health Group organization, he is responsible for the financial operations of the organization, including providing leadership and accountability in ensuring that finance operations support the mission, overseeing all accounting, billing and payroll operations, and ensuring compliance with regulatory organizations.

March 12 – Lakewood, NJ – Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG) is completing a major renovation project at their 700 Airport Road Facility, with the help of long-time neighbor Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®), who contributed $30,000 to help fund the transformation of the facility.  “We are extremely grateful to GLI for their generous contribution towards the renovation and expansion of our facility that will augment the advancement and quality of our services,” said Mary Pat Angelini, CEO of Preferred Behavioral Health Group. “Their support enables us to continue to provide services to over 30,000 children, teens, adults, and seniors through more than 70 comprehensive programs. It’s with GLI’s generous donation that we can continue this important work.” James R. Maida, President and CEO of GLI, voiced his support. “Giving back is built into GLI’s culture and we strive to impact and support the health, welfare and educational needs of the local communities where we live and work. We are proud to support PBHG in their mission to meet the needs of local families in Monmouth & Ocean Counties, on behalf of all of our employees.” GLI is a world-class independent testing, certification and professional services lab to the global gaming industry. Their laboratories are found on six continents and they continue to expand their services, with more than 1200 employees around the world. 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.  Its mission is to deliver quality and compassionate behavioral health services to individual and families all the time. 

March 12, 2019 – Sayreville–Anna Kline, program director for Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG), was presented with the Crisis Intervention Team Behavioral Health Care Provider of the Year award on February 28. Ms. Kline was nominated by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and members of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The CIT program is an intensive 1-week program designed to help keep individuals with mental illness out of jail and into treatment. Anna is one of the leaders for the Ocean County CIT and also serves as the director of our Integrated Case Management and Justice Involved Services’ programs. The 40 hour training is run two times a year. The CIT program in an international model of collaboration between the community’s law enforcement system and the mental health system, with the goal of providing knowledge about mental illness, crisis resolution skills and access to community based services. In New Jersey, the CIT Center of Excellence was established in 2007 and assists counties in developing their own CIT programs. Ms. Kline has over 27 years of experience working in the mental health field in Ocean County, and has worked with law enforcement throughout her entire career, including serving as a Critical Incident Debriefer with the Ocean County Emergency Response Team. She has been a member of the PBHG staff for 18 years, and also chairs the Ocean County Law Enforcement training collaborative. “I feel very rewarded to represent PBHG in this very important acknowledgement of our contributions to an extremely critical initiative in community education, training law enforcement, and promoting better outcomes for the individuals we serve,” said Ms. Kline. Caption: Anna Kline receives the Behavioral Health Care Provider of the Year from Ed Dobleman, Director of the Crisis Intervention Team of New Jersey.