2022 NJPA MID-YEAR REPORT

NEW JERSEY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 2022 MID-YEAR REPORT Including the 2023-2027 NJPA Strategic Plan

Preparing a Realistic Vision for the Future of NJPA

WWW.PSYCHOLOGYNJ.ORG

CONTENTS 1

2022 Executive Board

4 7

2023 Dues Renewal Time!

The Financials

2

President's Message

3

Executive Director's Message

5

The Future of NJPA

6

Advocating for Mental Health

8

The Power of Membership

9

10

Supporting Mental Health in NJ

11

13

How We Communicate

14

Your Support is Key!

Our Community

2022 NJPA Award Winners

12 17

Community Service Project Grants

2022 NJPA Fall Conference

2022 Executive Board

President: President-Elect: Peter DeNigris, PsyD Briana Cox, PsyD

Past-President: Daniel Lee, PsyD

Secretary Treasurer: Alexandra Miller Clark, PsyD Marc Gironda, PhD

Parliamentarian: Bonnie Markham, PhD, PsyD

Members-at-Large:

Deirdre Waters, PsyD

Sara Tedrick Parikh, PhD

Elio Arrechea, PhD

Alex Gil, PsyD

Aileen Torres, PhD

Dan DaSilva, PhD

Special Representatives:

We're here to help!

ECP Chair: Anna Urbaniak, PhD

NJPAGS Chair Jaclyn Hammond

Affiliate Caucus Chair: Phyllis Bolling, PhD

Central Office: 8:30am – 4:00pm Phone: 973-243-9800 STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION Executive Director: Justin Karmann Communications: Christine Gurriere Membership/Foundation: Jennifer Cooper Continuing Education: Kaleigh White Director of Professional Affairs: Dr. Susan McGroarty Consultation Request (login required)

APA Council Representative: Rhonda Allen, PhD

Executive Director: Justin Karmann

Director of Professional Affairs: Susan C. McGroarty, PhD

Affiliate Representatives: Northeast Counties Association of Psychologists: Nansie Ross, PsyD Mercer County Psychological Association: Loraine Washton, PhD Middlesex County Association of Psychologists: Tammy Dorff, PsyD Monmouth/Ocean County Psychological Association: Lauren Gerardi, PhD Morris County Psychological Association: Sarah Dougherty, PsyD Somerset/Hunterdon/Warren County Psychological Association: Janie Feldman, PsyD South Jersey Psychological Association: Ange Puig, PhD Essex/Union County Association of Psychologists (inactive): Sara Tedrick Parikh, PhD

New Jersey Psychological Association 354 Eisenhower Parkway Plaza I, Suite 1150 Livingston, NJ 07039 973-243-9800 Website: www.psychologynj.org GENERAL INQUIRIES Continuing Education: njpalearning@psychologynj.org NJPA: njpa@psychologynj.org

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 2

President's Message

represented NJPA at an event with Senator Vin Gopal in Monmouth County.

Peter DeNigris, PsyD

While the temperatures are currently soaring and the travel industry has seen a resurgence since the COVID pandemic began, NJPA Central Office staff and leadership remain hard at work serving its members and continuing to advance the association. The first half of 2022 has been a whirlwind of activities and adjustments. As many of you know, this year has been filled with significant changes within the association. We welcomed two new staff members, including our Executive Director, Justin Karmann, and our Events and Association Project Manager, Kaleigh White. Also, we are grateful to NJPA’s Secretary, Dr. Alexandra Miller Clark, who served as our Interim Director of Professional Affairs while Dr. Susan McGroarty recovered from surgery. Dr. McGroarty resumed her role in August 2022.

As someone who was new to NJPA leadership, I immediately recognized the enormous responsibilities of our Central Office staff and how arduously they work. As such, I have sought ways to prevent burnout while still ensuring efficiency and fiscal responsibility. I have been working with our Leadership, Personnel, and Finance committees in conjunction with our Executive Director to brainstorm possible ways of restructuring Central Office. More information will be forthcoming as data is received and ideas are generated and approved.

NJPA’s Leadership Committee, Executive Board, and other committees also have been working tirelessly during the past six months on a variety of key initiatives. First, NJPA’s current strategic plan is scheduled to sunset in December 2022. With the help of a sagacious consultant, Dr. Randy White, a draft of a new strategic plan has been formulated. The draft has already been reviewed by the Executive Board, as well as the committees of NJPA, who were asked to provide feedback based upon consultations with their members. The draft was available on the NJPA website for member feedback during July 2022. Feedback will be reviewed in August 2022, and an updated version of the strategic plan will be presented to the Executive Board at its September 2022 meeting for final approval. This new strategic plan is intended to be a living document that will guide NJPA for the next five years. Second, NJPA is in the process of converting our website and membership platform to YourMembership, which is a membership software program used by other nonprofits and member-driven organizations around the country. Many other state psychological associations use this software. We are excited for this upcoming technological advancement.

With gratitude to NJPA’s Government Affairs Agent, Jon Bombardieri, several meet-and-greet opportunities were arranged with key legislators throughout New Jersey. Along with a Past President of NJPA, Dr. Hulon Newsome, and NJPA’s Executive Director, I had the pleasure of meeting Senate President, Nicholas Scutari. The permanent expansion of telehealth was a key focus of our conversation. Current PastPast President, Dr. Daniel Lee, and Mr. Karmann had the opportunity to interact with Assembly Speaker, Craig Coughlin.

Lastly, members Drs. Elizabeth Westhead and Amy Altenhaus,

As a means of continued service to our members, NJPA has formed a positive working relationship with key staff members at the State Board of Psychological Examiners (BoPE). I had the privilege of attending a meeting with their Executive Director, Edie Nugent, and Deputy Attorney General, Carmen Rodriguez, Esq. NJPA’s Executive Director has continued these meetings on an approximate monthly basis. BoPE staff appear committed to addressing NJPA members’ concerns and improving their historically long response times. NJPA remains invested in liaising with the BoPE and offering whatever assistance and resources we can aid them in their work. NJPA recently provided the names of several members, who are interested in being appointed to the BoPE to fill the vacancies, to Governor Murphy’s office. If you are experiencing difficulty receiving a response from the BoPE, please contact NJPA’s Executive Director.

During the past six months, NJPA has continued its efforts to form collaborations with other organizations. First, as of September 1, 2022, NJPA will enter into a one-year collaborative agreement with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) in La Jolla, California. The purpose of this collaboration is to have AIHM’s 50-hour mini course on integrative medicine available for purchase to NJPA members.

The mini course has been approved for 50 continuing education credits by the American Medical Association. This allows NJPA members to fulfill their required 40 hours of continuing education and carry over 10 additional credits as permitted by state law. Second, in July 2022, NJPA’s Leadership Committee met with Drs. Brian Chu and Joshua Langberg at the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) to discuss ways in which their new Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness and NJPA can serve as mutual resources for each other. This was a very exciting and inspirational meeting, and we are looking forward to sharing more information about this initiative in the coming months.

Lastly, NJPA was excited to welcome new members to its various committees, including the Committee on Legislative Affairs (COLA), the Council on Continuing Education Affairs (CoCEA), the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (CODI), and the Ethics Education and Resource Committee. In July 2022, our Executive Director, Jaclyn Hammond (current chair of NJPAGS), and I met with the newest cohort of psychology interns at Rutgers UMDNJ in Newark to discuss the benefits of joining state psychological associations. We are grateful to their internship director and NJPA member, Dr. Gregory Benson, for facilitating this.

I encourage each of you to become more actively involved in the association. In order to learn more about NJPA and current happenings, please join the Executive Board at the Association Check-In, which will be held virtually on September 16, 2022, at 9:00am. In addition, I hope to see you at NJPA’s Fall Conference, which will be held at the Pines Manor in Edison, New Jersey, along with a virtual option, on October 21—22, 2022. This is NJPA’s first two-day conference and first in-person conference since the pandemic began. CoCEA has worked tirelessly to organize an outstanding conference. I look forward to welcoming you at these events. Thank you for your ongoing support of NJPA!

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 3

Executive Director's Report

provided a great service to NJPA. Additionally, our Government Affairs Agent, Jon Bombardieri and his staff at CLB Partners are truly an asset in keeping in NJPA relevant and up-to-date on all advocacy related issues.

Finally, our vendor Cullari Carrico and their accountant Anelia Costa have benefited us tremendously in keeping all of our finances accurate and our expenses timely.

Justin Karmann

There are so many wonderful things to say about the New Jersey Psychological Association. From the engaged membership to the committed leadership and volunteers, this organization continues to thrive throughout the many challenges and areas of growth that face the field of psychology and state-wide membership associations. Our Central Office staff strive daily to serve and support our members while maintaining personal connections. It truly has been an honor to serve as the Executive Director during my first nine months within this position. I continue to have the utmost appreciation for the former Executive Director, Keira Boertzel-Smith, and her level of preparedness and organization that has allowed this association to transition smoothly.

As highlighted in the President and Treasurer’s Reports, there have been significant changes to the association throughout this past year.

Central Office: In January, as the Omicron variant surge subsided, Central Office staff returned to the office under a hybrid schedule model. All staff are in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Within those days, it is our opportunity for me to meet one-on-one with each staff member as well as for us to collaborate and communicate in collective staff meetings about the various activities and programs taking place throughout the association. In addition to their traditional roles and responsibilities, Christine Gurriere has been working with Joanna Tillson to continue our podcast programming while also refreshing all communications for the association; Jennifer Cooper has taken more of a leadership role within the Foundation and is constantly seeking renewed NJPA membership benefits and opportunities; Kaleigh White is new to the Events and Association Project Manager position but has stepped in with tenacity and resolve by quickly adapting to the role while coordinating incredible Continuing Education programming and NJPA events; Dr. Susan McGroarty relentlessly serves our association members and does her very best to stay apprised of the various issues that face psychologists. These Central Office staff do so much behind the scenes to make sure NJPA operates smoothly and effectively. I want to thank all of them for their service to NJPA. I also want to share my appreciation for Dr. Alexandra Miller Clark who stepped into the Interim DPA role during a time of need and

Technology: a point of emphasis during my early tenure was ensuring that Central Office staff had consistent technological access. Our former I.T. approach was antiquated with many failure points. To improve this, the Executive Board approved laptop purchases for each staff member and we have moved from a centralized physical server in the office to Microsoft’s OneDrive. We have also eliminated remote logins to Central Office computers. These adjustments have allowed staff access to all files securely while working remotely during the hybrid schedule and guarantees continuity if the state were to ever close again due to an unforeseen COVID spike. We have also incorporated the Central Office phone VOIP features in order to call and respond to calls while working remotely. The goal is for NJPA membership to have consistent access to Central Office staff whether they are in the office or working hybrid remotely. The greatest technological change, however, is to our website. You may have noticed some website outages earlier this year, as well as difficulty navigating our current website via the association management platform, MemberClicks. In reviewing these indicators, we took the opportunity to seek input from other State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations (SPTAs) regarding their own association management platforms. Resoundingly, the response has been in favor of YourMembership and the benefits, as well as ease of use their association management software provides.

Some exciting improvements will include the possibility of ACH payments, installment payments, pro-rated payments, an internal membership network, a complete redesign and modern look to the website, and new revenue opportunities. In the coming months, we will be launching the website and we are excited to share with membership all of the hard work Central Office has invested into the new and improved NJPA website.

Strategic Plan: It has been an honor working directly with Dr. Randy White throughout the first seven months as Executive Director to finalize the upcoming 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. One of the best ways for me to be enculturated into this organization, and to learn all about the various needs and concerns, has been through our work in completing this Strategic Plan. Many, many conversations with leadership, the Executive Board, committee members, and membership input went into the final formulation. I am proud of the work accomplished and I am excited to kick off 2023 with

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 4

this plan as our guide.

Continuing Education programs: the word pivot comes to mind for the first half of this year when it comes to our Continuing Education programs and events. Many of our CE programs, including our Spring Conference, were set to be in-person at the Pines Manor in Edison, but were pivoted back to a virtual platform given the COVID infection rates and concerns. Although ZOOM is an incredible tool, we have also received significant feedback that many miss in-person events and network gatherings. To test the waters, we attempted an inaugural Wellness Event at the end of June to see whether membership would be interested in meeting outside for a CE event and time together. The results did not disappoint. Our Wellness Event was a wonderful time to connect and to meet so many faces that have only been known behind a computer screen. I cannot thank our Central Office staff, and especially Kaleigh White, enough for their efforts in making sure this event was a success. We hope to host another Wellness Event next year. Additionally, we are looking at more and more hybrid events and models so that we are providing CEs and networking opportunities per NJPA membership needs. Some of our committees have been meeting in-person again while many have stayed remote. Our Fall Conference will be the first of its kind in offering the entire program in a hybrid format. All programs, and even the awards ceremony, will be streamed so that everyone can attend and feel comfortable. Although we hope as many of membership as possible attend in person, we are researching inclusive streaming technology that will help virtual members feel connected to those attending in-person.

There are so many exciting opportunities taking place throughout our association. I am grateful for NJPA and its mission to serve psychologists and the field of psychology throughout our state.

Advocacy FREE Consultations

Exclusive Online Resources

Directory Listings

CE Program Discounts

Networking

Practice Building

The Power of NJPA Membership!

Dues Renewal Coming Soon!

September 2022

....and MUCH more!

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 5

The Future of NJPA President's Message

The 2023 - 2027 Strategic Plan: Statement of Intent Preparing a Realistic Vision for the Future of NJPA

As NJPA turns the corner on a post-pandemic world, the strength of the organization is reflected within our versatility and vision for a sustainable future. An enhancement to our Continuing Education and Membership benefits are critical for our continued impact. Additional advocacy and governance policies ensure that we are the leading state psychological association on behalf of our membership while advancing the field of psychology. The NJPA strategic plan is a living document used to drive the association’s initiatives, and direct the activities of the Executive Board, leadership team and committee chairs. The plan shapes our communication with members and external partners on the association’s goals and the actions needed to achieve those goals. Our current strategic plan sunsets in December 2022. We are currently finalizing the 2023-2027 strategic plan.

The Four Pillars: Our Priorities

M E M B E R S H I P

G O V E R N A N C E

Maintain a growing, engaged

Advance the science and profession

membership base by delivering

of psychology through state and

value:

national relations:

NJPA membership dues account for the majority of incoming revenue.

NJPA must maintain annual aggressive, widespread, and diverse retention and recruitment efforts to keep the association in existence.

Grow NJPA leadership to keep the association relevant: NJPA must maintain good governance and association management to provide the vision and direction to ensure that NJPA is on the right path.

A D V O C A C Y

C O N T I N U I N G ED.

NJPA must maintain a presence at both the state and national level to be a strong voice for psychology. Access to quality mental healthcare and health equity advocacy efforts are what keep the profession of psychology in service and alive.

Provide continuing education learning opportunities to promote excellence and professional development: Providing a robust continuing education calendar each year provides psychologists with their mandatory continuing education credits and contributes to the NJPA non-dues revenue needed to support the association.

Read the full strategic plan draft and recommended actions here!

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 6

Advocating for Mental Health President's Message

OUR COMMITMENT

We are committed to strengthening our political outreach and advocating for the interests of New Jersey psychologists and mental health issues that are important to the public.

Visit our Advocacy page for Action Alerts & Legislation Updates Coming out of the pandemic legislators have recognized the need to address the mental health of New Jersey residents and the importance of improving access. We have seen a large number of bills introduced to address issues from mental health access in schools to improved insurance processes. NJPA has been at the table working with legislators to help craft these bills that would help our patients and our members.

This year’s NJ budget allocated $480.5M to bolster mental health services, funds are earmarked for things such as children’s programs, suicide prevention, training more mental health professionals, and crisis hotline, the highest amount that we have ever seen devoted to mental health.

2022 Bills Signed Into Law A-4385: This bill makes various revisions to P.L.2021, c.454, which pertains to electronic medical records and recording patients’ demographic information. Specifically, the bill provides that the cultural competency training programs hospitals and clinical laboratories are required to implement under P.L.2021, c.454 are to include training on how to collect race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity in a culturally competent and sensitive manner. Signed 6/27/22 S-722: Codifies and expands the Alternative Response to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation (ARRIVE) Together Pilot Program and appropriates $2 million. The expanded program is to provide accessible crisis intervention, mental health screening, or other support to individuals experiencing mental health crisis who have contacted or are engaging with law enforcement. The amended committee substitute requires the Attorney General, within the limits of available funding, to select for participation in the pilot program expansion two municipalities in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State that meet certain conditions. The selection of municipalities would not exclude participation by other counties or municipalities in the pilot program. Signed 6/30/22 A-3007: This bill requires each public and independent institution of higher education, beginning with the 2021-2022, academic year to: ensure that all on-campus students have access to campus-based mental health care programs and services; provide assistance and referrals to mental health support services to any student unable to access on-campus services; and provide each newly-enrolled student with information concerning the location and availability of those programs and services. The bill also requires, beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year, each public and independent institution of higher education to establish and maintain, on a 24-hour basis, a toll-free telephone hotline for students. The hotline will receive and respond to calls from students seeking counseling for depression, anxiety, stress, or other psychological or emotional tension, trauma, or disorder. The operators of the hotline will seek to identify those callers who should be referred to additional counseling services, and to provide such referrals. Signed 1/18/22 A-3975: would generally prevent the disclosure of a patient’s medical records related to reproductive health care without their consent in any civil, probate, legislative or administrative proceeding. It would also prohibit public entities and employees from cooperating with interstate investigations aiming to hold someone liable for seeking, receiving, facilitating, or providing reproductive health care services that are legal in New Jersey. It would further protect providers by prohibiting New Jersey licensing boards from suspending, revoking, or refusing to renew the license or registration of a professional based solely on their involvement in the provision of reproductive health care services. Signed 7/1/22 A-3974: would prevent the extradition of an individual within New Jersey to another state for receiving, providing, or facilitating reproductive health care services that are legal in New Jersey. Signed 7/1/22 A-311: Revises a provision making contracted crisis hotline centers responsible for ascertaining whether a 9-8-8 caller has children to instead provide that contracted crisis hotline centers are to attempt to ascertain whether a 9-8-8 caller has children. The amendments additionally provide that the crisis hotline centers are to make this inquiry only when it would not interfere with responding to an emergency. The Assembly amendments clarify that, when a crisis hotline center determines a 9-8-8 caller has children, the center will make a referral to appropriate services offered by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) or any other referral agency, which may include the Children’s System of Care in the DCF. Prior to amendment, the provision required all such referrals be made to the Children’s System of Care. Signed 6/30/22

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 7

The Financials

Marc Gironda, PhD Treasurer

Amidst the many transitions that occurred this year at the New Jersey Psychological Association, one thing has remained very much the same: Revenues from dues is the primary source of income for our association. With this in mind, I, along with the entire Executive Board and NJPA staff, are very grateful for our membership and their ongoing dedication to NJPA. Over the past several months, we have taken some extensive financial shifts in order to grow and benefit the association.

Beginning in December 2021, we made a one-time increase to the insurance allotment for our full-time Central Office staff to offset the dramatic health insurance premium rates.

With the support of the Executive Director, NJPA also transitioned technology approaches by embracing a complete hybrid model for Central Office staff. Laptops were purchased for all full-time staff, and a transition from a local central server to Microsoft OneDrive took place. Central Office staff continue to be in the office at least two to three times a week.

In January 2022, we began looking into alternative Association Management Platforms that provide greater flexibility in dues rates and member retention. After a thorough search, the Executive Board approved the conversion from MemberClicks to YourMembership in April 2022. This will result in a completely new website and Internet presence. The website transition will be complete this fall. Some of the many benefits of YourMembership are ACH payments, automatic renewal, and pro-rated monthly premium options. We also believe the website user experience will be far more friendly and accessible.

NJPA also took the step to endorse The Trust. This partnership has many financial opportunities and benefits. We look forward to their resources and connections.

In April 2022, after a thorough review of our investment account and the current market, with the counsel of Mariner Wealth Advisors, NJPA has transferred a portion of our savings account into our investment account.

With our "growth" oriented approach to our investment account already established, we intend to continually grow the investment account so that it can provide sustainable annual revenue on behalf of the association in the future.

NJPA continues to utilize the accounting services of Cullari Carrico, as well as QuickBooks Online, for all operations management.

In August, our Executive Director, Justin Karmann, and I planned the NJPA budget for 2023. We intend to have the budget approved the fourth quarter of 2022.

Finally, within our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, we are targeting continuing education as an opportunity to create additional revenue while also evaluating alternative membership format to enhance and diversify our membership base.

It is my honor to serve as Treasurer of NJPA, and I look forward to finding ways to keep our association on sure financial footing, with an eye towards stability in the future.

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 8

The Power of Membership Of our 1584 members, 1157 of you identified your professional interests and involvement* *multiple selections were offered

Academic: Teaching/Research 20% Addictions 12%

Membership Committee Co-Chairs Aileen Torres, PhD & Elio Arrechea, PhD We excel at helping our members succeed! You don't have to wonder alone! Your professional work is often quite solitary. It's common for many to feel isolated and alone, especially when faced with a pressing question about a practice issue or an ethical situation that you cannot discuss with friends or family. We have excellent resources available to help you feel more connected and cared for.

FREE PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATIONS! Two valuable NJPA member benefits include confidential phone consultations with Director of Professional Affairs, Susan McGroarty, and/or with the members of the Ethics Education and Resource Committee. All consultations are free of charge to you! These consultations are two important ways that we continue to show our support for you! Whenever you have a practice question or face an ethical dilemma, remember, you don't have to wonder alone!

Child/Adolescents 46% Clinical Health 35% Couples/Families 33% Educational Psychology 9% Forensic Psychology 15%

Geropsychology 13% Group Therapy 12% Industrial/Organizational 4% Intellectual/Devel. Disabilities 12% Military Psychology 3% Neuropsychology 17% Police/Public Safety 7% Serious Mental Illness 15%

Schedule a DPA Consultation Schedule an Ethics Consultation

Of our 1584 members, 1171 of you identified your practice setting as....* *multiple selections were offered

The Benefits of Membership FREE Consultations CE Program Discounts Practice Building Assistance Directory Listings Networking Opportunities Exclusive Online Resources Free Publications Diverse Communities Political Clout Exposure to the Public

Community/Outpatient Clinic 2% Forensic/Correction Facility 1% General Hospital Center 4% VA Medical Center 1% Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital 1% K-12 School District 4% University/Graduate School 1% Private Practice 88%

Other 5%

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 9

Congratulations! NJPA 2022 Award Winners Psychologist of the Year Award: Luciene Sant'Anna Takagi, PsyD

Lucy is known as someone who accomplishes the many goals she sets and she has a reputation for being exceptionally driven, sensitive, and inclusive. She has advocated for minority groups, private practitioners, and psychologists overall. She has led NJPA with gusto throughout her past tenure as president. She was charged with the task of advocating to New Jersey legislature for pandemic related needs of New Jersey psychologists and the people who they serve, and she was very successful at handling this challenge. She testified at the Senate Health Committee Telehealth Meeting about how state law could be restructured for permanent expansion of telehealth services, which directly benefits underserved populations and provides greater access to mental health services. She also testified before legislature to highlight the importance of New Jersey entering PSYPACT, and testified to allow early career psychologists to be licensed sooner.

Lifetime Achievement Award : Matthew Barry Johnson, PhD

Dr. Johnson has made significant contributions to psychology as a professor, researcher, expert witness, and mentor. Addressing social justice issues and providing service to others are major themes in his work. He has a great passion for research and, as a result he has published more than 50 articles in professional journals on a range of topics that include: police coercion and secrecy in interrogation; why innocent defendants plead guilty; the death penalty; parental rights termination, and shaken baby syndrome. He recently authored Wrongful Conviction in Sexual Assault (Oxford University Press, 2021). He has taught at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY for 20+ years. He was awarded the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award for inspirational mentoring in 2020. Additionally, he has mentored numerous students at John Jay College and served as a mentor to many student members of NJABPsi.

Stanley Moldawski Mentor Award: Peter Economou, PhD

"Dr. Economou has been a role model for many. His unique ability to foster and nurture growth while simultaneously encouraging you to be the best version of yourself, a version some never even knew existed, has allowed for some truly remarkable students and professionals to enter into and excel in the field of psychology. Dr. Economou continues to inspire those around him on a daily basis. He always finds the time to help a colleague in need and offers guidance when he can. He practices and models professionalism, work/life balance, self-care, and an insatiable hunger for continuing education and knowledge within the field. Dr. Economou undoubtedly deserves this praise and recognition."

Citizen of the Year Award: Tammy Snyder Murphy

First Lady Tammy Murphy and national public health expert Dr. Vijaya Hogan unveiled the Nurture NJ Maternal and Infant Health Plan – a strategy to reduce New Jersey’s high rates of maternal and infant mortality and eliminate the racial disparities responsible for these deaths. The strategic plan is the latest element of the First Lady’s Nurture NJ initiative, which aims to make New Jersey the safest and most equitable place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby. Based on an initiative by the First Lady, First Lady Tammy Murphy and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will expand Medicaid coverage for 365 days postpartum to improve maternal and infant health and decrease the racial disparity in birth outcomes in New Jersey.

Legislator of the Year: Raj Mukherji

A champion of the middle class and working families, State Assemblyman Raj Mukherji proudly represents the 33rd Legislative District (Hudson County) in the NJ Legislature. Assemblyman Mukherji is the only South Asian legislator presently serving in the state, the only former Marine presently serving in the NJ General Assembly, and the first Indian-Bengali state legislator in the US. He was named the Assembly’s "Humane Legislator of the Year" recipient for 2015 by the Humane Society and 2015 Legislator of the Year by the NJ Law Enforcement Police Officers Brotherhood. Assemblyman Mukherji was also named a 2015 honoree of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County for championing the expansion of teens’ access to mental health services, and he received the 2015 Legislator Award from the NAACP for his civil rights advocacy.

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 10

Supporting Mental Health in NJ: NJP-PAC 2022 New Jersey Psychology- Political Action Committee (PAC) Officers PAC President/Treasurer: Mark Singer, EdD | PAC Secretary: Kenneth Freundlich, PhD PAC Executive Director: Justin Karmann | Government Affairs Agent: Jon Bombardieri

What does the NJP-PAC do for psychology and mental health in New Jersey?

Generous contributions received from NJP-PAC contributors are used to support candidates for office and political committees in New Jersey who have demonstrated their interest in, and support of psychology, without regard to party affiliation.We solicit funds to be distributed in such a manner as to advance the stature of the profession of psychology in New Jersey.

We appoint NJPA members to attend fundraising events in their districts to represent the profession of psychology.

We create educational articles and flyers for New Jersey legislators about the science and profession of psychology.

We offer grassroots training opportunities and/or articles for NJPA and NJPA affiliate members on how to best engage with New Jersey legislators to share information on the science and profession of psychology; and we set up meet and greets with NJPA and NJPA affiliate members and legislators to discuss the science and profession of psychology.

How can you help support our efforts? Please consider donating to the NJP-PAC. The role of NJP-PAC is to support legislators who have demonstrated their interest in, and support of, psychology without regard to party affiliation.

NJP-PAC solicits funds to be distributed in such a manner as to advance the stature of the profession of psychology in New Jersey. The generous financial contributions of our membership are critical to accomplish our advocacy program. We are most appreciative of those members who are able to contribute an amount greater than the equivalent of one session.

The reality is that without a financial commitment to our NJP-PAC, our ability to sustain support of legislators who promote quality mental healthcare in NJ will become increasingly difficult. We would like to thank our members who have already contributed to NJP-PAC, as well as those members contributing now for the first time. Thank you in advance for your support.

Donate to the NJP-PAC today!

Dr. Liz Westhead, Dr. Amy Altenhaus, Government Affairs Agent, Jon Bombadieri, and Justin Karmann met with Senator Vin Gopal to hear more about his upcoming mental healthcare bill

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 11

Your Support is Key!

THE NJPA FOUNDATION

The NJPA Foundation Board of Trustees is in need of donations in order to sustain itself and continue to fulfill its mission and objective.

Mission: In addition to supporting the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) mission, the mission of the Foundation is promoting the psychological health of the diverse people of New Jersey.

Objective: To support education and research that advances the skills of psychology students, whose studies focus on treating the well-being of underserved populations throughout New Jersey.

The NJPA Foundation relies almost exclusively on individual donations to support its mission and objective. Past, positive stock market returns allowed the Foundation's reserves to grow and we were able to disperse funds at a greater rate than in recent years. Consequences resulting from the COVID19 pandemic, and drops in the stock market, resulted in a decrease in grant/award funds available to disperse. The NJPA Foundation is in immediate need of donations in order to support the essential training of future psychologists who are dedicated to working with the most vulnerable individuals.

Without additional donations, the Foundation faces uncertainty in its ability to continue the work toward its mission and its objective. Your generosity is always greatly appreciated, but never more so than at this critical juncture. Please consider making a donation today!

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 12

Community Service Project Grants

THE NJPA FOUNDATION

We invite applications from programs across the state of New Jersey, with the goal of identifying and supporting model programs from each county who serve the underserved. Learn more about the nine, 2021/2022 Funded Sites and about the grant details on the NJPA Community Service Project Grant Website Page.

Graduate Student-Initiated Research Awards The Graduate Student-Initiated Research Award is an annual contest that awards research/projects that align with the criteria outlined in the description of the 4 award categories detailed on the NJPA Foundation Student-Initiated Research Award Website Page.

Please note that due to a reduction in capital reserves, the Foundation had to make the difficult decision to reduce the number of grants awarded to fund programs that support students. This includes putting Dissertation Grants and Student Conference Participation Grants on temporary hiatus.

Help Support a Student Today!!

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 13

How We Communicate Our methods of disseminating information are constantly evolving and changing to accommodate how our members, and the public, engage with our messaging. Whether it is in the form of an email (Friday Updates, Foundation Flash, Continuing Education announcements), a social media post, a new podcast episode, website content, or using other community messaging platforms such as the listserv and e-lists, we constantly monitor how well our communications are received and what, if anything, we need to do to expand our reach and engagement. Below are some of our statistics: NJPA Website Data: Visitors

YTD 2022 (as of June 30th) 21.6k users 20.8 new users 93k page views 60k unique page views

Find a Psychologist

7.1k visits in 2022

NJ Members Listserv

1320 subscribers

NJPA E-Newsletter

5607 subscribers

Friday Update

1588 members

(as of June 30th)

13% 20% 56% open rate

Social Media Stats 2021

2022

Change

600

567

- 5%

280

353

+26%

1957

1954

500

582

+16%

60

77

+28%

-

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 14

Our Community 2022 NJPA Wellness Event On Sunday, June 26th, NJPA hosted its first annual Wellness Event. Initially designed as a Continuing Education opportunity, it soon evolved into a networking event with reconnecting at the forefront. For so many, this was the first time interacting with peers and friends since the pandemic began over two years prior. We were blessed with a perfect day for our Wellness Event at Brookside Park in Scotch Plains, NJ. It was absolutely wonderful seeing over 60 NJPA members and their families present at our event. After an incredible Continuing Education program, led by Dr. Chris King on the necessity of self-care for psychologists, the rest of the afternoon was spent eating delicious food, reconnecting, and networking. It was a joy for Central Office to see so many faces—some familiar and others for the very first time. The biggest thank you to our Central Office staff, especially our Event Director, Kaleigh White, for their leadership, as well as the Wellness Event Task Force of Mary Blakeslee, Elio Arrechea, and Sara Tedrick Parikh. We also want to thank Mariah Laster for volunteering to serve drinks on behalf of the Foundation and Daniel Gallagher for his camera and wonderful photos taken during the event.

NJPA Mid-Year Report 2022 | 15

2022 NJPA Wellness Event

Early n o i t a r t s Regi

2022 NJPA Fall Conference

A Hybrid Event!

Bird pen!

October 21 & 22 O w o N Brain & Behavior: Neuroscience & Psychotherapy Through the Lifespan

Meet colleagues, enjoy daily breakfast and lunch, attend our Friday night cocktail reception and awards ceremony, participate in our Foundation Tricky Tray fundraiser, and peruse our Academic & Scientific Affairs poster session! We look forward to seeing you there!

Friday, October 21st 7:30am 8:30am - 9:30 am 9:30am - 10:30am 10:30am - 10:45am 10:45am - 11:45am 11:45am - 1:15pm 1:15pm - 2:45pm 2:45pm - 3:00pm 3:00pm - 4:30pm 5:00pm - 6:30pm 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Saturday, October 22nd Registration & Breakfast Boosting Brain Health Across the Lifespan (1 CE) CBT vs. Medication vs. Both for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, & Panic Attacks (1 CE) Break The Aging Brain & Caregivers (1 CE) Lunch Break & Networking Long Term COVID & the Brain (1.5 CE) Break How the Body Holds Emotions (1 CE)

REGISTER TODAY! PRICING:

Schedule Registration & Breakfast Raising Brains (1 CE) Marijuana & the Teen Brain (1 CE) Break Neuropsychology of Gender (1 CE) Lunch, Exhibitors/Sponsors, & Networking!

ADHD & Autism (1.5 CE) Break Executive Skills & Psychotherapy (1 CE) Cocktail Reception & Awards Ceremony Diversity Town Hall - Working with Women: An Overview of Guidelines and the Impact on Treatment and Current Challenges (1.5 CE)

Early Bird Discount!

Register by 9/16 and receive 10% off!

7:30am 8:30am - 9:30am 9:30am - 10:30am 10:30am - 10:45am 10:45am - 11:45am 11:45am - 1:15pm 1:15pm - 2:45pm 2:45pm - 3:00pm 3:00pm - 4:00pm

One Day: Choose to attend Friday OR Saturday NJPA Member: $250 NJPA Sustaining Member: $212.50 NJPA ECP Member: $187.50 NJPA Student/Emeritus Member: $125 Non-Member: $325 Two Day: Includes Friday day/evening and Saturday NJPA Member: $450 NJPA Sustaining Member: $382.50 NJPA ECP Member: $337.50 NJPA Student/Emeritus Member: $225 Non-Member: $600