Here is a quick summary of the HOP Meeting, January 10th, which focused on our commitment to bring a professional first-call mental health response mechanism to our community …

For us to create widespread community awareness and ultimately, usage, of the NJ MentalHealthCares Help Line beyond the walls of the YMCA, it is important that we mount a grassroots education campaign in our churches, schools, and among other key community-based organizations. Stephanie Mulfinger, coordinator of the Help Line for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, is willing to meet individually with decision makers and/or make a presentation to groups about the Help Line, to provide the level of information and reassurance that some organizations may need before widely publicizing the number/ service to constituents/ students/ members/ clients.

Our goal is to lay the foundation for community acceptance at a grassroots level for the Help Line by the time we officially launch it at the Y and throughout our community in March.
http://www.njmentalhealthcares.org

Stephanie Mulfinger, LCSW, Coordinator, NJ MentalHealthCares Help Line, MHANJ
973-571-4100 X-121
smulfinger@mhanj.org

I ask each member to reach out to Stephanie as soon as possible; not only can she speak to your organization, she can provide professional looking posters (with business cards attached) and leaflets that feature the number and information about the service.  Already HOP representatives from Bernards and Ridge high schools, the Bernards Township Dept. of Health, a local pastors group, the Visiting Nurse Association, the Municipal Alliance, the NJ Restaurant Association, etc., have volunteered to seek ways of exposing their respective consituencies to the NJ MentalHealthCares Help Line number.

For those of you who were not at the meeting, but may be aware of other opportunities within your own organization or elsewhere, will you please let us know? For example the police departments in Bernardsville and Bernards Township; not only the highs schools but the middle and elementary schools; township sports leagues…all these would be important venues/forums for education about the Help Line and for the number to be posted and made available.

Thanks to each of you for doing your part to get out the word about this important first-call mental health resource, and to Stephanie and the MHANJ for their professionalism and support!

Best regards,
Lauren Luik