MHANJ's Hot Topics in Mental Health

Terriann Procida is Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Benefit Planning, LLC, an employee benefits planning and financial services company focused on helping organizations and their employees achieve their goals. In this episode, she discusses the importance of workplace wellness and creating an environment where employees feel comfortable talking about mental health and seeking support.

She shares how Innovative Benefit Planning has partnered with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey to provide Mental health First Aid and VitaCog suicide prevention training to more than 300 people from over 30 organizations. 

Ms. Procida has been selected as an honoree for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey's 26th Annual Evening of Excellence this November in recognition of her commitment to workplace wellness and advancing mental health awareness and education.

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

In this episode of Hot Topics in Mental Health, we spotlight Christopher F. Freer, DO, FACEP, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Acute Care Providers, RWJBarnabas Health, and a leader in advancing innovative, evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder. Dr. Freer discusses how emergency departments can play a pivotal role in helping people begin recovery from substance abuse conditions by connecting patients to lifesaving medications and other key supports.

He shares how initiatives are changing outcomes for patients across New Jersey. For example, patients who receive buprenorphine following a nonfatal opioid overdose have a 62% lower risk of dying from an opioid overdose. He also discusses how collaboration across an entire healthcare system can create more opportunities for recovery. 

Dr. Freer has been selected to be an honoree at the Mental Health Association in New Jersey's 26th Annual Evening of Excellence this November, recognized for his leadership in advancing compassionate, lifesaving approaches to substance use disorder treatment.

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

In this episode of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey's Podcast, Hot Topics in Mental Health, guest host Isabelle “Belle” Nicholas — Miss New Jersey 2025, clinical psychology graduate student at Widener University, and founder of "Shout Our Struggle" speaks with Whitney Hendrickson, LSW, Trainer Coordinator for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey's (MHANJ's) Career Connection Employment Resource Institute. Whitney shares insights on how to recognize work burnout in its early stages and inspirational strategies on how to cope. Click the arrow above to watch the video podcast, or click below for audio version. 

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

In this episode of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey's Podcast, Hot Topics in Mental Health, guest host Isabelle “Belle” Nicholas — Miss New Jersey 2025, clinical psychology graduate student at Widener University, and founder of Shout Our Struggle — speaks with Emily Grossman, MA, CPRP, Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers University, speaker, advocate, peer life coach, and author of Unlocked: From Psych Hospital to Higher Self.

Emily shares her personal mental health and recovery journey, offering an honest look at navigating love, dating, and healthy relationships while living with a mental health condition. Through candid conversation and shared reflections, Belle and Emily explore stigma, self-worth, recovery, and what it means to build meaningful connection and partnership. This powerful episode offers hope, insight, and encouragement for anyone navigating mental health and relationships. 

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

In this episode, guest Katie McGowan, EdM, CRSP, PMH-C, shares practical, compassionate strategies to support women experiencing postpartum mental health challenges. A Certified Recovery Support Practitioner with a certification in Perinatal Mental Health, Katie serves as Trainer and Coordinator for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey’s (MHANJ) Career Connection Employment Resource Institute. She is also the Founder and Facilitator of the Beyond the Baby Blues Peer Support Group and Co-Founder of The Perinatal Mental Health Coalition of New Jersey.

Hosted by Merrill Altberg, MSA, MHANJ’s Director of Communications, this conversation offers real-world insight into recognizing postpartum mental health needs accessing support, and building effective paths toward recovery.

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

In this episode of Hot Topics in Mental Health, Mercedes Gomez and Daysi Sanz, Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ) community outreach staff, share challenges in accessing mental health support that are faced by members of Spanish-speaking communities. They also discuss several resources available in Spanish. This Episode is available in both English and Spanish. 

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

2026, Episodio 3: Acceso a apoyo de la salud mental para los miembros de las comunidades de habla hispana de Nueva Jersey

Con las anfitrionas invitadas (De izquierda a derecha) Mercedes Gomez y Daysi Sanz, LSW, Asociación de Salud Mental en Nueva Jersey

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

Reverend Rose Hardy, MA, CSW is the Senior Pastor for the Restoration Temple Ministries in New York City and the Mental Health Supervisor at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. In this episode, Reverend Rose shares her insights about how faith, culture, and clinical practice can work together to support mental wellness. Drawing from her dual roles as a pastor and a mental health professional, she reflects on the challenges communities face in addressing emotional health, the stigma that often surrounds it, and the importance of compassionate, holistic care. She offers a thoughtful perspective on meeting people where they are—spiritually, emotionally and psychologically.

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

Hot Topics in Mental Health, the Mental Health Association in New Jersey's (MHANJ's) Podcast, kicks off the New Year with a focus on one of today’s most essential mental health advocacy skills. In the first episode of 2026, host Merrill Altberg, Director of Communications, welcomes Ruth Kaluski, MS, CRC, LMHC, Statewide Director of Strategic Programs and Mental Health First Aid. Entitled, “What Mental Health First Aid Really Means,” this session features Ruth's real-world insights on why Mental Health First Aid matters and how it helps individuals and communities respond with confidence and compassion. This episode offers practical perspective for professionals, advocates, and anyone looking to better support others.

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].

Divad Sanders is the Program Director of the Newark Community Street Team- Overdose Response Team and Harm Reduction Center.

In this episode, Divad shares how he and the ORT take a compassionate, community-trauma-data-based approach that prioritizes de-escalation, healing and building connections. He reveals why the most impactful work often happens one person, one conversation, one moment at a time.

Both Divad and the Newark Community Street Team are honorees for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey’s 25thAnnual Evening of Excellence.

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].