BALLOT
The slate of nominees for the At-large Board of Director seats for the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc. follows. Once again, to encourage full membership participation in association leadership, NJAMHAA opened the Board nomination process to its membership. In this regard, NJAMHAA received the following nominations for the four slots for At-large Members of its Board of Directors. According to NJAMHAA’s Bylaws, this selection should take place by secret ballot (i.e., other member organizations will not know how you voted).
To assist in the voting process, following is a biography about each nominee. The individuals nominated or those who submitted nominations have provided the information. The nominees are listed in alphabetical order. Please select four members and return by fax or mail to NJAMHAA, Attention Shauna Moses. NJAMHAA’s fax number is (609) 838-5489. The mailing address is 3575 Quakerbridge Road, Suite 102, Mercerville, NJ 08619. Please do not send votes via e-mail, as this is not advisable under the New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act.
To be considered, ballots must be received at NJAMHAA by the close of business on March 12, 2014, and must include your signature. Each member agency has one vote.
Nominated At-Large Board Members Listed in Alphabetical Order
(Please select four.)
r Carolann Kane-Cavaiola, Deputy Director/COO, Spectrum Health Care, Inc.
r James Derham, MS, Regional Director, CareLink Community Support Services of New Jersey
r Alan DeStefano, MSW, Executive Director, Cape Atlantic Integrated Network for Kids*
r Christopher Kosseff, MS, President & CEO, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care*
r Harry Postel, MSW, LSW, Associate Executive Director of Operations, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton*
r Louis A. Schwarcz, MA, President & CEO, Mental Health Association of Morris County
* Denotes incumbent
Name: ______
Signature: ______Date: ______
Your Agency: ______
Biographies of the nominees begin on the next page.
Nominees
Description provided by each nominee or nominator
Carolann Kane-Cavaiola, Deputy Director/COO, Spectrum Health Care, Inc.
As Deputy Executive Director at Spectrum Health Care, Inc., Carolann is responsible for the clinical operations, compliance and the Continuous Quality Improvement Program. She also organizes the system of are, implementing and evaluating evidence based practices, monitoring professional staff development and maintaining the effective and efficient functioning of the multi-disciplinary team. Carolann’s professional background also includes a position with IRETA as a consultant where she provided technical assistance and policy support to government agencies, academic institutions, and prevention and treatment providers. In addition, Carolann held the position of Executive within a Single State Authority within the NJ Division of Addiction Services from September 2002 through April 2006. Carolann would bring to the Board her vast knowledge and organizational skills relative to implementing and managing prevention and treatment services and her understanding of government agencies and their functioning.
James Derham, MS, Regional Director, CareLink Community Support Services of New Jersey
Jim has been an employee of CareLink Community Support Services since 2002. In 2004, Jim assumed the leadership position as New Jersey Regional Director for CareLink. Jim is a behavioral health professional with great leadership skills, clinical expertise, and a deep interest in and commitment to the provision of quality and best practice services to persons who live with a psychiatric illness and/or a co-occurring or dual diagnosis disorder. As a member of the NJAMHAA Board of Directors, Jim believes he will be diligent in working with the membership in advancing the quality, accessibility and sustainability of the behavioral health services in New Jersey
Jim is a member of NJAMHAA’s Coalition of Residential Providers (CORP) Practice Group. He previously held the position of Chairperson and Secretary of this group. Prior to Jim’s joining the CareLink team, he worked at the Steininger Center from 1990 to 2002 Jim received his MS degree in Community Counseling from Villanova University.
Alan DeStefano, MSW, Executive Director, Cape Atlantic Integrated Network for Kids
Alan has served on the Board of NJAMHAA since November 2011. During that time, he has participated consistently in Board meetings, strategic planning meetings, the Children’s Committee and the Children’s Acute Care Workgroup. He has represented NJAMHAA’s children’s services in meetings with both the DCF Commissioner and the Director of the Children’s System of Care services. He has enjoyed the opportunity to participate in panel discussions related to the changes taking place in children’s services. He has found it to be an honor to serve on the Board, but the greatest honor he received was having been chosen as the first recipient of NJAMHAA’s Judy Remington Award for Outstanding Advocacy for Children’s Treatment. In a normal day, Alan is the Executive Director of the Care Management Organization that assists families of Cape May and Atlantic Counties in managing their children’s behavioral healthcare needs. The organization currently serves approximately 630 families. Alan has a Master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. He has been in the field for 33 years.
Christopher Kosseff, MS, President & CEO, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care
Chris Kosseff has approximately 40 years of professional experience as a clinician and leader of academic behavioral health services. It is his mission to reduce the impact of mental illness on the lives of individuals and provide support to achieve their life goals.
Harry Postel, MSW, LSW, Associate Executive Director of Operations, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton
Harry Postel has been a distinguished leader in behavioral healthcare in New Jersey for more than 38 years. He has served in a series of challenging clinical and administrative roles and has been an active member of NJAMHAA’s Board, Public Policy Committee and Partners in Advocacy Network, He participated on other NJAMHAA groups, such as the Innovation Council and the Committee on the Integration of Physical and Behavioral Healthcare, and has consistently supported the NJAMHAA members’ interests.
Harry served as Director of Behavioral Health Services at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton since 2001. He was responsible for overseeing comprehensive behavioral healthcare, substance abuse and housing services for more than 3,600 people in Mercer and Burlington counties providing more than $28 million in program services. In his current role, which he took on in October 2013, he oversees Children & Family Services, Providence House Domestic Violence Services, Behavioral Health Services and Quality Improvement and a budget of $45 million.
Prior to joining Catholic Charities, Harry served 12 years in senior management capacities for the Northern New Jersey Division of Volunteers of America Greater New York developing residential and community support services for individuals with serious mental illness and overseeing facility management for DYFS and corrections programs.
Louis A. Schwarcz, MA, President & CEO, Mental Health Association of Morris County
Lou is the 2013 NJAMHAA Partners in Advocacy award winner and has been a leader in the mental health and addiction community for more than 20 years. Lou has created programs for people with serious mental illness and addictions, including people coming out of institutions and jails and off the streets. He has also developed programs for frail seniors, military families and veterans, at-risk youth, and visually impaired individuals. Lou currently sits on the Mental Health Association in New Jersey and NJAMHAA Public Policy Committees and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services Fiscal Work Group for Medicaid Managed Care.