May 2023

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Thoughts from the Director: May Edition, 2023

“What Goes Around… Reinventing the Wheel”

“People seldom appreciate the pain they’ve caused until that pain is visited upon them. This is not vengeance. It is education.” ― Wayne Gerard Trotman

“Sometimes time spent reinventing the wheel results in a revolutionary new rolling device. But sometimes it just amounts to time spent reinventing the wheel.” ―Steve Krug

The notion of embedding social workers (or similar human service professionals) within municipal police departments is not a new one. Discussed as early as the middle of the 20th century, there were a couple of pilot programs initiated in the late 1970’s, but these failed to gain significant traction. It is only within the last decade that we began to see the “reinvention” of this concept. This time, particularly in the last 3 years, the idea became a concrete practice in a variety of law enforcement settings throughout the country.

As you may know, the Somerset County Department of Human Services has employed and embedded, for the last 2 years, a licensed social worker (Dameon Stackhouse) with the Bridgewater Police Department. It is not a job for those who like to work from a desk. The Community Police Alliance Coordinator’s (our moniker for this position) job description notes: “provides information and referral, as well as linkages to community services, such as mental health and substance use, domestic violence services, housing and food, childcare, healthcare, etc. In addition, the CPAC provides psychoeducation, linkage, and ongoing support to individuals and families in the community who have been identified by local law enforcement, whether because they appear to have acute unmet needs, or have a pattern of behaviors requiring law enforcement intervention.”

It is our hope that this pilot will be expanded in the years to come to many (if not all) of our Somerset County municipalities. As we go to press, we are pleased to announce that Bound Brook will be our next CPAC partner, something both Somerset County DHS and our friends at both the Bound Brook Police Department and their governing body are excited about (the Bound Brook CPAC position was just posted on the county website).

In 1992, in the wake of a severe beating at the hands of members of the Los Angeles Police Department (a beating that served as the spark to the LA riots) a young Black man, Rodney King, made a television appearance pleading for an end to the riots: “I just want to say – you know – can we, can we all get along? Can we, can we get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?” Here now, more than 30 years later, that question has not been answered. While we certainly can get along, whether we will get along remains an unknown. There are days, of course, where the divisions between the police and the communities they serve look just as strained and toxic as they were when Mr. King uttered his famous phrase. There are other days, however, where programs like the CPAC (and others – in New Jersey these include Impact and ARRIVE Together, for example) show us a clear pathway forward.

I serve on the NJ Attorney General’s Mental Health/Special Needs task force (as the representative of the NJ County Human Service Directors Association) along with approximately 20 colleagues comprised of a mix of law enforcement (County Prosecutors, State Police, municipal police chiefs) and a few of us from the “helping professions.” Our charge is to transform connections, improve crisis response and, in general, help us achieve a world in which we are connected by our commonality as opposed to one divided by our differences. Concrete and fully functioning crisis intervention training for officers is a major piece of this equation, and finally, after years of discussion and abortive attempts, Somerset County will be rolling out (under the direction and guidance of SC Mental Health Administrator Meg Isbitski and Mike Rogers from the SC Prosecutor’s Office) formalized CIT for our municipal officers. It will become a reality this summer.

Our work with law enforcement, particularly in this last couple of years, has made clear something that we know intrinsically; underneath uniforms, officers are first and foremost human beings. In a world dominated by the binary presentations emanating from some media sources (social and otherwise) we sometimes forget this. That is not to minimize the horrors suffered by many folks, particularly people of color, who, like Mr. King, have been demonized, abused and sometimes, killed. It is clear, however, that many officers who struggle during some community crisis responses simply feel overwhelmed, unsupported, and asked to “be all things to all people.” Listening to human service and law enforcement professionals get to know each other and have risky and emotionally vulnerable and honest conversations has made me hopeful that fostering true partnerships is not just possible but, frankly, essential.

I don’t think we’ll ever “all get along” all of the time, but I do think that with enough creativity, bravery (and funding) we have a chance to be truly transformative. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel- we just need to let it roll…

Keep faith in the process of change!

Mike

Tri County CMO Launches New Website!

May is Maternal Mental Health Month

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

anr and rce

The ANR Department’s Master Gardener Program has fostered collaborations across the county, most recently including the following focusing on native plants:

The New Jersey Audubon Society at its Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville to revamp, rejuvenate, and replant the Monarch Waystation
The Somerset County Park Commission, cataloging native plants at Duke Island Park, and cataloging native trees / shrubs at Washington Valley Park - both Bridgewater Township projects will result in the creation of educational material for park visitors.
Franklin Township Pollinator Garden: created a presentation for the Franklin Twp Women’s Club meeting, completed spring maintenance on the garden and had two pollinator garden signs created
Speakers Bureau had three engagements in March: Sterling Pointe, Bridgewater Wellness Center, and Quail Brook Senior Center, a total of 67 attendees. One public workshop was held in March for 23 attendees.
2023 Rutgers Master Gardener Class Graduation: Participants of the Somerset County Master Gardener class received their certification this April for completing the course

Tune in to the Facebook Live videos from Somerset County Family & Community Health Sciences (RCE) this May! By doing so, you can earn up to 5 LiveWell points (Metric 14)! Be sure to check out https://www.facebook.com/SCNJFCHS/ for updates and videos!

[Click image to see full PFD]

Central Jersey Housing Resource Center

May is Mental Health Month

“May is Mental Health Month”

Submitted by Meg Isbitski, Mental Health Administrator

In the Human Services world, we have heard that phrase plenty, but what does it really mean? Is it simply a time to recognize the body-mind-soul connection? A time to practice self-care and prioritize gratitude walks and face masks? Yes and no. It is so much more than that. It is a time to practice awareness, advocacy, and purposely challenge our own preconceived notions and stigmas about those who live with mental health and substance use diagnoses.

Studies say 1/5 live with a diagnosable mental health and/or substance use diagnosis, but many studies acknowledge the extreme rise since COVID-19. Our mental health includes how we think, feel, and ultimately make decisions. It describes how we feel about and interact with ourselves, others, and the world around us. It is only one aspect of who we are, but it impacts everyone. It does not discriminate, yet we need to acknowledge how race, gender, culture, age, and sexual orientation impact access to care and societal expectations. Our existences are multi-faceted, and so we cannot assume that there is one universal experience of mental health.

This year’s Mental Health Month theme is “Look Around, Look Within” encouraging all to recognize how our environments and experiences impact ourselves and our neighbors. Mental health is absolutely an aspect of our quality of life and should not be separated out of conversations regarding health outcomes, public health, and community safety. The places and communities we frequent play a role in our health, belongingness, and

One way we express and celebrate this is through community education and engagement opportunities to spread awareness and reduce stigmas. Please view the below opportunities to connect with us this Mental Health Month:

May 6^th5-9pm: Somerset County Youth Council Safe Nite.This event is for teens in grades 7-12 providing safe games, activities, and events. Register here
May 9^th at 6pm: “Eliminating the Stigma” webinar from nonprofit EmPoWER Somerset and Human Services. This event is for teen mental health awareness and suicide prevention.Register here
May 19^th 10am-3pm: Stigma Free Somerset County Conference at Raritan Valley Community College. An educational event open to the public at no cost, for the purpose of reducing negative stereotypes about mental health and substance use disorders. The event includes educational modules, lived experience testimony, community resources, giveaways, and includes breakfast and lunch. Register here
May 19^th(4-8pm) and 20^th (10am-2pm). Free Community Resource Event.Come to Good Shepard Lutheran Church at 300 Union Ave Somerville for free household goods and community resource information.
May 25^th 6-8pm: Human Services is partnering with the Tri-County Care Management Organization to provide a youth forum, entitled “YOUth tell Us”. This forum is for the purpose of gathering youth perspective on feedback regarding what they are feeling and experiencing about mental health. This event is aimed at youth in 8-12^th grade. Refreshments will be served, and giveaways provided. Register here

Please view and pass along these questionnaire opportunities to capture more data about Somerset County:

Youth Survey: Please view the below survey from Somerset County youth facilitated by the Department of Human Services. This is an anonymous survey and information about each respondent will remain confidential. We have heard the increased need for supporting our youth evidenced by increased crisis screenings and hospitalizations, experiences of violence and sexual assault, increased treatment admissions and bullying behaviors. We would like to present this survey as an opportunity to truly understand what our youth are going through. Please fill out the below survey and reach out to the Department of Human Services with any questions: stigmafree@co.somerset.nj.us Survey
Provider survey: This survey is on behalf of the Somerset County Department of Human Services and Mental Health Board in order to capture all mental health and substance use resources within Somerset County. If you have not already, please answer the following questions to the best of your ability. The data from this survey will inform our referral system to better connect residents who are looking for mental health and/or substance use services in Somerset County. Survey

If you would like to receive assistance and support finding mental health and substance use disorder services, please contact our Behavioral Health System Navigator, Stephanie Billitz, for more information: sbillitz@co.somerset.nj.us or 908-203-6130.

Please direct any general Department of Human Services comments or questions to: humanservices@co.somerset.nj.us 908-704-6300

Stigma Free Conference

Safe Night!

Resources and Upcoming Events