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Winter 2026: Hot Topics Podcast: What Mental Health First Aid Really Means, Advocacy Update, A Wellness Journey Worth Reading, Seasonal Affective
Disorder, Partner Spotlight, Updates and Bulletin Board
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MHANJ Podcast, Hot Topics in Mental Health, Is Back!
Hot Topics in Mental Health, a podcast of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ), 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 a practical perspective for professionals, advocates and anyone looking to better support others.
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Recent Immigration Advocacy Call to Action
Thank you to those who responded to MHANJ's recent call to action on a group of bills that would expand existing protections for immigrants in our state. We're happy to share that one of the bills, S5036/A6308, the “Safe Communities Act”, was signed into law by former Governor Phil Murphy. Fear of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids serve as a barrier to care and community supports for immigrants in our communities. This law designates hospitals, public schools, social service sites, and other community providers as sensitive locations. Sensitive locations will be prohibited from assisting ICE in any way, and ICE as an enforcement agency will not be allowed to enter these locations without a judicial warrant.
The other two bills, S5038/A6310 and S5037/A6309, were unfortunately vetoed. If they are reintroduced in the next legislative session, we will continue to advocate for their passage.
Email maltberg@mhanj.org to be added to the email list for future advocacy updates.
| | A Wellness Journey Worth Reading | | |
Out of the Fray
A mother’s experience caregiving for her son through crisis, recovery
Note: This story was originally published in Mental Health Association in Atlantic County's November 2025 newsletter. The names in the story have been changed to protect their privacy. Barbara has one other family member who also lives with schizophrenia.
By Beth Wade,
Public Relations Specialist, Mental health Association in Atlantic County
Few parts of Daniel’s life improved after his symptoms of schizophrenia began, but one did. And that’s the one that matters to his mother.
For Barbara, an estrangement between them had been heavy on her heart. It lifted, though a different weight would soon replace it.
On a bitter cold day in December 10 years ago, her phone rang.
He said, "Mom, I have nowhere to go. I’m in Atlantic City. Can you come and get me?”
She learned he’d not been living with his father but stayed with friends or around the city. At breakfast the next morning, Barbara saw signs that her son was experiencing delusions -- fears about electronics and people who he said were “trying to control him.”
| | Navigating Seasonal Affective Disorder | |
Winter Mental Health
in a Time of Civic Strain
How seasonal depression and societal stress intersect
By Stephanie Sabetta,
Communications Consultant
In the depths of winter, do you find yourself waking up in the dark, reaching for your phone before the day has even begun, or feeling a persistent drop in energy and motivation? Perhaps your mood feels flatter or more irritable, your sleep or appetite has shifted, or your emotional reactions feel more extreme—marked by despair, apathy, or hopelessness. These experiences are often brushed off as the “winter blues,” a temporary slump linked to shorter days and reduced sunlight. But for some, these symptoms may signal something more serious: Seasonal Affective Disorder or (SAD).
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GoMo Health
GoMo Health® delivers award-winning, evidence-based engagement solutions that improve outcomes and reduce costs by personalizing care through behavioral science. Powered by their proprietary BehavioralRx® science and cloud-based platform, they help organizations drive sustained behavior change while securely scaling engagement and measuring real-world impact.
MHANJ is proud to partner with GoMo Health on initiatives that seamlessly connect New Jersey residents with the tools to manage their mental and behavioral health challenges with resources and support in their moment of need. Click here to learn more.
Click on the graphic above to view GoMo Health’s “Creating Lasting Resiliency” video, which offers a powerful reflection on the importance of human connection, compassion, and innovation in strengthening individuals, families, and communities.
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Congratulations are in Order
Congratulations are extended to two of MHANJ's Consumer Connections program team members for awards received from the New Jersey Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (NJPRA) at the end of 2025: (above, left) Chrissy Schayer, CPRP, Director of Consumer Connections, received the NJPRA Educator of the Year Award in recognition of her exceptional impact as a mental health educator and her unwavering commitment to developing the peer workforce; and (above, right) Eve Ellsworth, CPRS, Peer Workforce Coordinator of Consumer Connections, received the NJPRA Alan Lunt Consumer Advocate Award for her leadership in peer advocacy, recovery support and for helping peers build meaningful careers.
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Focus on Youth Suicide Prevention
We can all play a role in teen suicide prevention. MHANJ is pleased to continue a program entitled, A Focus on Youth Suicide Prevention, featuring no-cost suicide prevention training for youth-serving organizations and people who work with youth in the Garden State. It is made possible through the renewal of a $25,000 grant from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Photo features MHANJ's Jaime L. Angelini, MA, DRCC, AMTP, MHANJ's Statewide Director of Suicide Prevention, Crisis Response and Special Projects, providing a training.
Organizations and individuals that serve youth which would like to participate in this teen suicide prevention program are asked to email jangelini@mhanj.org.
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MHANJ's Community Education Team presents a
BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM
Thursday, February 12
Noon -- 1 p.m.
Open to All- Please share
Direct Link to Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85985953040
Honoring History, Healing Minds is an interactive, trauma-informed performance and discussion that explores the mental health implications of Black history through live improvisation, storytelling, and facilitated dialogue. Using real-life scenarios, audience suggestions, and reflective discussion, the NJ Mental Health Players illuminate how historical trauma, racial stress, resilience, and Black joy shape emotional wellness today—while reducing stigma and increasing empathy.
Participants will:
- Understand how Black history and systemic inequities impact mental health.
- Recognize signs of racial stress, trauma, and emotional fatigue.
- Explore resilience, joy, and community care as protective factors.
- Feel validated, seen, and empowered to seek support or support others.
- Engage in meaningful dialogue that promotes healing and understanding.
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