PO Box 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360

For Release:
April 11, 2018

Shereef Elnahal
Commissioner

For Further Information Contact:
Office of Communications
(609) 984-7160

DMHAS Assistant Commissioner Honored by Mental Health and Addiction Agencies

EDISON - Valerie Mielke, Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), this week was honored by the New Jersey Association for Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA) for her leadership.
Assistant Commissioner Mielke received the State Leadership in Mental Health and Addiction Services Award during NJAMHAA’s annual conference on April 10 at the Pines Manor in Edison.

“We greatly admire Assistant Commissioner Mielke’s leadership and we appreciate the initiatives she undertakes to improve access to and quality of services for individuals with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders, and her collaboration with NJAMHAA and other stakeholders to achieve these goals,” said NJAMHAA President and CEO Debra Wentz. “From her earlier experience as a provider, Assistant Commissioner Mielke has always understood every facet of the field and she consistently demonstrated a personal interest that shines through in all of her communications and efforts.”

The evening awards ceremony was part of NJMHAA’s two-day conference, this year entitled “Creating Balance Through Integrated Care,” which was kicked off with a keynote address in which Department of Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal stressed the importance of a data-based, patient-driven system that integrates behavioral and primary health care.

Dr. Wentz also praised Assistant Commissioner Mielke for her diligence in advocating for community-based services that support recovery from psychiatric and substance use disorders.

“Assistant Commissioner Mielke has always emphasized the peer movement and supported the use of individuals with lived experience and recovery coaches. As she served as the Regional Director for a long time, she has a good understanding of the transition from hospitals into the community and what types of resources are needed, such as supportive housing and supportive employment. It is very appropriate that she is now in a department that is emphasizing integrated health care because that has always been the focus of her approach.”

DMHAS operates four state psychiatric hospitals and is the state mental health authority (SMHA) as well as the Single State Authority on Substance Abuse (SSA) that plans, monitors, evaluates and regulates New Jersey's mental health and substance abuse prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery efforts.

Last Reviewed: 4/11/2018