RELEASE: August 12, 2005

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Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner James M. Davy today introduced newly appointed special assistant commissioner, Division of Mental Health Services, Kevin Martone to mental health consumers representing self-help centers throughout the state.

Acting Governor Richard Codey, who has made improving mental health services one of the top priorities of his administration, said of Martone's appointment: “Kevin cares deeply about people with mental illness. He is a top-notch administrator and he has a track record of developing quality services and community resources. He will be a great asset to the department.”

“Kevin Martone brings excitement, enthusiasm and a consumer-focused approach to mental health service delivery,” said Davy as he and Martone visited the Riverbank Self-Help Center in Burlington , NJ .

As part of the visit, Davy and Martone held a round-table discussion with mental health consumers at the center. Catholic Charities' Riverbank is one of 27 consumer-operated self help centers funded by the Division of Mental Health Services in NJ.

Self-help centers are community centers where mental health consumers socialize with peers, participate in advocacy groups, help each other access services and engage in recreational activities.

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Martone was named to head the department's Division of Mental Health Services after long-time division director, Alan Kaufman retired in June. The division has a budget of over $600 million and operates five psychiatric hospitals and wide range of community-based services for people with mental illness.

“Consumers in NJ are national leaders in actively developing new service models that support recovery while leading to improved quality of life for people with mental illness,” said Martone. “I look forward to working with the entire mental health community to provide a higher quality, consumer-focused mental health system for New Jersey citizens.”

Martone, 34, who formerly served as president and chief executive officer of the Advance Housing Inc., a supportive housing provider in Hackensack , resides in Lake Hopatcong with his wife and two children.

The state fiscal 2006 budget includes $40 million to fund an array of new mental health services recommended by the Governor's Task Force on Mental Illness . Self-help centers will receive an additional $2.1 million of that new funding.

Mental health has been a major focus of the Codey administration since the Acting Governor took office in November. Codey's first official action was to sign an executive order establishing the Governor's Task Force on Mental Health. The task force was charged with conducting a comprehensive review of New Jersey 's mental health care system.

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