“There is no difference between mental health and physical health. We are one person, one body, and everything is interconnected,” stressed Tara Chalakani, PsyD, LPC, RN, CEO of Preferred Behavioral Health Group and Member of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies’ Board of Directors, during an interview on the New Jersey Morning Show (January 30, 2024).

In addition to emphasizing the importance of eliminating stigma, Dr. Chalakani discussed the increasing need for behavioral healthcare services as the workforce is dwindling, and advocated for increased funding to address these situations.

“The new statistic is that now, one out of every two people will at some point have a bout of depression or anxiety, so it is pervasive, it has only exacerbated since the pandemic and the numbers are escalating,” Dr. Chalakani stated.

“We have lost our workforce since the pandemic — that has escalated as well, as upwards to 40% — that’s the industry standard. So, employers everywhere are struggling and if we don’t have the staff, that just leads to less accessibility to care,” Dr. Chalakani said. “When people are not functioning at their maximum capacity and they’re not receiving the care that they need, it trickles into other areas, which will impact the state. If we have more emergency room visits, more hospitalizations, more incarceration, more people who are homeless — it is a systemic issue,” she said.

 

Click here to watch this interview.