The Law Office of John F. Renner is proud to announce its appointment to the Board of Directors of the Mental Health Association of Southwestern New Jersey.

The Mental Health Association of Southwestern New Jersey (MHASWNJ) is the local chapter of the New Jersey Division of Mental Health America. Founded in 1956 this chapter originated in Camden County, but expanded to include Burlington and Gloucester Counties in 1986. The MHASWNJ works to create a community where individuals with mental illness can live and participate to their fullest potential. We pursue our mission through advocacy, education and training, and supportive services.

The MHASWNJ is working to raise public awareness and to improve the public’s understanding and behavior towards mental health and mental illness. Our educational programs help to build a stronger community by reducing the fear of mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it. We are working to educate the public on the treatment and support programs that are available to them within their immediate community. We offer classroom presentations for high school and college classes designed to increase students’ awareness and understanding of mental illness. In addition, we provide in-service training opportunities for staff of community mental health centers, hospitals, and educators. Our Crisis Intervention Team Center of Excellence provides law enforcement officers, mental health professionals and advocates with intensive training to respond to citizens experiencing a behavioral crisis.

The MHASWNJ is a voice for people who have mental illness. Through advocacy, the MHASWNJ influences public policy and programs affecting the lives of the individual and their families. We work with the public policy staff of Mental Health America and the Mental Health Association of NJ to advocate for better treatment of children; for services that divert people with mental illnesses from prison to treatment; for improved conditions and treatment at state psychiatric hospitals; for safe affordable housing; a system of managed care that provides access to quality treatment; and the expansion and provision of community mental health programs. We advocate for sufficient resources to be available to help people learn how to live productively within society.