APA Honors Lawmaker for Major Mental Health Initiatives

State senators are not known for undertaking one-man undercover investigations. But that is what New Jersey Senate President and former Governor Richard Codey did at the former Marlboro State Psychiatric Hospital 20 years ago.

His actions uncovered widespread patient abuses, led to the firing of 35 employees, and contributed to a record that earned him APA's 2007 Jacob K. Javits Award.

The award, which was presented to Codey by Nada Stotland, M.D., APA president-elect, on October 21, 2007, recognizes a public servant who has made a significant contribution to the care of people with mental illness.

Codey's mental health efforts include the first act he took when he became governor in 2004, following the resignation of Jim McGreevey. (Codey became governor at that time by virtue of his position as president of the state senate.) That morning he signed an executive order that established the Governor's Task Force on Mental Health, charged with conducting a comprehensive review of New Jersey's mental health care system. Since then, most of the task force's key recommendations have been enacted through legislation or executive order.

His efforts to prevent institutionalization and homelessness among people with mental illness included the establishment of a $200 million Special Needs Housing Trust Fund to create 10,000 affordable housing opportunities for people with mental illness and other special needs.

Other initiatives included boosting state funding for mental health care; restoration of an independent Department of the Public Advocate, which provides several types of assistance to people with mental illness and others; student-loan forgiveness for professionals working in social-service fields; and expansion of the state's mental health hotline.

The Javits award presentation followed the New Jersey Psychiatric Association's October 2005 presentation to Codey of its Citizen of the Year award—the second time he won that award. His wife, Mary Jo, also was recognized by the district branch for her efforts supporting legislation to mandate postpartum depression screening of women.

Since returning to the state senate after his term as governor expired, Codey has continued to advocate for people with mental illness. Recently, he has advanced bills that require certain health care professionals to provide information and screening for postpartum depression and establish involuntary outpatient commitment to treatment for persons in need of such care.▪