A Welcome from Assistant Commissioner Martone 

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By way of background, I have spent most of my career providing supportive housing to people with mental illness.  However, I have always held an interest in emergency response as both a crisis counselor and a certified wild land/forest fire fighter.  Most recently, as a member of Former Governor Codey's Task Force on Mental Health, I was pleased to support the recommendations made by the Emergency Preparedness/Trauma Advisory Sub-Committee, and intend to carry those goals forward in my role with the Division.

As mental health professionals, we must work together to ensure that we are always prepared to respond when the call comes in.  One of our greatest challenges is to maintain our visibility and presence when times are quiet.  The tsunami in Southeast Asia and Hurricane Katrina in our own country are recent reminders of the need to be prepared and the importance of psychological first aid.  Planning, education, training and funding must continuously occur so that we may be responsive to a wide range of events at any time.

The public reads about the large scale events-even the smaller events. It is reassuring to know that as first responder efforts and the media leaves, you are continuing your work. As a result, you are fostering a healthier outcome for people whose lives are impacted by such events. Keep up the good work and I look forward to working with you.

Best regards,

Kevin Martone, Assistant Commissioner
Division of Mental Health Services