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Citizen of the YearThe Citizen of the Year is awarded to a non-psychologist who has made significant contributions to the ideals of mental health or social welfare. Nominations should consist of several paragraphs detailing why this individual deserves the honor. Supporting documentation may be enclosed. Recipients will be selected by the NJPA Executive Board based upon how well they meet the criteria of the award.
Ms. Rosen has served as Treasurer on the Foundation Board of Trustees since September of 2008. She has provided counsel and advisement with regard to the finances of the Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, in every aspect of the Foundation’s Mission, and has also provided important information in those areas where a question or issue with respect to the financial liaison with NJPA has occurred. Ms. Rosen has also been a tireless advocate for the fund-raising aspects of the Foundation, fully participating in event-planning and suggestions, and even offering her own professional offices and the participation of her colleagues to enhance the financial and overall health of the organization. 2019 Citizen of the Year Patty began her career at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson, NJ. She used her education and experience to give back to this marginalized community. Patty counseled families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit including as she was pregnant with her first child. Her pregnancy added firsthand knowledge of the fears during pregnancy for the health of the baby. In June of 2012, her tight knit family was shattered with the completed suicide of her son Nicky. Nicky was 15 years old and a popular, athletic student. He was close with his twin sister Samantha and a light to his entire family. In the days following Nicky's suicide, Patty, trained in grief counseling, was a comfort to those in her community as they faced this tragic loss together. Shortly after the funeral, Patty channeled her grief into creating the Nicky Green Foundation. The mission of the foundation is education and communication. The foundation awarded the first Nicky Green Scholarships in the Spring of 2013. Applicants answered the question, "What have you done to make a difference in your family, your community and your school?" These renewable $2,000 college scholarships are awarded to one male and one female graduate of Rancocas Valley High School. The scholarship presentations at each location help facilitate awareness of the foundation and suicide prevention. The mission is spread at these events beyond the funding offered to students. 2018 Citizen of the Year
The 2017 Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Ms. Wanda Moore, previous Director of the Office of Community Justice within the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General. Within that capacity, Ms. Moore spearheaded the implementation of community-based crime prevention strategies, coordination of social services delivery and increasing opportunities for youth of promise through effective system-wide changes through the building of on-the-ground strong collaborative community-police partnerships. She was part of the development of youth planning boards in several cities in New Jersey including Atlantic City, Trenton, Camden, and Newark. These local boards focus on positive youth development by working with local communities to identify and define issues that impact their neighborhoods and how to effectively address these issues using data. These efforts were designed to engage disconnected youth, communities and other stakeholders while reducing truancy, delinquency, and violence. Ms. Moore’s extensive grant work has included spearheading an understanding of the relationship between psychological trauma and juvenile justice issues. In April 2016, Ms. Moore organized a “Trauma Informed Care Roundtable” that brought together significant statewide stakeholders across multiple systems to discuss both the impact of trauma and to develop strategies for addressing its causes and consequences. Ms. Moore has repeatedly exhibited an appreciation for the importance of psychological knowledge in the work she has undertaken and has opened herself to collaboration with mental health providers in order to address profound social problems.
I am proud to present the Citizen of the Year Award to Jordan Thomas, an individual who has made a substantial impact on access to mental health services. As an adolescent, Jordan was seeking therapy for issues going on in his life at that time. Jordan had to overcome barriers that many of our clients have had to endure. In addition to the barriers that face many of our clients, Jordan had an additional barrier. This was coming from home. Jordan’s mother would not consent for Jordan to have access to treatment for problems, many of which stemmed from home. Many teenagers would have given up on trying to overcome such barriers, and resign themselves to the unfortunate conclusion that help is just not available for them.
Citizen of the Year 2015
Citizen of the Year 2014
NJPA selected as Superintendent of Schools in East Hanover Township Public Schools District, Dr. Joseph Ricca as our Citizen of the Year for 2013. In his role, he made significant contributions to the ideals of mental health and social welfare. Of particular importance, he have demonstrated an appreciation of the importance of psychologically-based guidelines for bullying prevention and intervention programs and sent a strong and vital message to the community that psychologists and psychology are necessary components to alleviating bullying. |