Mission

To improve mental health services and outcomes in northern New Jersey by enhancing the cultural competence of mental health professionals and their organizations.

Why we do what we do?

While cultural competence is critical to an effective mental health system, agencies often struggle to find the time and resources to improve organizational cultural competence.
Research shows that cultural competence improves/increases/enhances mental health providers’ capacity to:

  • Respond to current and projected demographic changes
  • Foster social justice
  • Eliminate disparities in the mental health status of people of diverse racial, ethnic and cultural groups
  • Improve the quality of their services and outcomes

While cultural competence is critical to an effective mental health system, agencies often struggle to find the time and resources to improve organizational cultural competence. Therefore, The NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services has funded Culture Connections and encouraged licensed agencies to engage in creating plans that utilize the CLAS standards to grow in their cultural competence journey.

Culture Connections emphasizes viewing cultural competence not as an add-on, but as a vital, core component of any mental health organization’s mission.

Staff

Konniesha M. Moulton is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and a Director of Programs at Family Connections, oversees Culture Connections, among other programs. She has more than 10 years of experience working with the child welfare system and the Children System of Care; including roles in in-home therapeutic treatment, out of home placement facilities, juvenile justice and community resource agencies. Not only has she worked in these capacities, she has also created new program initiatives to enhance ongoing support for families and children within the community.

Ms. Moulton has been trained in various evidence-based and promising practices of trauma treatment, including Attachment Self-Regulation and Competence (ARC), ARC GROW, Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) , Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART), Motivational Interviewing and the Integrative Treatment of Complex Trauma for Adolescents (ITCT-A). Her passion for trauma-informed care, extends to supporting culturally inclusive policies and practices. She believes in providing education and best practices to clinicians and paraprofessionals about working with individuals impacted by trauma and always with a culturally informed lens.

Jayme S. Ganey is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and currently the Program Manager for Family Connections’ Culture Connections. She is also co-chair of the agency’s Cultural Competency Committee and a member of New Jersey’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ Multicultural Services Advisory Committee. She has more than more than 7 years’ experience in program development and service provision in both adult mental health services and the Children’s System of Care, including caregiver support services, in-home and in-community therapeutic assessment and case management services, and community support services. Additionally, she has 16 years’ experience as a trainer and speaker, with over 7 years spent creating programming and training clinicians, organizational leaders, peer counselors and community members in advocacy, cultural competency, crisis intervention, Mental Health First Aid, and trauma informed care.

Jayme has been trained in Mental Health First Aid, Motivational Interviewing, Attachment Self-Regulation and Competence (ARC), and the Nurtured Heart approach. Additionally, she has channeled her passion for cultural competency and inclusion, health advocacy and promotion of self-care into writing articles for multiple publications, two of which won National Association of Black Journalism Awards.

Connect with us for more information about training, technical assistance, and resources:

  • Email the Culture Connections team at [email protected]
  • Contact the Family Connections’ Administrative Office: 7 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 101, East Orange, NJ 07017, 973-323-3454