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Essex: 973-509-9777
Morris: 973-334-3496
Passaic: 973-470-3142
Sussex: 973-579-4399
Please join us so that your voice, too, can be heard, your priorities can be addressed, and your opinions can be made to count!
The Annual Legislative Breakfast provides an important opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with state, county, and local elected officials about issues affecting individuals and families living with mental illness and substance use disorders. It also gives policymakers the opportunity to share their perspectives on legislation and public policy that can shape access to care, treatment, and community supports.
As a forum for advocacy and collaboration, the Annual Legislative Breakfast reflects the Essex and Morris County Mental Health Coalition’s commitment to advancing policies that strengthen the mental health system and improve the lives of those we serve. We invite you to join us, share your voice, help shape the conversation, and be part of creating meaningful, lasting change.
The Essex County Mental Health & Addiction Coalition will host their
26th Annual Legislative Breakfast, providing a forum for community members
and policymakers to address mental health developments.
When: Friday, October 2, 2026
Where: Wilshire Grand
350 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange NJ 07052
Time: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Cost: $35 for Individual Ticket, $350 to Co-Sponsor Table of 10
Jennifer Egan
Author of “The Candy House”
Jennifer Egan is the author of six previous books of fiction: Manhattan Beach, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction; A Visit from the Goon Squad, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; The Keep; the story collection Emerald City; Look at Me, a National Book Award Finalist; and The Invisible Circus. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Granta, McSweeney’s, and The New York Times Magazine. Her website is JenniferEgan.com.
The Morris County Mental Health & Addiction Coalition will host their
8th Annual Legislative Breakfast, providing a forum for community members
and policymakers to address mental health developments.
When: Friday, October 9, 2026
Where: Park Avenue Club
184 Park Avenue, Florham Park, NJ, 07932
Time: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Cost: $35 for Individual Ticket, $350 to Co-Sponsor Table of 10
Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, M.D.
The Jewish Board CEO
Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, M.D. joined The Jewish Board as CEO in May 2021. A healthcare and nonprofit leader focused on improving outcomes for vulnerable and complex populations, Dr. Brenner began his career as a frontline family physician, providing full-spectrum family health services for a Medicaid-enrolled population.
Recognizing the need for a new way for hospitals, providers, and community residents to collaborate, he founded what would become the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers in 2002 and served as its CEO from its incorporation in 2006 through 2017.
Michelle Borden, LCSW
NewBridge Services CEO
Michelle Borden has more than 40 years experience in nonprofit leadership, including 23 at NewBridge Services. Ms. Borden is a force behind NewBridge’s innovative programming, designed with flexibility to meet communities’ changing needs.
As CEO, she oversees day-to-day operations, quality management and regulatory compliance. Ms. Borden coordinates the nonprofit’s response to community crises, and represents the organization in local, county and statewide planning efforts. She is a Certified School Social Worker, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Social Work Manager, and a Disaster Response Crisis Counselor.
Any contribution makes possible the enhancement of all our programs for the benefit of those we serve.
