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Somerset County proclaims May Mental Health Awareness Month, introduces new county mental health administrator and plans large conference at Raritan Valley CC
Summary
At its meeting the board proclaimed May 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month, and county Department of Human Services staff introduced Lisette Turner as the new county mental health administrator and announced a county mental health conference at Raritan Valley Community College expected to draw more than 200 attendees.
The Somerset County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month in Somerset County and heard remarks introducing the county’s new mental health administrator and plans for a large county mental health conference.
Lisa Federico of the Department of Human Services introduced Lisette Turner as the new county mental health administrator, saying "Lisette started with us at the October," and that Turner has already planned a large mental-health-focused conference to be held Monday the nineteenth at Raritan Valley Community College, with organizers expecting more than 200 attendees.
Federico thanked the board for its support of county mental-health services and said the conference is part of continuing efforts to connect providers, families and community members. Guy Catapano, chair of the Mental Health Board, urged residents to seek help for people they are concerned about and said the county faces "a real problem" with rising stress and mental-health needs. Mark Williams, chair of the Somerset County Stigma-Free Committee, encouraged communities to take the stigma-free pledge and noted that in February 2017 the county commissioners declared Somerset County a stigma-free community.
County speakers also highlighted county-run services, noting that the Richard Hall Community Health and Wellness Center exists to serve residents and that Somerset County is among the few counties in the state operating a county-run mental-health service agency. Speakers reminded residents that the national 988 crisis line is available for immediate help.
Why it matters: the introduction of a dedicated county mental health administrator and a planned conference indicate expanded local coordination of mental-health services. The proclamation and speakers emphasized prevention, reduced stigma and connection to local resources.
The proclamation was signed by the five county commissioners. Details announced at the meeting: Lisette Turner’s start date was stated as "October" (year not specified on the record), and the conference is planned for the Monday the nineteenth at Raritan Valley Community College with an expected attendance of over 200 people.
Speakers asked residents to refer people in crisis to resources and to encourage local communities to adopt stigma-free pledges to support individuals facing mental-health and substance-use challenges.
