Eva's Village Clinician named Mental Health Association Hero!

For Immediate Release

October 27, 2020

Stephanie Sabetta

ssabetta@mhanj.org

Mental Health Association in New Jersey

selects

Gage Blanck-Singer, MS, LCADC, LAC, NCC

as

Behavioral Healthcare Hero!

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ) is pleased to announce that Gage Blanck-Singer, MS, LCADC, LAC, NCC has received the Behavioral Healthcare Hero Award. Mr. Blanck-Singer is a Clinical Supervisor of the Men’s Halfway House at Eva’s Village in Patterson, NJ, a low intensity residential program. Prior to being elevated to his current position, Mr. Blanck-Singer was a counselor in the Intensive Outpatient Unit.

This award recognizes his extraordinary commitment in the field of Behavioral Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The majority of clients come to Eva’s Village outpatient facility for addiction treatment, but many have co-occurring issues. In March, when the pandemic erupted the staff noticed clients displaying signs of illness such as fever and cough. This situation quickly escalated to include very sick clients presenting with Covid-19.

This was a potentially dangerous situation because the virus could quickly spread to the entire community including the residential units. A decision was made to set up an area to allow these sick clients to be isolated, receive treatment and hopefully recover. Mr. Blanck-Singer’s supervisor at the time, Michael Rivera, reports that, “Gage was instrumental in totally transforming the outpatient clinic offices into a full-service infirmary.”

In addition, Mr. Blanck-Singer immediately volunteered to don the PPE and take shifts on a regular basis to care for these patients. This was at the beginning stages of the pandemic, when the risks were not fully understood and information on the virus was changing daily, if not hourly.

“Gage essentially became a nurses’ aid by assisting and monitoring these sick clients, bringing them food three-times a day, taking temperatures and checking their breathing,” states Mr. Rivera. This work was critical due to a lack of capacity at the local hospital and it continued every day for three months.

Mr. Blanck-Singer was thrilled to report that, “We didn’t lose anyone. All of our patients recovered.” He added, “It was more than just the physical care– we had to be there for them; to care for them psychologically and emotionally. Our focus in addiction recovery is on social support groups and all of those sessions stopped due to Covid-19; it was up to us to keep them emotionally healthy.”

Moreover, Mr. Blanck-Singer extended himself further by simultaneously volunteering at the Men’s Halfway House. “He would transition from his sick patients and come here to fill any position, whether a residential or a clinical staffing need. He obviously went so much above and beyond his normal duties during this crisis,” stated Victoria Nagel, Clinical Director of the Men’s Halfway House. “Having him was such a relief, like a breath of fresh air,” she shared.

When asked how scary it was to be thrust into a role you are unprepared for with so much responsibility for people’s lives, Mr. Blanck-Singer modestly says, “I was really happy to be there with them when they needed me most. It’s what I do -- I love this.”

Spoken like a true hero!

Congratulations to Gage Blanck-Singer! The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is proud to honor this dedicated professional. His incredible courage, generosity and sacrifice indicate his willingness to go to extraordinary measures to bring comfort to those individuals navigating Covid-19, addiction and other behavioral health concerns during the pandemic.

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey established the Behavioral Healthcare Hero Awards program to recognize unsung heroes in behavioral health who are going “above and beyond” to help people with mental health and substance use disorders and their family members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visit https://www.mhanj.org/heroawards/ for more information including guidelines for nominating someone for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey’s Behavioral Healthcare Hero Award.

About the Mental Health Association in New Jersey

The MHANJ is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for children and adults to achieve victory over mental health and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training, and services. For more information, visit www.mhanj.org or call 800-367-8850.

Mental Health Association in New Jersey Statewide Headquarters

673 Morris Ave., Suite 100, Springfield, NJ 07081

Phone: 973-571-4100 Website: www.mhanj.org