The New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addictions Agencies (NJHAMHAA), a statewide professional association with more than 180 member agencies, recently awarded McDonnell with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Rich exudes a special warm quality,” said NJHAMHAA President and CEO, Debra Wentz, PhD, when presenting McDonnell with the award last month. “He’s always thinking of ways to improve the system and has been extremely active throughout his career.” 

His career has spanned more than four decades, but the number of lives he has worked so hard to support are unknowable. 

Before joining Family Guidance Center in Warren County 12 years ago, he served, respectively, as Executive Director for the Association for Advancement of Mental Health in Princeton, Director for SERV Centers of NJ, Union and Middlesex County residential mental health projects, as a supervisor for Project New Directions in Jersey City, and as a nursing home social worker. 

At each directorial position, he initiated and led major service expansions to increase the availability of services to individuals and families affected by serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and emotional distress. 

“I would like to speak for all of our staff and Board of Trustees one last time to let the public know that everyone in this agency is dedicated to helping people and their families dealing with emotional distress, mental health or substance use disorders in their lives,” said McDonnell. “We all do our best to be caring, respectful, supportive and to help individuals and families to address, resolve and recover from issues affecting the quality of their lives. Our greatest satisfaction is making a positive difference in our clients lives, providing help for today and hope for tomorrow.”

“His primary concern as Executive Director has been to provide consumers with the services that they need to maximize their individual potential so that they might achieve their goals and live happy and productive lives,” said Laurie Boehm, Director of Program Services at FGC. 

In his role, Boehm noted that McDonnell has led the way to expand outpatient programs, cut down on the waiting list for services, and provide additional employee training. He has worked with other executive directors to advocate for better funding for mental health agencies, and used his role to help break the stigma of mental health issues through ongoing public education. His effort helped members of the community better understand that these are illnesses rather than moral failings, to provide information on available treatments and resources, and to assure those affected by mental health issues that there is hope for recovery. 

“Rich is an extraordinarily hard-working, kind and generous man who cares about people,” said Boehm. She added that the staff and consumers at the Family Guidance Center will surely miss him. 

An avid Yankees, Giants, and Bruce Springsteen fan, McDonnell says he will use his time in retirement to spend more time with his family, who live across the United States and abroad. 

For more information about the Family Guidance Center, including its locations throughout the county, full suite of services, how one can volunteer, and other details about the organization, visit www.fgcwc.org.