CarePlus NJ’s Brigitte Johnson receives award for DEI efforts

Paramus-based CarePlus New Jersey CEO and President Brigitte Johnson was awarded the Transformational Leadership in DEI Award by the New Jersey Association of Mental Health & Addiction Agencies.

Johnson received her award Wednesday at NJAMHAA’s virtual membership meeting, for her commitment to increasing diversity, equity & inclusion throughout her career, including in leadership roles at CarePlus NJ and on the boards of the NJAMHAA and New Jersey Mental Health Institute.

Demonstrating an unwavering dedication to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging at CarePlus, Johnson spearheaded the formation of CarePlus NJ’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action Committee, which was founded in response to the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

Under Johnson’s leadership, the IDEA Committee is committed to both community education and internal cultural transformation; this includes facilitating weekly staff-to-staff support groups, instigating revisions to the organization’s human resources policies and procedures, and consistently advancing initiatives to seamlessly integrate inclusion, diversity, equity & belonging principles throughout all facets of CarePlus NJ’s operations.

“Diversity, equity & inclusion are not empty gestures to meet quotas or appear socially conscious, but an active expansion of our perspectives, our possibilities and capabilities. Fostering DEI in the workplace brings new perspectives, prevents monolithic thinking and supports mindfulness. DEI is necessary for mental and behavioral health care to effectively serve every client’s unique needs,” Johnson said. “I’m very thankful to the CarePlus team for their participation and support in creating a more inclusive organization and to the New Jersey Association of Mental Health & Addiction Agencies for recognizing my efforts as well as the importance of DEI in all workplaces and communities.”