Commissioner of Human Services appoints two new vice commissioners to oversee Mental Health and Addiction Services and FamilyCare of New Jersey
Commissioner Adelman Appoints Renee Browski as Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Gregory Woods as Director of Medicaid Programs
June 14, 2024
(TRENTON) – Secretary Sarah Adelman today appointed new leaders for two key human services divisions: Deputy Secretary Renee Brauski will lead the Mental Health and Addiction Services Division, and Deputy Secretary Gregory Woods will lead the Medical Assistance and Health Services Division, which administers NJ FamilyCare, the state’s Medicaid program.
“I am pleased to have Renee and Greg as our new Deputy Commissioners and appreciate their continued leadership and expansion in the New Jersey Department of Human Services,” said Commissioner Adelman. “They have both been invaluable members of our team and their knowledge and experience have underpinned many of our most important initiatives. I look forward to their continued contributions overseeing two critical divisions of Human Services.”
Brauskie will succeed Valerie Mielke, who was recently promoted to deputy secretary for health services, as deputy secretary. Woods will replace Jennifer Langer Jacobs, who is leaving the state for a new opportunity after five years leading the state’s Medicaid program.
The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services is responsible for coordinating, operating, managing and overseeing the community mental health system, and regulating, monitoring, planning and funding substance use prevention, treatment and recovery support services. Among other initiatives, the Division administers the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the 844-ReachNJ Addiction Treatment Helpline and the StopOverdoses.nj.gov program, which distributes life-saving naloxone free of charge at participating pharmacies.
As Deputy Assistant Secretary at DMHAS, Ms. Burawski has overseen multiple departments and provided leadership direction and management in the statewide planning and expansion of programs to assist individuals with substance use disorders and diagnosed mental illnesses. During her tenure at DMHAS, she served as Director of Sandy Recovery, where she developed supportive housing, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment services for adults with serious mental illness and substance use disorders. As Chief of Staff, she also provided leadership and oversight in many areas, including the transition of contracting from cost-based to fee-for-service payment.
Prior to joining DMHAS, Ms. Burawski spent the past 10 years working in disaster behavioral health, developing and overseeing several disaster response and recovery programs. Throughout her career, she has worked in county government as a mental health administrator and in the non-profit sector with a variety of behavioral health programs, including outpatient, partial care, and intensive family support services programs.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from Seton Hall University and her master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University.
“I thank Secretary Adelman for this opportunity and am excited to follow in Deputy Secretary Mielke’s footsteps and help New Jersey navigate the challenges of providing quality mental health and addiction services to those who need them,” said Brauski. “Deputy Secretary Mielke’s unwavering leadership has saved countless New Jerseyans from many difficult challenges, and we will work hard to carry on her legacy. What’s great about DMHAS is that we are committed to saving lives. We’ve taken great steps to remove barriers to care and make resources available, but we know there is always more to do. I look forward to working with the incredible team at DMHAS to continue to find ways to improve and save lives and provide quality care to New Jerseyans in need.”
The Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services administers the state’s Medicaid program, known as NJ FamilyCare, which provides health insurance to low- and moderate-income children and adults. Funded by state and federal funds, the program provides a comprehensive range of services, including doctor visits, hospital services, prescriptions, testing, vision care, mental health care, dental, nursing and community-based home care. This includes efforts related to the Cover All Kids program and the First Lady’s NurtureNJ maternal and child health efforts.
Woods has led policy and innovation efforts at DMAHS since 2019. In that position, he led several major initiatives, including updating New Jersey’s comprehensive 1115 Demonstration, implementing new payment models and program innovations for NJ FamilyCare, and redetermining special eligibility rules put in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Prior to state government, she worked at the federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation in various roles, including Director of the Policy and Programs Group, and has also worked for the Department of Health and Human Services, a health policy consulting firm, and a nonprofit organization focused on behavioral health issues.
He holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor’s from Columbia University.
“I appreciate Chairman Adelman’s confidence in me and look forward to working with the excellent team overseeing NJ FamilyCare to ensure our programs and services continue to meet the health care needs of our members in the best way possible,” said Woods. “I also want to thank Vice Chairman Jacobs for being an exemplary friend, mentor and leader who has laid a strong foundation for DMAHS’s future success. We have much work to do, but I am excited to begin exploring and embarking on new approaches to providing quality care to the people who rely on NJ FamilyCare.”
Commissioner Adelman praised Jacobs’ service to the people of New Jersey and said she will be missed.
“Jen’s leadership was extraordinary, leading New Jersey FamilyCare and its more than two million members through a global pandemic while continuing to advance many of New Jersey Human Services’ most important initiatives and accomplishments,” said Secretary Adelman. “Jen improved Medicaid vendor performance, advanced managed care accountability, and brought innovative ideas to life, like coverage for all children and expanded insurance coverage for pregnant women, as part of our efforts to make New Jersey the safest place to have a baby. The work was hard, but Jen was always up to the task, and her knowledge, experience and perseverance seemed endless. We will miss her, but her legacy will be long-lasting. Thanks to Jen, we will be positioning generations of healthier New Jerseyans to succeed and thrive.”
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as Medicaid Director alongside the incredibly hard-working NJ FamilyCare team,” said Deputy Commissioner Jacobs. “Together we have advanced programs that improve the lifespan experience of the people we serve, from prenatal care to primary care, complex care, behavioral health, social needs and long-term care. The programs are broad, the needs of our community are deep, and the work continues. I am proud to have worked with the NJ FamilyCare team during this unprecedented time, and I look forward to Greg’s new leadership continuing the work we’ve done together.”
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