Freeholders And MHADA Board Recognize The Community Contribution of Lana Williams

The Cape May County Freeholders and the Cape May County Mental Health Alcohol and Drug Abuse Board recognized the work of the late Lana Williams in the field of behavioral health at a ceremony held in the Cape Counseling Family Center in Rio Grande on December 12, 2012.
Freeholder Gerald Thornton presented a plaque remembering Lana to her three daughters, Nancy, Lorie and Jackie. Freeholder Thornton said, “I am honored to recognize the wonderful and substantial contribution that Lana made in this county through her work with our residents who are challenged by mental health and substance abuse issues. She is the first and only person who is awarded recognition in both areas due to her vast experience and work in the field of behavioral health. Her vision of integrating treatment for people who suffer from both disorders was significantly ahead of its time, and her compassion for clients was well known and treasured by those who knew her.”
Lana began her career at Cape Counseling Services where she worked as administrative staff for the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center. It was there she developed a deep commitment to the field of counseling. She pursued a BA and Master’s degree at the same time as becoming a credentialed license professional counselor, a licensed certified addictions counselor, a certified prevention specialist and a disaster response credentialed counselor. She was employed in various senior staff positions at Cape Counseling Services in both areas of mental health and substance abuse. She was the director of the substance abuse outpatient service at Burdette Tomlin Hospital (now Cape Regional Medical Center). She worked for Middle Township Schools as a student assistance counselor, as well as a counselor at South Jersey Health Systems Hospital in Bridgeton. She also was employed by the Cape May County Human Services Department as the County Director of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Services for many years, before she left to become a private practitioner.
Lana was in the forefront of recognizing that many people had mental health and substance abuse challenges concurrently, and that they were forced to receive services from two different systems. Her primary passion was to develop a system where counselors would be credentialed in both fields and provide quality care in one setting.
Freeholder Thornton concluded, “Lana was always up for a challenge: she was always thinking about ways to improve the system. In addition, and more importantly, she could connect to her clients in a way that was unique. She was compassionate, insightful and very accessible. Her gifts were many and there are many people who will live more meaningful lives due to knowing her.”