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NJCTS’ Marty Butterfield honored by NJAMHAA with Outstanding Behavioral Healthcare Supporter Award

The NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders’ Family Outreach Coordinator was presented the award at the annual Courage & Compassion Awards Reception on April 24.

EDISON – When families call the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS) looking for help, one of the first voices they hear often is that of NJCTS Family Outreach Coordinator Marty Butterfield. Armed with a plethora of knowledge about TS and the region’s health-care professionals who present the best services, Butterfield’s No. 1 goal is to offer answers and compassion to everyone who dials 908-575-7350.

Butterfield’s mastery of her job has not only drawn the admiration of the families with which she’s spoken, it has captured the attention of many in the nonprofit world – specifically the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA), which honored Butterfield with the Outstanding Behavioral Healthcare Supporter Award at its annual Courage & Compassion Awards Reception on April 24 at the Pines Manor.

A part of the NJCTS team for nearly a decade and a resident of Raritan, Butterfield was recognized alongside such notable dignitaries as New Jersey State Senator Loretta Weinberg (State Legislative Leader for Behavioral Health), United States Congressman Leonard Lance (Outstanding Federal Leadership for Behavioral Health) and University Behavioral Healthcare’s Dr. Mark Rosato (Extraordinary Compassion in Mental Healthcare Services).

“Marty Butterfield is the voice of New Jersey families living with Tourette Syndrome and its associated disorders,” NJCTS Executive Director Faith W. Rice said. “She is the first person many parents speak to in the desperate moments between fear and diagnosis, and she’s the architect of the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome’s family support program.”

“Marty’s brand of care is rooted in empathy and service, and she is extremely deserving of this award,” Rice added. “We thank NJAMHAA for recognizing Marty’s many contributions to the TS community.”

In June, Butterfield will retire – leaving a legacy of unequivocal care and compassion. Butterfield consistently provides an unparalleled sense of calm and comfort to parents navigating the ever-changing complexities of TS and associated disorders such as OCD, ADHD, anxiety and depression.

Her day doesn’t end when the office closes. It’s routine for Butterfield to give much of her own time to soothe and assess parents, family members, educators and even clinicians. She is adept at gauging the level of care each family needs during this initial interaction and helps families in crisis sort through myriad problems that arise with Tourette.

Following a call to Butterfield, a family’s feelings of confusion and despair often are replaced by a sense of hope and knowledge that they have an ally who can help them see clearly enough to identify and prioritize which interventions would be most effective. “Marty is dedicated to our families far beyond the intake phase,” Rice said. “She personally advocates within the organization and among community partners for the specific needs of the families NJCTS serves. If several weeks have lapsed in between points of contact, it’s routine for Marty to call and check in on a family. Over the years, she has proudly shared the news of their many graduations, job offers and weddings of the ‘kids’ helped by NJCTS. She is an integral part of their family – and ours.”

In addition to her warmth and effective intake and management skills, Butterfield coordinates the NJCTS Support Group program, which has grown to include hospitals throughout the state, and the Helpline, which matches parents of children recently diagnosed with TS with mentor parents who have navigated the same difficult terrain. Butterfield also oversees volunteer resources and plays a vital role in organizing many education and outreach events, including the annual NJCTS Family Retreat Weekend.

For more information about the programs and services NJCTS provides, please call 908-575- 7350 or visit www.njcts.org.