LONG BRANCH — In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, Shore House – in conjunction with The Center for Behavioral Wellness at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch and CPC Integrated Health — will host a Mental Wellness Panel Discussion designed to foster understanding, reduce stigma, and connect community members with accessible resources. This event reflects Shore House’s commitment to creating open conversations around mental health and strengthening the support network within our community.
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The discussion will follow a thoughtful, moderated panel format, allowing for meaningful dialogue among panelists and active audience engagement. We anticipate a dynamic exchange of perspectives that highlights both personal and professional insights into mental wellness and recovery.
The panel will feature individuals with lived experience, loved ones who have supported family members navigating mental illness, and professionals working in the mental health field. By bringing together these diverse voices, we aim to humanize mental health challenges, promote empathy, and emphasize that recovery is possible with the right support, understanding, and access to care.
Through this event, Shore House hopes to empower attendees with knowledge, inspire hope, and continue building a more compassionate and informed community.
The moderator will be Suzy Dyer, Esq., Executive Director, Parker Family Health Center in Red Bank.
Dyer joined Parker Family Health Center in December 2019, coming from Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey where her roles included Chief Philanthropic, Legal & Regulatory Affairs Officer, and most recently Chief Legal Affairs & Compliance Officer.
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Previously, Dyer was an Assistant US Attorney in the District of New Jersey. Prior to that she was an associate in the commercial litigation and bankruptcy departments at Winston & Strawn in New York, N.Y. She received her law degree from St. John’s University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.
Today, she chairs the Red Bank Mayor’s Wellness Campaign and sits on the YMCA Advisory Council, the National Association of Free Clinics Advisory Committee, the Ocean/Monmouth Health Alliance Leadership Council, the New Jersey Department of Health Equity Working Group, and the JBJ and Pilgrim Baptist Warming Center Steering Committee. Suzy is the Board Chair of the Greater Newark Conservancy and sits on the Borden Foundation Board.
Under Dyer’s leadership, the Parker clinic recently completed an extensive construction and renovation project, adding a two-story addition to the clinic and nearly doubling the existing facility space. In 2024, Dyer was awarded both the Human Dignity Award by the YMCA of the Jersey Shore and the Community Partner Award from the VNA Health Group. In 2025, she received the Planning Merit Award from the Monmouth County Planning Board.
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The Panelists
• Marli J. Gelfand, Associate Vice President, Monmouth Medical Center.
Marli Gelfand M.A., L.P.C., A.C.S. is the Associate Vice President of the Behavioral Health Service Line at RWJBarnabas Health — Monmouth Medical Center. She holds Master’s Degrees in Counseling Psychology and in Art Psychotherapy from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. She has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 20 years focusing on work with pediatrics through young adults specializing in Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Grief, Eating Disorders, and LGBTQ+ related concerns and, along with her role at RWJ Barnabas Health, has an active private practice.
Gelfand has been an administrator at Monmouth Medical Center since July 2022 as well as the Service line lead for pediatric behavioral health for RWJBarnabas since May 2025. Prior to Monmouth Medical, she was with Jersey City Medical Center in a similar role for 20 years.
Gelfand is an active member and chairs several local county and state boards and is a requested speaker/trainer within the public and private sector on topics relating to Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health, Trauma, Grief, Self-Care and Wellness for communities and the workforce, Childhood Obesity Prevention and the ongoing Psychological Effects. She also has a vast experience in training workforce in a variety of topics including Leading Resilience in the Workforce, High Reliability Organization Principles, Coaching towards a Cohesive Team and other topics related to Burnout Prevention and Self Care. Gelfand lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children and puppy and enjoys yoga, live music, skiing, surfing and reading.
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Stacy Ross, Author & Mental Health Advocate
Stacy Ross is an author, speaker, and mental health advocate. By openly discussing her lived experience raising a child with mental illness, she shines a light on a unique yet universal story that any parent who has faced challenges will find a piece of themselves in.
Her memoir, Searching for Slippers (Inspired Girl, 2026) is the coming-of-age story of a mom who, in the face of raising a child with Borderline Personality Disorder, ultimately finds the peace, happiness, and lightness she was searching for. Searching for Slippers touches on several themes including the effect of mental illness on the family, parenting and caregiving struggles, acceptance, hope, and even infertility and adoption.
Her hope is that by sharing her story, she will encourage others to do the same, create community, and ultimately reduce stigma making way for real change. Ross has been a keynote speaker in all size venues and formats to women, educators, caregivers, community groups, students, and health care providers. She has been featured as a guest on several podcasts, news programs, college campuses, and for corporate and health care organizations. She volunteers her time by serving as a Board member and active volunteer for NAMI NJ and a Board Member for The Source at Red Bank Regional High School.
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Ross and her husband raised their three children in Monmouth County where they still live today. She holds a BS from Cornell University in Human Development and Family Studies, an MBA from the University of Rochester, and is a certified Yoga Instructor.
Vera Sansone, President & CEO, CPC Integrated Health
Vera Sansone serves as the President and CEO of CPC Integrated Health and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and operational performance of the agency. Known for setting the standard on quality integrated behavioral healthcare in New Jersey and beyond, Sansone leads over 350 team members serving over 12,000 clients annually.
Dedicated to building healthier and more equitable communities and known for being on the forefront of the most recent advancements in mental health and substance use disorders treatment, under her leadership CPC became the first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) in the State of New Jersey and one of the first in the nation. Additionally, Sansone led CPC to become the pilot program and partner to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ for the Integrated Systems of Care (ISC) program which integrates behavioral health services through coordinated care — a program which is now currently being replicated throughout NJ.
She previously served on the New Jersey State Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) for Addictions and Co-Occurring Disorders and is a current member of the Governor’s Fee-For-Service (FFS) Transition Oversight Board and the VNA Health Group, Child and Family Advisory Board. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Sansone previously held numerous administrative and clinical roles in New York State Psychiatric facilities and prior to her current role as President & CEO, Sansone served as CPC’s Chief Operating Officer.