County Freeholders, MHADA Board Recognize Three Citizens for Community Contribution

COURT HOUSE — Municipal Alliance Volunteer, Jennifer Elias, Middle Township Police Chief Christopher M. Leusner and Lighthouse Church Volunteer, Sueanne Agger were honored by the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Mental Health Alcohol and Drug Abuse (MHADA) Board for their work in the community.
Freeholder Jeffrey L. Pierson, liaison to the Cape May County Human Services Department, presented each recipient with a plaque that acknowledged their efforts at the Dec. 13 board meeting.
“These individuals have contributed greatly to our county and the vision of a healthier community while also providing a compassionate response to those with behavioral health challenges,” said Freeholder Jeffrey L. Pierson.
Jennifer Elias was recognized as the Cape May County Municipal Alliance (MAC) Volunteer of the Year.
Elias is a member of the Upper Township/Ocean City Municipal Alliance Committee and has worked on many MAC projects during her five years on the Committee. She helped to establish the Friday with Friends program in Ocean City. This programs hosts a series of alternate activities for teens on Friday evenings, the time when local youth indicate that they are at a higher risk of drinking alcohol.
She has attended every Friday with Friends event since it began in 2014 and is quick to help out with the other activities that are sponsored by MAC. Her positive attitude and creative ideas enhance the MAC’s efforts to build a healthy and drug free community.
Elias also volunteers on the parent involvement committee at Ocean City Intermediate School. She is an instructor of the Ocean City Police Department Youth Leadership program and a Youth Camp Counselor.
Elias has been a police officer for 17 years. She currently works for the Ocean City Police Department and lives in Ocean City with her daughter.
Chief Christopher M. Leusner of Middle Township was recognized by the MHADA Board for his activities in both areas of substance use and mental health.
Chief Leusner is currently working with the Prosecutor’s Office to bring Mental Health Issues with De-escalation Techniques and Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) to local police departments. This training will assist officers to de-escalate a situation when someone with a mental health diagnosis interacts with law enforcement.
He also has been very active in the substance use area by establishing an intervention program in the courts for people who are arrested for a minor crime in which substance use could have played a role. An advocate is present in the court to assist those brought before the judge to seek treatment or assistance if substance use is involved.
Leusner recently partnered with The Lighthouse Church’s Christians United for Recovery (CURE) program to establish a unique intervention program that is modeled after the Gloucester, Mass. “Angel Program.” This program encourages people needing treatment to come into the local police department. A responder from CURE will meet the person at the station and assist them to access treatment.
Chief Leusner started his career in law enforcement in 1997. He currently serves as President of the Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association and is fourth Vice President of the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Association, expecting to be president in 2019. He served as the State President of the FBI National Academy New Jersey Chapter and was a leadership exchange fellow at the College of Policing in the United Kingdom.
He lives with his wife and two sons in Middle Township.
Sueanne Agger was recognized for her volunteer activities associated with the CURE ministry of The Lighthouse Church in Cape May Court House.
The Lighthouse Church established this program in 2014 due to the growing number of heroin overdoses in the county and has since built a remarkable response to the issue. Through church and community volunteers, CURE has organized the ASAP team which will respond to anyone admitted to the Emergency Room at Cape Regional Medical Center for a substance abuse issue on a 24/7 basis to assist the person to access treatment as soon as possible. Agger directs CURE’s ASAP program.
She has an active presence at a local day center that assists homeless individuals and families and helps people into treatment there as well. The response to the Middle Township Angel program is directed by Agger along with the effort to possibly expand the program in other municipalities.
Agger is a business owner in Wildwood and North Cape May. She is a member of the Lower Township Healthy Youth Coalition and is a Team Leader for Cape May County with the National Council on Addiction and Drug Dependence.
She has three grown children and lives in Wildwood Crest.