Our Founder – Dr. James Marhold

JAMES MARHOLD, DHA/DBA

Declarations’ Founder/CEO James Marhold has been creating award-winning, innovative community-based programs for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness throughout the state for nearly three decades.

With experience as a senior executive with agencies whose annual budgets totaled well over $100 million, he has provided community-based services to over 500 individuals and their families, and has personally trained over 1000 human services workers throughout New Jersey. His desire to build a more flexible, consumer-oriented agency laid the groundwork for Declarations, which provides clients with a professional, yet personalized approach to rehabilitative services.

Programs that Dr. Marhold has implemented have reduced the length of stay in transitional housing programs from an average of over 10 years to an average of 18-24 months. Graduation rates rose from 5-7% on average to 70% within the first two years.

Dr. Marhold has been a keynote speaker in the area of disability services at numerous statewide conferences. In 2002, he received an award from the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey and the Corporation for Supportive Housing for his work in creating new strategies to promote and develop supportive living programs. Dr. Marhold has proudly served on the Board of Directors for the National Council for Behavioral Health in Washington D.C. and the Supportive Housing Association of NJ, where he served as Chair.

He has been routinely sought as a policy advisor by U.S. Senators, U.S. Congressmen and numerous state and local officials in the areas of affordable housing and behavioral healthcare. He is the author of the Life Coaching Model, which provides treatment guidelines specifically for individuals with a dual diagnosis of developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. Dr. Marhold achieved a Master’s Degree in Non-Profit/Governmental Administration, an MBA, and currently holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration.