Melissa J. Oparaku is the Vice President of Outpatient Clinical Services at CarePlus NJ, where she provides leadership over outpatient behavioral health operations. With a 16-year tenure at the organization, she has demonstrated a sustained commitment to supporting recovery for youth and adults across diverse settings, including community-based, outpatient, partial care, residential, correctional, and hospital environments. She holds a graduate degree in Counseling from Montclair State University.

Melissa has played a key role in advancing CarePlus NJ’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model, including serving as Project Director for SAMHSA-funded expansion grants. In this role, she led large-scale clinical and operational strategies to strengthen integrated care delivery, ensure regulatory compliance, and achieve performance targets. With over a decade of progressive leadership experience, Melissa brings deep expertise in program development, clinical supervision, and system-wide operations. She is known for translating strategic priorities into actionable initiatives that expand access to care, optimize financial performance, and enhance service delivery across multidisciplinary teams.

Specializing in co-occurring disorders, Melissa’s expertise includes early psychosis intervention and perinatal mental health. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Approved Clinical Supervisor, and holds a Perinatal Mental Health Certification. She is passionate about building innovative, sustainable behavioral health programs and fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Her work is grounded in a commitment to expanding access to high-quality, integrated behavioral health care across the communities CarePlus NJ serves.