4-13-2023 4:38pm

New Jersey Tackles Youth Mental Health Crisis with Statewide Initiative

15 Providers Selected to Participate in NJ Statewide Student Support Services Initiative to Address Mental Health Needs of Students in Schools, Communities.

The New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF) has taken a significant step toward addressing the mental health needs of students across the state. DCF has awarded contracts to 15 service providers for the administration and organization of youth mental well-being and prevention services through regional hubs, as part of the NJ Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S) integrated network.

Governor Phil Murphy emphasized the importance of a comprehensive response to support the mental health of students in and out of school settings, while NJ DCF Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer cited the COVID pandemic, social unrest, and workforce challenges as factors exacerbating the youth mental health crisis.

The NJ4S network aims to serve as the vanguard of mental well-being, offering in-school and in-community support for students to avoid crises, build resilience, and access help as needed.

The 15 regional hubs will serve as organizational centers for prevention-oriented services, such as bullying, suicide, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse prevention.

Mental health clinicians and prevention specialists will be dispatched from the hubs to provide services at local "spokes" within the integrated network, including schools, public libraries, churches, and community centers.

Each hub will be guided by a local advisory board consisting of students, parents, community leaders, and various local stakeholders, ensuring that each hub is responsive to the unique needs of its service area.

The services provided through the hub will be targeted and tiered.

Tier 1 services include universal support for all students, such as school assemblies, webinars, and a social-emotional learning curriculum.
Tier 2 services encompass group-based prevention efforts, such as extracurricular programming and mentorship.
Tier 3 services provide brief clinical intervention and connect students in need with more extensive, ongoing therapeutic support through the Children's System of Care and community resources.

NJ4S is designed to avoid duplication of services and effectively utilize the limited pool of mental health experts currently available in the state.

The network also aims to connect different components of the behavioral health system, developing a continuum of care from prevention to mental wellness to mental health care.

The NJ4S network is set to launch within the 2023-2024 academic year.

The 15 awarded hub providers are:

ATLANTIC AND CAPE MAY COUNTIES: Acenda, Inc.
BERGEN COUNTY: Children’s Aid and Family Services, Inc. (CAFS)
BURLINGTON COUNTY: Legacy Treatment Services
CAMDEN COUNTY: Center for Family Services, Inc. (CFS)
ESSEX COUNTY: Family Connections, Inc.
HUDSON COUNTY: Partners in Prevention
MERCER COUNTY: Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton
MIDDLESEX COUNTY: Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC)
MONMOUTH COUNTY: Preferred Behavioral Health Group
MORRIS AND SUSSEX COUNTIES: Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris, Inc.
PASSAIC COUNTY: New Jersey Community Development Corporation
UNION COUNTY: Prevention Links
SOMERSET, HUNTERDON, AND WARREN COUNTIES: Center for Family Services, Inc.
OCEAN COUNTY: Preferred Behavioral Health Group
GLOUCESTER, CUMBERLAND, AND SALEM COUNTIES: Acenda, Inc.

The selected hub providers will meet with NJ DCF later this month to plan for the NJ4S launch before the first day of school in September 2023.

This initiative marks a significant effort to address the mental health needs of students throughout New Jersey, allowing communities to work collaboratively and provide support across the entire spectrum of needs.