NJAMHAA FY23 Advocacy Campaign

New Jersey’s School-based Mental Health Services Must Be Maintained and Expanded NJAMHAA has long advocated for expansion of school-based services. With COVID having had serious impacts on the mental well-being of children and youth, the expansion of stigma-free, accessible services in schools has become even more urgent. While the Department of Children and Families (DCF) moves forward with implementation of the NJ Statewide Student Support Service Network (NJ4S) hub and spoke model, NJAMHAA was pleased that there is a commitment to continue the current School Based Youth Services Program (SBYSP) funding in FY2024. NJAMHAA supports passage of Assembly Bill A4808 that would both ensure SBYSPs continue as they are currently operating and require an independent evaluation of SBYSPs’ effectiveness and “impact on the health, well-being and education” of youth. NJAMHAA also supports the recommendation to conduct a statewide scan of all school-based mental health services, not just those funded by DCF. Many districts self-fund, have private or federal grants or have collaborative relationships with local providers to bring services into their schools. It is important to identify where actual gaps in services exist. NJAMHAA expects the SBYSP evaluation will support further expansion of this long-standing model that has engendered the passionate advocacy of the students, families, schools and communities that have benefited from their services, and the statewide scan will identify where that expansion should occur. Investment Is Needed to Continue Supporting Favio and All New Jersey Youth • Maintain the FY2023 $6 million increase for School Linked Services for total state funding of no less than $27,564,000. • Pass A4808 to protect the integrity of the School Based Youth Services Programs. 9 H  