Teens of today have faced major shifts on almost every societal level, which have only been heightened further by racial and school-based violence and the pandemic, and these challenges can rapidly build and negatively impact mental health and well-being. In response to this growing concern, Governor Murphy proposed the NJ Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S) program in September 2022, which sought to replace preexisting mental health services in certain schools with a hub-and-spoke regional model.
While the proposal to cut the preexisting services was called off, this study and its findings remain important, offering insights on mental health indicators, a discussion of the state’s school-based mental health system, and case studies that draw out best practices from other states’ mental health programming. The report’s policy recommendations will inform NJ policymakers as the state continues to consider the redesign of school-based mental health services in the coming years.