Paramus Org. To Serve As 'Hub' For Bullying, Suicide Prevention Services: NJ officials

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A local service provider was awarded a contract to administer and organize youth mental wellbeing and prevention services throughout the region.

Children's Aid and Family Services, of Paramus, was one of 15 providers selected to participate in a statewide initiative to address the mental health needs of students in schools and communities, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families said Wednesday.

"With this announcement, we are one step closer to getting an (integrated student supports network) off the ground, to serve as part of the larger continuum of care our state offers to young people," Gov. Phil Murphy said.

As part of the rollout of the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Service network, CAFS will be an organizational center, or hub, for regional services to prevent bullying, suicide, teen pregnancy and substance abuse, the state department said.

NJ4S, which is expected to launch within the 2023-2024 academic year, will serve as the "vanguard of mental wellbeing," providing supports to help students avoid crises, build resilience and access help as needed, Department of Children and Families commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer said.

Specialists and mental health clinicians will be dispatched from the hub to offer services to students along "spokes" within the network, which can include schools or other trusted sites within the community, such as libraries, churches or community centers, the state said.

"Working together with our sister state agencies, local school board, and community service providers, we can provide care across the entire spectrum of need and make the most of our current infrastructure to support students in all facets of care," Beyer added.

CAFS will operate the regional hub, which will be guided by a local advisory board, comprised of students, parents, elected and community leaders, and local social services agencies. By incorporating this aspect of governance, the state said, the hub will be able to "respond and adapt" to the needs of its service area and tailor the model with a local focus.

"We’re allowing our hubs to be what their communities need, while still making the most of evidence-based prevention solutions," the department's assistant commissioner for family and community partnerships Sanford Starr said. "This approach gives communities ownership and shared leadership, so that we can work collaboratively."

Services administered through the hub will be tiered, with Tier 1 services covering universal supports that all students can benefit from, including school assemblies, webinars for parents and school staff, social-emotional learning curriculum, and more.

Tier 2 services will cover group-based prevention, including extracurricular programming, mentorship, and more. Tier 3 services are intended for brief, clinical intervention to refer students in need to more extensive, comprehensive therapeutic supports.

CAFS and the 14 other selected hub providers will meet with the Department of Children and Families later this month to plan for the launch of NJ4S prior to the first day of school in September.