Gov. Murphy unveils New Jersey Youth Mental Health Strategic Plan to expand prevention, care
TRENTON, N.J. – Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday announced the release of the New Jersey Youth Mental Health Strategic Plan, a statewide roadmap aimed at sustaining and expanding supports for young people while addressing rising mental health challenges facing children and adolescents.
The plan outlines strategies already underway and identifies additional opportunities to foster youth resiliency, reduce stigma, improve access to care and support caregivers through coordinated efforts among state agencies, schools, health care providers and community organizations.
“Youth mental health has been a defining priority of my Administration – and was a key focus during my time as Chair of the National Governors Association,” Murphy said. “Our children are facing increasing isolation and social pressure brought on by our ever-changing digital landscape and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s up to us to meet this moment with action and provide proper resources to support their complex mental health needs.”
Murphy raised national attention to the youth mental health crisis during his tenure as chair of the National Governors Association from 2022 to 2023. State officials said the new strategic plan builds on that work by highlighting lessons learned since the COVID-19 pandemic and expanding prevention, early intervention and crisis response.
Among the plan’s key recommendations are preparing students to be responsible digital citizens, expanding prevention efforts by training families and educators to recognize warning signs, promoting insurance coverage and affordable treatment through NJ FamilyCare, ensuring smoother transitions for youth returning to school or entering college or the workforce, and expanding the behavioral health workforce through training and education incentives.
The plan also emphasizes including youth voices in program development and tailoring services to meet the needs of specific populations, including LGBTQ+ youth, New Americans, college students and youth with disabilities.
Murphy has signed several laws in recent weeks aligned with the plan, including legislation requiring school districts to adopt bell-to-bell bans on cell phones and personal internet-enabled devices, expanding access to gambling awareness resources on college campuses, clarifying follow-up authority for 9-8-8 crisis centers, and allowing school-based mental health professionals to facilitate referrals for counseling services.
The strategic plan was developed by an interagency team that included the Departments of Education, Children and Families, Health and Human Services, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, and youth advisors with lived experience, with technical assistance from the NGA Center for Best Practices.
“The pervasive mental health epidemic affecting young people has resulted in a whole-of-government approach – a collaboration of state agencies, system partners and individuals with lived experience to assess and identify ways we can enhance the programs and services available to help meet the growing mental health needs of youth and their families,” said Department of Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer. “I applaud Governor Murphy for his commitment to this cause, the investments made during his tenure toward building the state’s behavioral health workforce, prevention services, and the efforts made over the last two years in developing this critical roadmap designed to guide our work moving forward and to keep young people safe, healthy, and connected.”
Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said schools play a critical role in identifying students who may be struggling.
“The Youth Mental Health Strategic Plan is an important step in supporting students across New Jersey,” Dehmer said. “Educators are often the first to notice when a student may be struggling, and schools play a key role in connecting students and families to the help they need.”
Health officials said the plan builds on New Jersey’s expanding mental health infrastructure.
“New Jersey has been a leader in building a strong network of youth mental health resources and services to ensure that adolescents and young adults can access the prevention, treatment, and crisis intervention care that they need to thrive,” said Acting Department of Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. “This strategic plan is a pivotal milestone in charting a sustainable path forward.”
Department of Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman said the plan reflects years of interagency collaboration.
“Youth mental health has been a priority of the Murphy Administration since day one,” Adelman said. “This plan highlights some of our achievements thanks to robust interagency coordination resulting in a stronger youth mental health system shaped by the young people themselves and responsive to today’s challenges.”
Angela Bethea, acting secretary of higher education, said the plan builds on expanded access to care for college students statewide.
“Student mental health and well-being are essential to college completion,” Bethea said. “Today’s recommendations build on our proven strategies to strengthen youth mental health statewide.”
State officials said the strategic plan is intended to guide New Jersey’s youth mental health efforts into the future while building sustainable supports to help young people thrive.
