Take Action Mental Health in Your State

New Jersey

By The Numbers

1,330,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

86,000
Children with major depressionii
42,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:731

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:655

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:358

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in New Jersey

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

School Mental Health Professionals

Some progress achieved

School psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools.

Current Policy Achieved:

• School Psychologists: Illinois has one school psychologist for every 1,261 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).
• School Social Workers: Illinois has one school social worker for every 741 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
• School Counselors: Illinois has one school counselor for every 626 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).

Policy Opportunity:

Invest in significantly improving the ratios of school psychologists, school social workers, and counselors in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in behavioral health.

HOW NEW JERSEY COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

22

6

6

7

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

53,000 / 7.91

77,000 / 11.17%

82,000 / 11.95%

86,000 / 12.71%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

40,000 / 57.8%

40,000 / 55.7%

42,000 / 58.90%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

47,000 / 7%

54,000 / 8.1%

55,000 / 8.40%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

16,000 / 32.5%

16,000 / 32.5%

14,000 / 28.40%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

8,377 / 6.82%

7,690 / 6.12%

7,484 / 5.89%

7,313 / 5.84%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

Not Asked

18,000/5%

14,000/4%

18,000/5%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

49,000/6.97%

23,000/3.34%

23,000/3.42%

22,000/3.33%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
New Jersey

By The Numbers

1,330,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

86,000
Children with major depressionii
42,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:731

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:655

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:358

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in New Jersey

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

School Mental Health Professionals

Some progress achieved

School psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools.

Current Policy Achieved:

• School Psychologists: Illinois has one school psychologist for every 1,261 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).
• School Social Workers: Illinois has one school social worker for every 741 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
• School Counselors: Illinois has one school counselor for every 626 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).

Policy Opportunity:

Invest in significantly improving the ratios of school psychologists, school social workers, and counselors in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in behavioral health.

HOW NEW JERSEY COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

22

6

6

7

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

53,000 / 7.91

77,000 / 11.17%

82,000 / 11.95%

86,000 / 12.71%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

40,000 / 57.8%

40,000 / 55.7%

42,000 / 58.90%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

47,000 / 7%

54,000 / 8.1%

55,000 / 8.40%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

16,000 / 32.5%

16,000 / 32.5%

14,000 / 28.40%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

8,377 / 6.82%

7,690 / 6.12%

7,484 / 5.89%

7,313 / 5.84%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

Not Asked

18,000/5%

14,000/4%

18,000/5%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

49,000/6.97%

23,000/3.34%

23,000/3.42%

22,000/3.33%

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.

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School Mental Health Professionals

Little or no progress achieved

chool psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools.

 

Current Policy:

  • School Psychologists: New Jersey has one school psychologist for every 731 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).
  • School Social Workers: New Jersey has one school social worker for every 655 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
  • School Counselors: New Jersey has one school counselor for every 358 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Invest in further improving the ratios of school psychologists, school social workers, and counselors in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in behavioral health. 

School-Family-Community Partnerships

Some progress achieved

Policies that support and enable schools to engage with families and community partners.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Family/community engagement: State policies to engage parents and families in the educational process, but not required by statute.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require, rather than encourage, school districts to adopt family engagement plans.
  • Require partnerships between school districts and community mental health providers that ensure access to services for students with ongoing needs.

Teacher and Staff Training:

Some progress achieved

Policies that support training of teachers and staff in mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention.

 

Current Policy:

  • Teacher/staff training: 18A:6-112 (2013) requires every public school teaching staff member to attend at least two hours of suicide prevention training, including anti-bullying and harassment.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand on existing training requirements to ensure K-12 teachers and staff receive regular training on mental health conditions and substance use conditions, including available school and community-based services and resources.

Funding Supports

Little or no progress achieved

Policies that help support funding of school mental health services for Medicaid-eligible students.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Medicaid coverage: State Medicaid program does not cover school-based mental health services for all Medicaid-eligible students.
  • Medicaid telehealth: State Medicaid program only covers school-based mental health services delivered via telehealth for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand Medicaid billing to include school-based mental health services, including via telehealth, for all Medicaid eligible students (beyond students with an IEP).
  • Ensure the state Medicaid program covers services delivered by school psychologists, social workers, and school counselors.

Well-Being Checks

Meaningful progress achieved

Regular checks of mental wellness that help identify students and staff who may need support.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Well-being checks: 18A:40-5.5 (2021) Establishes $1 million Mental Health Screening in Schools Grant Program in DOE; requires public schools to administer annual written screenings for depression for students in grades 7-12.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Build on Mental Health Screening in Schools grant program and require annual well-being checks to all students and staff in K-12.

Healthy School Climate

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that foster safe, supportive schools, including anti-bullying policies, school climate surveys, inclusive environment (anti-discrimination) policies, excused absences for mental health, alternatives to exclusionary discipline, and suicide prevention programs.

 

Current Policy:

  • School climate survey: The School Climate Improvement Survey is a comprehensive instrument administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to collect and analyze data regarding the current and emerging needs of K-12 schools.
  • Anti-bullying:
    • 18A:37-15 (2013) requires each school district to adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying on school property, at a school-sponsored function or on a school bus. 
    • 18A:37-21 requires school districts to form a school safety team in each school to foster a positive school climate and address issues such as harassment, intimidation, or bullying. 
    • 18A:37-29 designates “Week of Respect” to focus on preventing harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
  • Inclusive environment: 
    • The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, NJ Rev Stat §10:5-12(11)(f) (2009), generally makes it unlawful for schools to subject individuals to differential treatment based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability or nationality.
    • NJ Rev Stat §18A:36-41 (2017) directs the Department of Education to establish guidelines regarding the needs of transgender students and to assist schools in establishing policies and procedures that ensure a supportive and nondiscriminatory environment for transgender students.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Enact legislation to address additional healthy school climate policies, such as permitting excused absences for mental health concerns, requiring age-appropriate suicide prevention education for students, and requiring adoption of alternatives to exclusionary discipline that keep youth in school, with services and supports to get their lives on track.

Skills for Life Success

Meaningful progress achieved

Skills, such as responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and self-management, that help students succeed in school and life.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Life skills:  New Jersey provides guidelines, but does not require, life skills standards/competencies for K-12 (CASEL). 

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Build on existing guidelines and require evidence-based life skills education for K-12, including making the training in the curriculum available to parents and caregivers.

Mental Health Education

Substantial progress achieved

Health education in K-12 that includes instruction on mental health.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Mental health education: C.18A: 35-4.39  (2019) requires that mental health, including substance use, be added to the health curriculum.