TRENTON, NJ - The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is proud to announce the launch of the SAFE NJ Program, an initiative to provide trauma-informed mental health and safety resources to schools across New Jersey. Funded through the STOP School Violence Act grant by the Bureau of Justice Administration (BJA), this nearly $2 million project will extend critical support to high-need school districts statewide through June 30, 2027. 

As part of the Murphy Administration’s multi-pronged effort to support youth mental health, the SAFE NJ program includes a trauma-informed Anonymous Reporting System, direct connections for students to New Jersey-based licensed mental health counselors through a partnership with the 2NDFLOOR Youth Helpline, ensuring immediate, professional support for those in crisis. Grant partners include STOPit Solutions and Empower Somerset.

The initiative builds on existing NJDOH youth and family wellness programs, offering the SAFE NJ App as a key element of a continuum of services aimed at keeping students, staff, and families safe and healthy.

“This is a vital step in ensuring New Jersey students and families have access to trauma-informed mental health support when they need it. Mental illness rates are climbing among youth, and access to help is a critical component to making schools safer,” said Commissioner Kaitlan Baston, MD, MSc, DFASAM. “This program helps cultivate supportive learning spaces that promote physical and mental well-being in schools, which is what all students deserve.”

The SAFE NJ App, installed on school-issued and school-based devices, allows students and families to report concerns and instances such as bullying, school violence, and substance use, among others. The app is also available for download on mobile devices.

In addition to anonymous reporting, youth and families can anonymously request help for mental health issues, housing and food insecurity, and domestic violence, among other concerns. The initiative builds on the existing NJDOH school-based infrastructure, already providing opportunities to NJ’s highest need districts. By connecting with existing youth and family wellness programs currently in NJ school districts, SAFE NJ will become a key element of the continuum of services provided by NJDOH and aimed at keeping students, staff, and families safe and healthy.

“The SAFE NJ Program is a critical step in ensuring that our schools are not only physically secure but also places where students feel supported, valued, and heard,” said Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer. “By integrating trauma-informed mental health resources and anonymous reporting systems into our school communities, we are empowering students, educators, and families with the tools they need to foster a safe and nurturing learning environment.”

The project will prioritize services for high-need districts, including 18 Title 1 schools, ultimately reaching up to 496,000 students, or 35% of New Jersey’s K-12 population. However, any school district in New Jersey can choose to participate and tailor the App to its own needs.

Key features of the SAFE NJ program include:

• Anonymous Student Reporting: A safe, secure platform for students to report concerns such as bullying, threats, or personal struggles, fostering a proactive approach to safety and intervention.
• Immediate Crisis Support: New Jersey students will have direct access to licensed New Jersey-based mental health counselors through the 2NDFLOOR Youth Helpline. This ensures they receive immediate and professional support from individuals who understand the unique challenges and resources within the state.
• Access to School and Community Resources: The program is designed to seamlessly connect students and families with vital school and community resources including basic needs, ensuring timely and effective support tailored to New Jersey communities.

“By integrating the SAFE NJ App into our partner schools, we’re addressing critical gaps in school-based mental health and safety resources and fostering a safer, healthier environment for learning,” added Jennie Blakney, Program Manager for Child and Adolescent Health at NJDOH.

The BJA’s STOP School Violence Program is designed to improve school safety by providing students, teachers, and staff with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to, and prevent acts of violence. The program seeks to increase school safety by implementing solutions that will improve school climate. Solutions include school-based behavioral threat assessments and/or intervention teams to identify school violence risks among students, technological innovations that are shown to increase school safety such as anonymous reporting technology, and other school safety strategies that assist in preventing violence.

The Murphy Administration has worked to develop and strengthen a statewide system of youth mental health resources and services to ensure that young people receive the prevention, treatment, and crisis intervention that they need to thrive. This includes innovative programs, services, and suicide prevention materials and trainings developed and disseminated by the Departments of Health, Children and Families, Education, and Human Services, such as Prevent Suicide NJ, the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S) network, and the New Jersey Comprehensive School-Based Mental Health Resource Guide. As Chair of the National Governors Association, Governor Murphy also brought together 500 stakeholders -- including youth, governors, and other experts -- to discuss the current state of youth mental health systems, best practices, and implementable, impactful solutions for all states to create a playbook for states. Strengthening Youth Mental Health: A Governor’s Playbook, unveiled in July 2023, is intended to serve as a tool for states to further policy solutions that strengthen youth mental health.

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The New Jersey Department of Health is a nationally accredited health department working to ensure that all New Jerseyans live long, healthy lives and reach their fullest potential. With more than 5,500 employees, the Department serves to protect the public’s health, promote healthy communities, and continue to improve the quality of health care in New Jersey. 

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