HFNJ Co-sponsors NJ Spotlight News Roundtable on Adolescent Depression
May 5, 2023On Tuesday, May 2nd, NJ Spotlight News held a virtual roundtable on the topic of Adolescent Depression, with an expert panel discussing topics ranging from child psychology and teen suicide prevention to the mental health impacts of technology.
The roundtable was the first of three events that will explore mental health challenges and solutions in New Jersey. The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey – which has increased its focus on supporting youth mental health as the crisis has grown in recent years – was pleased to serve as a co-sponsor for the event.
Panelists included Maureen A. Brogan of Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, Dr. Jennifer H. Chuang, Section Chief of Adolescent Medicine at St. Joseph’s Health, State Senator Vin Gopal, Gary Nelson, Program Director, Willingboro High School for the Center for Family Guidance, and Bobby Brier, NJ Spotlight News’ Mental Health Writer.
At the start of the roundtable, the following sponsor statement from HFNJ was read:
The Healthcare Foundation of NJ is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of vulnerable, underserved populations in Newark and its environs and the Jewish community of Greater MetroWest, New Jersey.
In the face of the expanding mental health crisis that followed in the pandemic’s wake, we have increased our focus on this issue, with almost one third of the grants the Foundation awarded in 2022 going projects in the behavioral health sector.
We are proud to co-sponsor today’s roundtable. We hope that conversations like these will lead to identifying gaps in services and creative, evidence-based solutions that can support vulnerable communities – which even in the best of times lack equitable access to mental health services and resources.