Article Highlights HFNJ’s Initiative on Strengthening Mental Health of Jewish Adolescents
May 29, 2024In its May 23rd issue, New Jersey Jewish News published an article on The Healthcare Foundation of NJ’s initiative to strengthen the supports for mental health for adolescents within the Greater MetroWest Jewish community.
Last summer, the Foundation developed the RFP to address the rise in mental health concerns among teens, which had been rising in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The RFP was coincidentally released on October 9th – just two days after the Hamas attacks on October 7th, which spurred increased incidences of antisemitism and strains on Jewish young people.
HFNJ received eleven responses to the RFP. Five grants were awarded from this batch in the first quarter of 2024, with another two proposals under review in the second quarter. The goal of the RFP was to knit together different organizations within the community – Jewish day schools, synagogues, social service agencies and more – to spur collaborations to strengthen the community’s collective ability to care for the mental well-being of the youth they serve.