We are your student support network!
The NJ4S Union Hub, led by Prevention Links, is your local hub offering a range of services for our community: helping every student thrive, empowering families, and equipping school staff with effective tools. Dedicated to combating the youth mental health crisis, this hub is intently focused on serving the unique needs of Union County’s students and their families by prioritizing their voices, experiences, and needs. NJ4S aims to support the entire family, addressing both the academic achievement and emotional well-being of individual students.
Over 1 in 3
school-aged children reported persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness
(U.S. Surgeon General)
Nearly 1 in 4
young adults in the United States has been treated for mental health issues from 2020 to 2021
(CDC)
69%
of public schools reported that the percentage of students seeking mental health services had increased since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
(National Center for Education Statistics)
”Thank you for speaking to us about this, I feel like it isn’t discussed enough and I really felt heard. I appreciate it more than you know ?“
Youth Participant, Nourish Mind and Body Presentation
FAQ
What is the relationship between the NJ4S Hubs and PerformCare/CSOC/CMO’s? Will the implementation of NJ4S change the services and/or role of the CMO’s regarding partnering with the school districts?
Implementation of NJ4S is not intended to change the role of CMOs in partnering with school districts. NJ4S will not replicate or duplicate services offered through CSOC, including Care Management and Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS). The Hubs/NJ4S and CSOC’s system partners will build and sustain a seamless continuum of prevention, early intervention, and treatment services for youth and their families.
How is NJ4S different from School Based Youth Services?
NJ4S utilizes a “hub and spoke” model, with 15 regional hubs that deploy staff to local schools and community locations to provide services to public school students, parent/caretakers, and school faculty. School Based Youth Services is a school-based model, where youth development specialists and clinicians are based in a single school, and only serve students of that school.
What is happening to existing School Based Youth Services (SBYS) Programs? Is NJ4S replacing SBYS Programs?
No. Those schools that have SBYS Programs will continue to have SBYS. NJ4S Events (Tier 1 services) will also be available to youth and families in those schools that have SBYS. NJ4S Prevention Services (Tier 2 services) and NJ4S Brief Intervention Services (Tier 3 services) will be available to middle and high schools without an SYBS program.
I’m a student, can I reach out to the Hub for services?
As a student, you cannot contact the Hub directly, but you can contact your school representative who can submit an application on your behalf. Parental consent will be required if you are under the age of 16. If you are 16 or older, you can self-consent to services.
I’m a student, I would like to participate in services. Do my parents have to know?
Parental consent is required for youth under the age of 16 to participate in NJ4S prevention or brief intervention services.
The 2nd Floor Helpline (call 888.222.2228 anytime or text 888.222.2228) can assist youth without parental consent.
It’s clear that services are provided to students in public schools, including charters, but do Hubs serve students who attend a Catholic or other private schools?
NJ4S is intended to serve public schools, not private or parochial schools.
My school has a School Based Youth Services (SBYS) program. Can I access NJ4S services?
NJ4S Events are available to youth and families in those schools that have SBYS. NJ4S Prevention Services and NJ4S Brief Intervention Services are not available to middle and high schools with an SYBS program.
Are there any status requirements for children receiving services from this program?
No. Children of any legal status may be served by NJ4S Hubs.
How do I see a list of services available to the public?
Available NJ4S Events are listed
here.
How do I access NJ4S services?
NJ4S includes three levels of service. NJ4S Events are programs that are open to all New Jersey students, their parents/caregivers, and school faculty. They include both virtual and in-person programming as well as support and tools available online. NJ4S Prevention Services and NJ4S Brief Intervention Services are available to middle and high school students, their parents/caregivers, and their school faculty in NJ4S participating schools. To access an application, first register with the NJ4S portal at this link.
An application must be submitted by the school’s designated NJ4S representative to be considered for these services. Once the application is submitted, NJ4S staff from the assigned Hub will meet with the school representative regarding the application and determine whether NJ4S services or a referral to a community resource is available. Please reach out to your school directly with questions.
Make Your Voice Heard!
What do you think our students, parents, caregivers, and staff need to create a healthier and happier Union County? If you’re interested in helping shape the NJ4S Union Hub efforts, our committee has many opportunities for you to help us!
Join Our Hub’s Advisory Board
Our hub is part of the NJ Statewide Student Support Service (NJ4S) Network, a statewide program aimed at supporting the well-being of school-aged youth and their families across New Jersey. This network of “Hubs” and “Spokes” combines Hubs as a regional center for expertise and staffing, while Spokes are the sites where various programs and services are actually delivered. The goal is to create a seamless and universally accessible system of services that are evidence-based, culturally responsive, and consistent across the entire state.
If you are interested in helping every student thrive, we would love your involvement! Contact us via email, or complete the form. We will reach out to you shortly. Thank you!
We understand mental health and overall well-being are the needs of youth and their families. Addressing this issue, and including the entire family unit, is a notable tool that can be used to increase academic achievement. Families are encouraged to participate in Tier One services through universal access to webinars, community events, public assemblies, and Tier 3 services which are clinical in nature.
We Hope to See You at One of Our Events
NJ4S is constantly working to provide meaningful events that make a difference in the lives of families in our community. Check out the calendar and please join us!
See More
We provide an array of services to improve the mental health and overall well-being of youth, by providing universal prevention education and meeting youth where they are. Services and resources are delivered through webinars, community centers, places of worship, classroom settings, and small group sessions as requested by schools. Clinical services are also available to individual students by request.
Programs/Services
In addition to our existing programs, we can provide support on any of the topics listed below. For more information, please contact NJ4SUnion@preventionlinks.org.
- Life Skills
- Social and Emotional Wellness
- Substance Use Prevention
- Strengthening Families
- Anti-bullying and Violence Prevention
- Navigating/Addressing Adverse Childhood Events
- Self-Care
- Stress and Anxiety Supports
- Grief and Trauma Supports
- Suicide Prevention
- Safe dating
- Gaming Addiction
- Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Support for LGBTQIA+ students
- Job Readiness Skills
- Parenting Skills
- Social Media 101 (etiquettes and impact)
- Classroom Management Strategies
- Anger Management
- Financial Literacy
Our programs work within the schools in conjunction with families to give students the mental health support they need.
NJ4S Union Hub is dedicated to ensuring that schools and educators have access to resources and services to foster healthy and productive learning environments. Training that addresses cultural humility, classroom behavioral management, prevention, and other wellness supports are offered. Such support is offered through online resources, classroom presentations, webinars, assemblies, and training.
Current Service Offerings
Self-esteem: Body Shaming
This lively presentation talks about the reality of body shaming in our society and gives guidance on how to recognize the internal pain of negative body images. The PowerPoint promotes the importance of affirmations and healing through body positivity.
Suicide Awareness
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults between the ages of 10-34 years old. It is becoming a major crisis nationwide. This presentation educates about the causes and risk factors associated with suicide and informs our communities on how to identify signs and symptoms and how to find help.
Anti-Bullying
Whether it is physical, cyber, or verbal, bullying has been a major problem for our youth today. The anti-bullying workshop provides students and adults with information and awareness, giving them the power to stop bullying and become an ally in bullying prevention.
Empower Your Wellbeing: Coping with Stress
This workshop explores how to best practice self-care. It is designed for all age groups, offering insight on not just what can be done to cope, but also the importance of coping while exploring different cultural coping mechanisms. Emphasizing positive coping methods, this presentation hopes to alleviate external strains and stressors.
The 8 Dimensions of Wellness
“Wellness” is not just diet and exercise – other factors come into play. The PowerPoint presentation discusses the 8 different components of Wellness and shares resources on how to attain optimal health in a holistic approach.
How to Unwind: Productive and Unproductive Ways to Relieve Stress
Aiming to identify the causes of stress, this interactive workshop allows students to learn about productive and unproductive ways to relieve stress. This workshop provides students with a clear understanding of their own stress and empowers them to utilize healthy ways stress-relieving coping mechanisms.
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people, this course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people (age 12-18) in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.
Life Skills
This Tier 2 program provides students with healthy alternatives for risky behavior. It enables students to effectively cope with anxiety, increase their knowledge of the immediate consequences of substance abuse, and enhance cognitive and behavioral competency to reduce and prevent a variety of health risk behaviors.
Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety is a counseling model to help people attain safety from trauma and/or substance use disorders. It can be conducted in groups of any size as well as individual modality, for all genders. In over 30 years of use, it has been found to be extremely safe. At every session, both trauma and substance use disorders are addressed but without delving into the past.
How Do I Find A Career? Industries, Interviewing, and Navigating the Career Path
This workshop for 9th to 12th-grade students provides information on navigating the career path. Students are educated in industries that do and do not require a college degree. Through engaging material, activities, and exercises, students learn more about how to become employable, professional, and confident in the workplace by creating a resume and developing interview skills.
Fostering Healthy Relationships
This presentation was carefully crafted to teach the signs of an unhealthy relationship while also providing suggestions as how to improve your current relationships. Relationships discussed are not limited to romantic relationships but also friendships and any other types of relationships in life.
Intimate Partner Abuse: Abuse Isn’t Just Physical/Healthy Relationships
There are two versions of this program: one focuses solely on high school students, teaching them how to identify when they’re in an abusive relationship/friendship that isn’t just physical. The second one includes adults, teaching them how to help teens who may be in an abusive relationship. In both cases, the goal is to enable young people to avoid unhealthy relationships and to find and create healthy ones.
Clear Boundaries, Shared Understanding: A Guide to Consent
Developing comfort and safety are key to building healthy relationships for youth. Understanding the importance of respecting personal boundaries is equally important. This workshop provides youth with the interpersonal skills to make informed decisions for safe relationship building and to navigate the uncomfortable side of relationships.
Breakups and Relationship Losses
In this workshop, participants work on identifying the causes of breakups and other relationships. After identifying relationship loss causes, we also analyze prevention strategies on how to navigate heartbreak, while also understanding some things are prone to end. Our main objective is to focus on adapting to positive healing choices after a breakup.
The Teen Love Code: Dating Terminology of Today
Do you remember the slang you used as a teenager? The Teen Love Code workshop discusses current teen love slang language that is constantly used in schools and social media and bridges the gap between the language of youth and the language of adults.
Safe Dates
This group for students in grades 6th-12th helps teens recognize the difference between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, manipulative, or abusive relationships; equips young people with the tools they need to discern the difference and supports students as they learn skills needed to create and foster positive relationships.
Self-Care Station
This presentation is about three different ways you can take care of yourself, including your physical and mental dimensions. This workshop entails group interaction and visits to different set stations which includes practicing a deep breathing exercise and a colorful positive affirmations activity. Each station portrays a concept of how to take care of body and mind.
I’m Not Lazy I Swear: Executive Dysfunction and Choice Paralysis
This informative workshop educates students on what executive dysfunction and choice paralysis are and how they can impact daily functioning. The workshop provides information and tools that allow students to identify, prevent, and overcome symptoms, and empowers them with resources to seek help.
Active Parenting of Teens
This program for parents of 12–18-year-old students teaches parents a comprehensive model of parenting adolescents that will better enable their children to survive and thrive—thus decreasing the amount of parent-teen relationship problems and improving teen behaviors/welfare.
ABCs of the LGBTQIA+
With this presentation, we hope to help others understand what each gender identity and sexual orientation means by providing a definition of each letter. Promoting respect, tolerance, and acceptance, the session dives into how to properly utilize the acronym.
Substance Use: What Parents Need to Know
This presentation provides information on substance use such as all the recent statistics, signs of use, and what to do if your child is using substances. Local and accessible resources for further support will be shared.
Getting To Know Your Feelings, Even The Not So Nice Ones!
This interactive workshop provides a video presentation that teaches kids the origins of anxiety, the signs of anxiety, and ways to manage it. Youth are taught how to create their own stress balls and how to use breathing techniques and guided meditation.
Managing Anxiety
This PowerPoint presentation discusses the origin of anxiety, the signs and symptoms of anxiety, and ways to manage it including breathing and guided meditation techniques.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Exposure to childhood trauma has both an immediate impact on the child and lasting impacts across their lifespan. This phenomenon is called Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACEs have been linked to significant increases and risks of poor health outcomes including mental health challenges, risk-taking behaviors, diseases, substance use disorders, disability, social problems, and premature death.
Advocacy: Social Determinants of Health
Evidence shows that Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and social risk factors such as racism, poverty, education, housing, familial instability, and criminal justice have been found to negatively impact health, functioning, and quality or life outcomes for black youth in underserved communities. In this presentation, we explore the domains of SDOH and examine the systems that have longstanding inequities in mental health and well-being.
Need a Referral?
We can give referrals for long-term mental health services and will provide short-term support in the interim.
Customized Support for Schools
We offer schools three tiers of customized support, each with age-appropriate programs. Register on our portal here to begin the application process.
Tier 1: Universal Prevention for K-12 Students, Families, Staff
Our program addresses mental health, job readiness, positive relationships, behavioral Issues, and more. We work through curriculum enhancements, workshops, webinars, assemblies, and trainings.
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Tier 2: Evidenced-based Targeted Prevention for Grades 6-12, Families, Staff
Through small-group interventions, focus on substance misuse prevention, sexual health, suicide prevention, anti-bullying, violence prevention, and more.
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Tier 3: Assessment and Brief Clinical Interventions for Grades 6-12, Families, Staff
This program provides short-term mental health services and a pathway to long-term treatment. We provide immediate support while you wait through assessment, individualized clinical interventions, and in-person or telehealth services.
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Every Student Deserves a Strong Start
Could we make a difference in your school? Contact us today and discover the kind of meaningful support we can offer your students.
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