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What We Do

NJ4S-Essex is built to inspire student success in school and life. Our Service Menu of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) includes a wide range of prevention activities for children, teens, their parents, and their educators. Specially trained in each of these EBPs, our team of 50+ professionals deploys to designated schools throughout Essex County, all to strengthen:

  • Social and emotional wellness
  • Substance use prevention
  • Sexual health and pregnancy prevention
  • Suicide prevention
  • Anti-bullying and violence prevention
  • Support for LGBTQIA+ students
  • Understanding the impact of trauma
  • Understanding grief and the impact of loss
  • Other needs identified by local students, parents and community leaders

Tier 1 Services include universal prevention education to parents, educators and students of all ages throughout Essex County. Topics include:

  • Separation anxiety in children
  • Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
  • Mindfulness and Stress Reduction
  • Support for students who are grieving
  • Support for students experiencing depression
  • Support for students experiencing anxiety
  • Self-esteem/Self-care
  • Sexual Health – teen pregnancy prevention
  • Dangers of vaping and marijuana legalization
  • Avoiding stress during test taking
  • Impact of social media on healthy students development
  • LGTBQIA+ student needs
  • Impact of bullying and bullying prevention
  • Strategies to support students who are avoiding school
  • Resume building
  • Job readiness
  • Financial literacy
  • Classroom management strategies
  • Impact of trauma on adolescents
  • Strategies to manage anger in students

 

Tier 2 Services include focused Evidence-Based group prevention programs for 6th through 12th grade students and parents. Groups generally range from 4-16 weekly sessions of 45 minutes or longer, depending on school needs, and scheduled during or after school, at user-friendly times.

For more specific information about EBPs, Click Here.

  • Anti-bullying and violence prevention groups
  • Impact of trauma on students
  • Mental health, wellbeing, and suicide prevention
  • Positive parenting groups
  • Sexual health and pregnancy prevention
  • Social and emotional wellness and healthy relationships
  • Substance use prevention

 

Tier 3 Services include individualized assessments and both individual (60-min.) and group (90-min) counseling for 6th through 12th grade students and families as well as linkage to ongoing treatment and other community services. Session times are chosen to meet participants’ schedules.

  • Comprehensive, confidential, individual psycho-social assessments by Licensed Clinicians
  • Motivational Interviewing (MI – mental health and/or substance use counseling)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) (treatment of trauma, including Racial Trauma)
  • For those wanting longer-term counseling or needing other supports from providers in the community, our Clinicians will assist students and families in choosing provider(s) and ensuring a warm hand-off.

 

All staff will be trained in:

  • Cultural Awareness/Cultural Humility by the Center for Cultural Humility;
  • Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR);
  • Mindfulness and Stress Reduction by a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction master trainer; and
  • Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression (SOGIE) through All Children All Families (ACAF).

All groups can be delivered by staff who are fluent in English, Spanish, and/or Creole.

Evidence Based Practices

Outcomes