Events & News

At CYSEW, we acknowledge that promoting youth mental health equity means supporting the groups and communities that are disproportionally impacted by larger social inequities. One of our faculty members, Dr. Germán Cadenas, focuses his work on the psychology of immigration, including on interventions to support the wellbeing of immigrant youth. In recent publications, his research supported recommendations for mental health service providers working with undocumented college students, a collectivist leadership approach to address Latinx immigrant mental health, and an educational intervention to promote community entrepreneurship among immigrant community college students in low-income neighborhoods. These publications are reflective of CYSEW’s multi-level and interdisciplinary approach to youth mental health equity

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As part of the Youth Mental Health Equity Summit, CYSEW offered attendees an opportunity to apply for grant funding to expand community/Rutgers partnerships to address mental health equity in NJ. An innovative model of funding was developed that required partnership between two different community agencies and Rutgers. CYSEW was able to fund two exciting new collaborations and is working to expand funding opportunities for the 2024 summit.

• CYSEW funded a partnership between Rutgers New Brunswick, the Urban Health Collaborative, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New Jersey (NAMI-NJ). This project seeks to improve access to mental health services in Middlesex and Somerset counties. The team is using a community-based participatory research approach to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of behavioral health services that will identify service gaps and develop solutions to fill those gaps. Overall, the project will gather feedback from over 300 community members, informing Rutgers, the Urban Health Collective, and NAMI about the most effective ways to provide evidence-based services in Middlesex and Somerset counties.
   
• CYSEW funded a partnership between Rutgers Camden, the Mercer County Traumatic Loss Coalition, and the Chosen Inspiration Association, a nonprofit organization that inspires teens to overcome adversity, pursue dreams, and become community leaders. Chosen Inspiration Association sought to address Barrier #2 identified at the summit – lack of information and open communication. Chosen Inspiration is hosting the Break the Silence: Suicide Prevention and Awareness Symposium to be held in Trenton, NJ. This two day symposium focuses on empowering youth and families to prevent self-harm. The event includes expert speakers presenting about grief, suicide prevention strategies, bullying, depression, and anxiety. The symposium will serve to reduce stigma around depression and suicide and foster collaboration in Trenton around service provision.

CYSEW congratulates these award winners and looks forward to funding additional collaborations in 2024!