Spurred by a pressing need for comprehensive mental health services for New Jersey’s young people, Rutgers alumna Marlene Brandt has committed $30 million to the university, launching an initiative leveraging Rutgers’ deep resources in the field.
The Rutgers Initiative for Youth Behavioral Health and Well-Being will provide care and support to young people—including youth in underserved and underrepresented communities—who have behavioral health disorders, and it will foster innovation, research, and learning in the field.
The initiative will have two primary components: a new Institute for Social Emotional Wellness at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and a new Treatment Center and Residence, led by University Behavioral Health Care.
Currently, no facility in New Jersey offers inpatient mental health treatment specifically for adolescents and young adults and is backed by the resources of an academic-medical organization. New Jersey families needing such care must resort to out-of-state programs, and they often find inadequate resources for continued outpatient care after their children return home.
“The new treatment centers will transform youth mental health care and research in New Jersey and serve as a gold standard of care nationwide for young adults,” said Brian Strom, chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.