New Jersey's Initiative to Provide Rural Youth with After-Hours Mental Health Support

In an innovative move aimed at enhancing mental health services for rural youth, the New Jersey Department of Health has joined forces with Somethings, a company specializing in youth mental health solutions. As part of the state's Rural Health Transformation Program, this collaboration has initiated a text-based peer support service catering to young people aged 13 to 26 in rural counties who often lack sufficient mental health resources.

Addressing the Crisis

Suicide stands as the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 10 to 24 in New Jersey. In rural areas, access to mental health support can be exceedingly challenging, causing delays that may prove fatal for some. This initiative steps in at a critical time, providing a digital gateway for adolescents to reach out to understanding peers during the hours when emotional distress frequently peaks—particularly after traditional office hours.

As Patrick Gilligan, the Founder and CEO of Somethings, explained, “This partnership ensures that a teenager in rural New Jersey facing difficulties at 8 p.m. does not have to endure prolonged wait times for help. They can immediately connect with someone who truly understands their situation.”

Built for Rural Environments

Understanding the challenges faced by rural communities, Somethings has developed a HIPAA-compliant mobile application that is designed for low-bandwidth scenarios. This consideration is vital given that many rural regions grapple with inconsistent high-speed internet access. Upon enrollment, youth are paired with a Certified Peer Specialist who has had similar lived experiences, allowing for immediate engagement via secure messaging and video chats in the evenings.

Also integral to the program is the involvement of licensed clinical supervisors, who are accessible via the platform. This feature ensures that at-risk youth can quickly be directed to appropriate care, thus prioritizing safety while maintaining a peer-focused support framework. This stepped-care model decreases reliance on emergency services, allowing licensed professionals to offer care efficiently.

Tackling an Urgent Statewide Need

The barriers to accessing youth mental health services in New Jersey's rural regions are compounded by a shortage of providers, extensive waiting lists, and a lack of available transportation options. In certain counties, the ratio of mental health providers to population is alarmingly low—one provider for every 1,082 residents. Additionally, data from recent years reveal a staggering 38% increase in depression-related emergency room visits among teenagers in New Jersey.

The Somethings program is poised to provide meaningful assistance to approximately 1,200 rural youths throughout the grant period, including over 600 who are actively grappling with suicidal thoughts. By offering the right care at the right moment, the initiative is expected to save over $3.2 million in healthcare costs by diminishing potentially avoidable emergency department visits.

Building a Stronger Behavioral Health Workforce

Workforce development plays a central role in this initiative, with Somethings actively recruiting 40 young adults from rural New Jersey to work as Certified Peer Specialists. This recruitment not only addresses the immediate needs of the program but also creates new career pathways in the behavioral health sector for community residents. Notably, more than half of the program's costs are redirected into the local economy through compensation for these community-based mentors.

Since launching mere weeks after securing the contract, the program has quickly expanded its reach, currently servicing young people across all 11 rural counties in New Jersey and having supported over 300 youths already.

About Somethings

Somethings (Fond of You Inc. d/b/a Somethings) is dedicated to improving youth mental health by providing clinically supervised, text-based peer mentorship through its innovative mobile platform. The company operates in partnership with state health agencies, managed care organizations, schools, and community health systems to support adolescents facing substantial barriers to accessing traditional care. For more information, visit www.somethings.com.