Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
Adolescent and emerging adult mental health problems have risen at an alarming rate in New Jersey and nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of high school students who reported persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and isolation increased by 40% between 2009 and 2019, to more than 1 in 3 students. The U.S. Surgeon General (2023) notes that social isolation’s effects on mortality are equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes every day. The COVID-19 pandemic continued to accelerate this mental health crisis. The most recent CDC data shows that 44% of teens in the United States report feeling persistently lonely, sad and hopeless, up from 37% in 2019. The Brandt Behavioral Health Treatment Center will house a behavioral health treatment program unlike any other offered in the state of New Jersey or its neighboring states. The new two-building center will provide a welcoming refuge and well-appointed space for the psychiatric and psychosocial treatment and recovery of adolescents and young adults. The Center, representing a partnership between University Behavioral Health Care (UBHC) and Rutgers – New Brunswick, will utilize evidence-based psychiatric assessment and treatment planning expertise, psychosocial interventions including individual and group psychotherapy, family therapy, exercise, diet, and overall wellness planning to provide best-in-class psychiatric and psychosocial care to the adolescents and emerging adults of New Jersey and beyond who are facing the challenges of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. The Brandt Behavioral Health Treatment Center and Retreat will be New Jersey’s first treatment facility exclusively for adolescents and emerging adults backed by an academic health leader like Rutgers. Upon completion of the project (Brandt is scheduled to open in fall 2024), the facility will serve 220 in-patients and approximately 1,500 outpatients p er year and will offer a diverse range of holistic treatment options. For example, the Brandt Center will have both music and art therapy treatment spaces that will be incorporated into patients’ treatment planning. This holistic approach is intended to not only address problems, but also to promote increased wellness and well-being. The Brandt Center will serve families in New Jersey and neighboring states who are searching for a holistic comprehensive program with nationally recognized academic, medical, and community resources at its disposal. The outpatient program includes the full range of diagnostic services, individual and intensive evidence-based outpatient therapy, and psychiatrist delivered medication management. The outpatient program will accept the full range of private and public insurance coverages and will work with individuals who are unable to pay. The program was carefully developed to be financially viable and self-sustaining. This HRSA proposal will fund three construction projects that will significantly enhance the Brandt Center patient experience. Project 1 will screen in the rooftop HVAC system. This will reduce noise and improve the sense of the facility being centered in nature. Project 2 will provide a walking path for patients/families, with several stops designed for meditation, contemplative practices, and movement/fitness. The path is tree lined and will go past several small bodies of water. Currently, the only place for patients to walk at Brandt is the access road. The path will significantly increase the holistic treatment experience given the restorative effects of nature and movement. Therapists from both the outpatient and residential facilities will be able to conduct treatment outside in nature. Project 3 will repave the access road which is currently difficult to navigate because of significant deterioration. This will allow for a stress free and visually appealing experience when coming to the Brandt Center.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).