Announcing a New Adolescent Depression Policy Resource
Dear friend in the NAMI NJ Advocacy Network,

We are reaching out to share some good news from NAMI NJ's three-year partnership with the Project ASPEN research team at Rutgers University.  
Why focusing on youth mental health
As you may know from the news and/or experience, there is an alarming increase in the number of adolescents and young adults who struggle with depression, both nationally and in New Jersey. The U.S. Surgeon General has recently issued an advisory and an urgent call for action to address the devastating effect of depression on youth and young adults.
Our partnership
Project ASPEN is a collaboration between a team of researchers from Rutgers University and our team at National Alliance on Mental Illness of New Jersey (NAMI NJ) to provide credible and timely research evidence that can inform evidence-based policy response to the crisis of adolescent depression.
The new portal
We are excited to share with you a new set of useful resources that we compiled over the past year to connect policymakers, advocates, mental health professionals, parents, and members of the public with the latest research and briefs pertaining to the issue of adolescent depression.
This resource was created with grant support from the William T. Grant Foundation, and in partnership with experts from the Graduate School of Education and the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. The research briefs we produce are designed to make research insights regarding ways to prevent and address adolescent depression more accessible to a wide range of audiences.
How you can help as an advocate
  • Take a minute to explore the resources made available on the portal (https://tinyurl.com/aspen-nami), with new research and briefs on the issue of adolescent depression
  • Spread the word about this new portal within your sphere of influence, especially those who share your vision of advocating for evidence-based policy changes
  • Feel free to email our team at info@naminj.org if you have any questions or suggestions.

Regards,
NAMI New Jersey 
NAMI New Jersey | www.naminj.org