InsideView

A showcase of NJAAP initiatives transforming children's health and well-being.

Welcome

Welcome to the inaugural issue of NJAAP’s quarterly Inside View newsletter! As we celebrate the exciting milestone of our 75th anniversary in 2025, we’re proud to showcase the impactful work our chapter is doing to improve child health and well-being throughout New Jersey. We recognize that the challenges of today's climate make our mission even more vital, and together, we continue to move forward with hope and determination.

In this newsletter, we’ll highlight the achievements and success stories that reflect the dedication of our staff, volunteers, partners and funders throughout the year. While our bi-weekly e-news provides timely updates and announcements, this quarterly publication aims to give you a deeper look at the broader vision and transformative impact of our programs.

We hope these highlights inspire you to join us in our mission to create lasting change for children and families. We’re also thrilled to invite you to an upcoming in-person event that is central to our efforts, NJAAP’s Annual Conference and Exhibition, on June 11 in Somerset, NJ, designed to keep pediatric healthcare professionals informed of the latest advances in the care of children from infancy through adolescence.

Be sure to register and be a part of this exciting opportunity to learn and engage.

Thank you for your support and for helping us make a difference in the lives of children and families.

Warm regards,

Felicia K. Taylor, MBA, CAE

Chief Executive Officer

Pulse on Programs

At NJAAP, we recognize that mental health is an essential component of overall student well-being, yet the CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed stark findings indicating that nearly 40% of U.S. students in grades 9-12 experience persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Nearly 1 in 10 students surveyed reported having experienced a suicide attempt.

This is why we launched a statewide virtual learning collaborative aimed at enhancing student mental and behavioral health, with generous support from the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJDCF). The Growing Healthy Minds program, now in its second year, is designed for school teams across New Jersey supporting K-12 students and seeks to engage participants from all 21 counties.

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New Jersey is home to more than 500,000 infants and toddlers ages five and under, nearly 30% of whom live in households with an income less than twice the federal poverty level. Throughout our state’s distinct communities, differences are often seen in maternal and infant health outcomes and NJ SEEDlings aims to provide meaningful support to address these gaps.

Launched in 2022, NJ SEEDlings: Supporting Everyone in Early Development, aims to transform the delivery of pediatric primary care for the prenatal-to-five-year-old (P-5) population, particularly those eligible for NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid or CHIP) or uninsured families. This HRSA-funded initiative is focused on enhancing the capacity of New Jersey’s early childhood workforce to deliver high-quality early childhood development (ECD) services that address the needs of young children and their families.

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Substance use affects all age groups across the lifespan. Adolescence and young adulthood are vulnerable developmental periods for the onset of both substance use disorder and other mental health disorders. (American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)) According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 52,000 (7.71%) 12- to 17-year-olds in New Jersey reported using drugs within the last month of being surveyed. 

The New Jersey Department of Children and Families has provided grant funding to NJAAP to launch the NJ SBIRT program that will provide education to pediatric clinicians in primary and specialty care, community-based clinicians, school physicians, school nurses, and other school-based mental health service providers about the early detection and management of adolescents with substance use concerns. The SBIRT model is a public health approach, based on scientific evidence, that aims to identify patients who may be using substances and offers early intervention services to those at risk of developing substance use disorders and providing timely services to individuals who may be struggling with substance use, misuse or dependence. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and AAP)

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Committee Corner

Adolescent Health Committee

NJAAP’s Adolescent Health Committee (AHC) serves to bring together pediatric practitioners and professionals who work closely on the issues surrounding Adolescent Health to review and discuss emerging adolescent health topics, share resources, and support NJAAP’s program work in this area. This committee is Chaired by Dr. Susan Brill Goldberg, MD, Chief of Adolescent Medicine at The Children's Hospital at Saint Peters Hospital and coordinated by Ariel Fuchs, NJAAP Sr. Program Manager.

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Task Force on Adolescent Sleep and School Start Times

Over the last two decades, hundreds of school districts nationwide have shifted their school start times and seen results such as increased student sleep, improved educational outcomes, and improved mental health. Research has shown that insufficient sleep is a major public health concern for adolescents, impacting not only their academic performance but also their mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. Established in 2019, NJAAP’s Task Force on Adolescent Sleep and School Start Times is making strides advocating for later school start times in New Jersey, in alignment with the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Policy Statement on School Start Times for Adolescents.

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