July 20, 2022 | Issue 37 (View newsletter as webpage) Para leer este boletín en Español, haga clic aquí

Important News

Beyond the Numbers: BIPOC Mental Health Month

Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (also known as BIPOC Mental Health month) was created to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental illness in the US.

Each year Mental Health America (MHA) develops a public education campaign dedicated to addressing the mental health needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

The year the theme is "Beyond the Numbers" recognizing that Black, Indigenous and people of color have rich histories and immeasurable strength in each of their cultures.

Learn more here about historical context, systems of support and actions to move toward a mentally health future

View an infographic here: BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Mental Health

Learn more here about the pioneering work of Bebe Moore Campbell

Resources

OSEP Fast Facts: Educational Environments

The US Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released a new OSEP Fast Facts for SY 2020-21. Viewers can take a closer look at the environments where children with disabilities, under IDEA, receive special education and related services.

Some data can be viewed at a national level or state by state. In SY 2020-21, 66.17% of school-aged children, served under IDEA, Part B, received services inside a regular education classroom 80% or more of the day. This contrasts with a rate of 45.23% of students with disabilities in New Jersey.

Other highlights of the national data include:

Students with intellectual disability (17.91%) and Autism (40.77%) were less likely to receive services inside regular education for 80% or more of the day.
Black (3.68%) and Asian (3.48%) students with disabilities are more likely to receive services in separate schools than all students with disabilities (2.64%).
6.25% of New Jersey students with disabilities receive services in a separate school, compared to 2.64% of all students.

See all the interactive OSEP data maps and charts here

Review NJ State and District Data here

Emergency Food Assistance

The Food Bank of South Jersey is the largest provider of emergency food assistance in South Jersey.

The organization provides an immediate solution to the urgent problem of hunger by providing food to people in need, teaching them to eat nutritiously, and helping them to find sustainable ways to improve their lives.

They have information specific to food for kids and seniors, nutrition resources and recipes, and much more!

Learn more here about their programs and services

Find Food

Find A Health and Wellness Program

Host A Health and Wellness Program

Find resources for Northern NJ here