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The New Jersey Parents Caucus is a family-driven statewide organization that provides Information & Referral, Peer Support, Advocacy, Training, Education, and Direct Services for the most underserved disability group: Children and Youth (0-21) who Struggle with Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health Challenges and their families.

Our services expand the Mental Health, Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare/DYFS, Special Education, and Developmental Disabilities systems.  Our goal is to increase access to appropriate care and treatment for children and youth, while empowering parents and caregivers to become active participants in creating systemic change in all child-serving communities, at all levels of policy, development, and implementation.  Our mission is to ensure that parents and caregivers raising children with special emotional and behavioral challenges is given an opportunity to play a strong and active role in the development and delivery of effective and timely services for their children.  Our current initiatives include:

System of Care Initiative

NJPC provides services and supports to parents, caregivers and providers throughout the state of New Jersey, augmenting the services provided by New Jersey's System of Care - Division of Child Behavioral Health www.state.nj.us/dcf/behavioral/.  This initiative is focused on children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families.  Borrowing the definition of system of care from SAMHSA (www.samhsa.gov), a system of care is a coordinated network of community-based services and supports that are organized to meet the challenges of children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. Key to this philosophy is that "Families and youth work in partnership with public and private organizations to design mental health services and supports that are effective, that build on the strengths of individuals, and that address each person's cultural and linguistic needs. A system of care helps children, youth and families function better at home, in school, in the community and throughout life.  Systems of care is not a program — it is a philosophy of how care should be delivered.  Systems of Care is an approach to services that recognizes the importance of family, school and community, and seeks to promote the full potential of every child and youth by addressing their physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural and social needs."

Juvenile Justice Initiatives

NJPC provides services and supports to parents, caregivers and professionals involved in the Juvenile Justice system, augmenting the services provided through New Jersey's Juvenile Justice Commission http://www.state.nj.us/lps/jjc/index.html. 

This Initiative is threefold and involves both prevention and intervention programs:

JPC supports parents and caregivers whose children are involved in the Juvenile Justice system through through Advocacy, Training, and Educational services to better prepare them to navigate the Juvenile Justice system and understand their rights and responsibilities within the Juvenile Justice.  Advocates accompany parents to court appointments, probation meetings, etc. Our goal is to support families raising children and youth involved in Juvenile Justice, while fostering a climate in New Jersey that decreases juvenile delinquency, and ultimately "keeps families together." 

 Families Uplifted Prevention Initiative for At-Risk Youth and their Families - Through the support of the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), NJPC offers family-strengthening prevention programs for At-Risk Youth and their Families in communities throughout the state of New Jersey.  The current initiative includes Information & Referral, Cross-System Advocacy, Parent Training & Education, 800 Support Line, Street Outreach, Community Presentations, Saturday After School Program and Mentoring Services.

Youth Justice Initiative - NJPC is collaborating with organizations throughout the state, to end the practice of trying, sentencing and incarcerating children in the adult criminal justice system.  Our Youth Justice Initiative serves parents and caregivers raising children with emotional and behavioral challenges who are incarcerated in an adult correctional facility.  In a recent report published by the CDC and led by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, statistics show that youth previously tried as adults are, "on average, 34% more likely to commit crimes, 5 times as likely to be sexually assaulted and abused,  make up 21% of all substantiated sexual violence, and are 36 times more likely to commit suicide,"  in an adult jail than in a juvenile facility. It is our belief that through systemic change involving not only the incarceration of youth in the adult system, but the application of appropriate services and supports, families and the state as a whole will benefit.  As such, we are dedicated to advocating for families involved in this struggle.  If you are a parent with a child, up to age 21, who is currently housed in the adult system, please contact Jerome Chestnut, Coordinator of Youth Justice Initiatives, at 973-989-8866.  Through this initiative, we will be sharing  information with the Juvenile Justice Commission of NJ to better serve the children and families of our state.

 Child Welfare Initiative

NJPC provides services and supports to biological parents, foster parents, kinship providers, adoptive parents and  professionals involved in the Child Welfare system, augmenting the services provided through New Jersey's Child Welfare System - the Division of Youth & Family Services www.state.nj.us/dcf/divisions/dyfs/.  This Initiative is focused on the prevention and reduction of children and youth who are abused and neglected, while supporting and strengthening families raising children and youth who are or at risk of becoming involved in the DYFS system.  All parents and caregivers are provided with Advocacy, Training, and Educational services to better prepare them to navigate the Child Welfare System and understand their rights and responsibilities within the DYFS system.  Our goal is to support families of children involved in the DYFS system, while fostering a climate in New Jersey that protects children and youth, increases reunification, and ultimately "keeps children and families safe, in their homes and in their communities."  For more information on child welfare, visit the Child Welfare League of America www.cwla.org.   

 Special Education Initiative

NJPC provides Advocacy, Training and Educational services to parents which enable them to better navigate the Special Education system, understand the IEP process and increase the services afforded to their children and youth under Federal Law.  Our goal is to create systemic change in special education, thereby decreasing the number of families who are having difficulty accessing services for their children through Special Education.  Advocates review IEPs and accompany the parent to Child Study Team meetings.

 NJPC Parents Empowerment Academy

The NJPC Parents’ Empowerment Academy is a comprehensive training and education program that enables parents of children with emotional and behavioral challenges to appropriately and collaboratively negotiate with government agencies and other system partners through the development of leadership and professional skills.  After certification, parents can then deliver workshops in their local communities with the support of the NJPC and other parents who have graduated.   The Parents Empowerment Academy offers training and certification in the following areas:

·         Professional Parent Advocacy

·         Understanding Children's Mental Health Challenges 

·         Family Involvement in the Child Welfare System

·         Multi-Culturalism & Cultural Competency in Organizations Dedicated to Children

·         Navigating the Special Education System & the IEP Process

·         Building Systems of Care: An Overview for Families (Shiela Pires Primer)

·         Collaborating with Agencies Dedicated to Children's Services

·         Empowering Families & Communities in Public Policy Work

·         Developing Youth Programs for Children with Special Needs

·         Building Grass Roots Parent Organizations

·         Parent Participation in the Juvenile Justice System

The New Jersey Parents' Caucus has been contracted by the SAMHSA Statewide Family Network Technical Assistance Center to provide technical assistance and support services to other family-driven organizations throughout the United States who are providing services and support to families raising children with emotional and behavioral challenges. If you are interested in starting a grassroots organization in New Jersey or are in need of technical assistance and support, please contact us at 973-989-8866 or email info@njparentcaucus.org

The Parents Empowerment Academy - Professional Parent Advocacy Training 2007- 2008

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