Project strong - screening, treatment, resilience, outreach, navigation, and growth - project strong will serve jersey city public schools in hudson county, new jersey, reaching 17,690 students ages…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Rutgers, The State University $995,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.490).

Project STRONG will serve Jersey City Public Schools in Hudson County, New Jersey, reaching 17,690 students ages 12–18 through prevention activities and providing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) services to 1,700 students over the project period. More than half of the SBIRT-served students have chronic or complex health conditions. The project targets youth experiencing substance use, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and other behavioral health challenges through evidence-based strategies including Catch My Breath, Lifeskills Training, CRAFFT and S2BI screening, ASSIST-Y assessments, FRAMES brief intervention, First Treatment protocols, co-occurring behavioral health screening, wraparound services, and family engagement. Primary objectives include screening 85 percent of eligible students, ensuring all students with positive screens receive assessment and intervention, initiating treatment within 30 days for 75 percent of referrals, reducing substance use by 15 percent, and training all designated behavioral health staff.

The award runs through September 29, 2031. Place of performance is Piscataway, New Jersey. This is a project grant.

Project strong - screening, treatment, resilience, outreach, navigation, and growth - project strong will serve jersey city public schools in hudson county, new jersey, reaching 17,690 students ages 12-18 through prevention activities and providing sbirt services to 1,700 students over the project period, with more than half having chronic or complex health conditions. The project targets youth experiencing substance use, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and other behavioral health challenges. Strategies include catch my breath, lifeskills training, crafft and S2BI screening, assist-y assessments, frames brief intervention, first treatment, CO-occurring behavioral health screening, wraparound services, and family engagement. The primary goal is to increase early identification, reduce substance use progression, improve treatment access, strengthen partnerships, and sustain school-based sbirt. Objectives include screening 85% of eligible students, ensuring all positive screens receive assessment and intervention, initiating treatment within 30 days for 75% of referrals, reducing substance use by 15%, and training all designated behavioral health staff.