MOUNT HOLLY, New Jersey. August 8, 2023 (Biz Republic) — U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) joined with Congressman Andy Kim (D-N.J.-03), Virtua Health President and CEO, Dennis Pullin, Virtua CASTLE Program Director, Amy Quick, and a Burlington County parent to announce $1 million in federal funding that the Senator secured as part of the FY2023 federal spending bill to construct a new Burlington County facility for Virtua’s Children Achieve Success through Therapeutic Life Experiences (CASTLE) program. The CASTLE program provides high quality diagnosis and treatments for children with behavioral and mental health issues in South Jersey.
“The $1 million federal grant that we are announcing today will move the needle forward in an issue that requires an all-hands-on-deck-effort: youth mental health. The funding will support and bolster Virtua’s ability to provide personalized care and attention on the road to health and wellbeing,” said Sen. Menendez. “And most of all, it will improve the quality of life in South Jersey for the families and children who call this area home. After all, when our children and families thrive, we all thrive.”
Today, many Burlington County families struggle as they travel long distances to seek behavioral health services at Virtua’s Berlin or Camden locations. Sen. Menendez and Rep. Kim secured $1 million in Congressionally Directed Spending, expanding the CASTLE Program to Burlington County to broaden the services Virtua Health offers children and adolescents who are struggling. The Burlington CASTLE program will include short-term and long-term programs to help children understand and cope with challenges in their lives.
Virtua heard feedback from community providers, school districts, and families that there is a considerable need for these resources in the county. Given the need for pediatric behavioral health services in Burlington County, Virtua will expand services with its first location in Burlington County in proximity to the Virtua Willingboro Hospital.
Children in New Jersey and across the country are in the midst of a mental health crisis, and have been “struggling with anxiety and depression at unprecedented levels,” according to the 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national nonprofit. In New Jersey, 10.7 percent of children struggled with anxiety and depression in 2020 – up from 7.6% in 2016, according to the report.
“Right now our kids and their generation are facing a huge crisis with mental health,” said Rep. Kim. “The pandemic poured fuel on the fire, and we need to get them the help they need. As the dad of 6- and 7-year old boys, I share the concerns that so many parents face right now about the well-being of our children. I fought to get this funding into our community to expand critical mental healthcare services for local families and to make sure parents have the tools we need to help our kids.”
“Virtua Health is grateful to Senator Menendez, Congressman Kim, and other New Jersey leaders for sharing our desire to expand the portfolio of behavioral and emotional support services available in our area,” said Dennis Pullin, President and CEO of Virtua Health. “Children, particularly those with complex care needs, cannot advocate for themselves, and so we must step forward a source of hope for them and their families.”
“The CASTLE programs in Camden and Berlin support a child’s ability succeed,” said Amy Quick, L.P.C., Program Director for CASTLE. “I am pleased and honored that Virtua will have the opportunity to bring this service to Burlington County and provide families in the region with greater access to meaningful, often life-changing, interventions.”
Sen. Menendez has long led efforts to address the growing mental health crisis affecting communities across the country. In July, the Senator joined Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.-31) in introducing the Mental Health for Latinos Act, legislation to improve mental health outcomes among Latino and Hispanic communities. This legislation recognizes the unique mental health challenges of the Latino community, aiming to reduce cultural stigma and rectify the health care disparities that prevent people from receiving life-saving mental health services.
https://twitter.com/RepAndyKimNJ/status/1688934496563814400
In May, Sen. Menendez joined with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.-12), Congressman Andy Kim (D-N.J.-03), mental health practitioners and advocates for a roundtable discussion and listening session at Rider University. The listening session followed the reintroduction of the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act by Sen. Menendez and Rep. Watson Coleman. Originally introduced in 2020, the legislation would authorize $995 million in grants and other funding to support research, improve the pipeline of culturally competent providers, build outreach programs that reduce stigma, and develop a training program for providers to effectively manage disparities.
