CarePlus NJ Awarded $15,000 Grant from The Provident Bank Foundation for Mental Health App
Care Plus NJ, Inc. (“CarePlus NJ”), a pioneer in integrated primary and behavioral health services for adults and children, announced it was awarded a $15,000 grant by The Provident Bank Foundation in late 2022.
The funding will enable CarePlus NJ to implement a digital wellness platform (DWP) via MoodMission, an evidence-based app designed to help empower users by doing daily tasks to help overcome negative thought patterns while offering practice with new coping strategies. CarePlus NJ clients will be granted free access to the app to assist in increasing the regularity of practicing coping skills to help navigate stress, anxiety and low mood.
The grant will provide 1,750 MoodMission licenses for an entire year to CarePlus NJ staff and patients. CarePlus programs that will participate most heavily are the school-based services, the Maternal Health & Family Center, traditional outpatient services, and substance use disorder/addiction recovery programs.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an overwhelming increase in demand for mental health services, and has disproportionately affected demographics that were already underserved, such as BIPOC communities who already experience challenges accessing necessary healthcare as well as women who are pregnant or postpartum, especially Black mothers who suffer from some of the highest mortality rates in the country,” said Brigitte Johnson, Esq., President / CEO, CarePlus NJ. “Through The Provident Bank Foundation’s generosity, we’ll be able to implement the digital wellness platform to meet the increased demand and provide those in need with on-demand access to proven coping strategies and mental health resources.”
MoodMission is an evidence-based app designed to help empower its users by doing daily tasks to help overcome negative feelings and thought patterns while offering practice with new coping strategies.
CarePlus NJ serves 14,000 clients per year across approximately 80 programs within northern New Jersey counties such as Bergen, Essex, Passaic, and others. CarePlus NJ programs predominantly serve members of the community who are experiencing issues with mental health, substance use disorders, and the impact of trauma, as well as specific populations such as perinatal women, youth in schools and adults with legal involvement. The proposed DWP would expand and facilitate access to the treatments CarePlus NJ provides so that marginalized groups, high-risk populations within a community, groups facing systemic barriers, and demographics recognized as being underserved. While these groups are already being served within the scope of what Care Plus NJ provides to communities, the DWP will offer an alternative method to reach groups who face obstacles or logistical issues that impede their regular access to care, such as transportation, time off from work, financial means to cover co-pays and deductibles for frequent appointments.
The DWP will be accessible as a digital service to clients from all geographic areas that CarePlus NJ serves across all its programs in northern New Jersey with an emphasis on demographics with a higher need.
“We are very grateful to The Provident Bank Foundation for their support of our mission of enhancing the continuum of care within the communities we serve by providing the most comprehensive integrated treatment options through a broad spectrum of services,” said Johnson. “To achieve this mission, it is necessary to remove barriers to care and leverage technology to meet and serve individuals where they are at. MoodMission will be a valuable tool in continuing to serve our Northern New Jersey community.”
About CarePlus NJ
For more than 45 years, Care Plus NJ, Inc. has been a pioneer in integrated primary and behavioral health services for adults and children in northern New Jersey. Based in Paramus, New Jersey, CarePlus NJ is committed to providing the most comprehensive integrated treatment options through 80+ programs designed to meet the full spectrum of health and wellness needs for adults and children in the communities it serves. Specializing in acute care, CarePlus NJ provides immediate, high-quality health services and support programs for individuals in crisis. Nationally ranked for excellence in customer satisfaction by the Mental Health Corporations of America, CarePlus NJ is mission-driven, ensuring that anyone who needs it has access to specialized care. To learn more about CarePlus NJ and its wide range of programs and services, visit https://www.careplusnj.org/.