The New Jersey School Boards Association has created a Health and Wellness Committee to build upon the work of the NJSBA Task Force on Mental Health Services in the Public Schools, which released its final report in October 2019.
On Jan. 27, the NJSBA Health and Wellness Steering Committee met for the first time.
The committee’s charge is to monitor trends and developments related to the physical, emotional and mental health of the state’s public school students, and, as appropriate, recommend initiatives and positions on issues related to student health and wellness.
The steering committee is made up of 19 members; on Feb. 18, a meeting of the full committee, consisting of 39 members appointed by NJSBA President Mike McClure, and resource persons, will take place. The steering committee and full committee are chaired by Amy Hassa, vice president of the Hamilton Township (Atlantic) Board of Education.
“The report from the NJSBA Task Force on Mental Health Services in the Public Schools generated a tremendous amount of interest on the part of the education leaders in the state and we wanted to continue that work,” said Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, NJSBA executive director. “The mental, physical and emotional health of our students is crucial to their ability to learn, and we look forward to providing the NJSBA membership with information on effective health services and early intervention strategies on student health and wellness, school climate and school security,” he said
The full report of the task force, “Building a Foundation for Hope,” can be found online here.
