Creating a New Path for Youth Mental Health Support

In gyms and spaces where kids gather after school to learn, laugh, and play, a new kind of support is taking shape with the launch of Bright Path Youth Mental Health program announced Wednesday by the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance (YMCA Alliance), a coalition leading 30 Ys in the Garden State.

Through a $200,000 grant from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey (Horizon Foundation), the charitable giving arm of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the new program will integrate lessons on emotional well-being, communication, and connection into the daily rhythm of 21 YMCA after-school care programs across the Garden State, including the Raritan Bay Area YMCA in Middlesex County. The pilot program arrives at a time when youth mental health concerns are rising nationwide and the need for early, accessible support has never been greater.

"At the Y, we believe every child deserves to feel supported, connected and confident," said Julie Gallanty, president and CEO of the YMCA State Alliance. "Thanks to Horizon, our staff are gaining the training and tools to nurture children's mental well being right where they already feel at home - in their YMCA after-school programs. Together, we're helping kids build resilience and a stronger sense of belonging."

Overall, the program will impact 350 New Jersey school children in kindergarten through the sixth grade.

Horizon Foundation Executive Director Jonathan Pearson, said " Supporting youth mental health is one of our top priorities. We're proud to once again partner with the YMCA, this time to strengthen emotional well-being for kids across the state. Just as we've worked together to promote healthy habits and fight childhood obesity, this new effort will help children develop the confidence and resilience they need to thrive."

Alejandrina Batista, a licensed clinical social worker who oversees mental health services at the Raritan Bay Area YMCA, said the focus on youth mental is essential.

"Mental health challenges are showing up earlier and more often, and families are feeling the impact," Batista said at the news conference. "Nearly one in five children in our county is struggling with a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder, yet in our after-school programs, there's no stigma. The curriculum is for every child. By weaving lessons about empathy, belonging, and communication into the same spaces where kids do homework and play games, we're helping them build emotional strength in a setting they know and trust."

In addition to the Raritan Bay Area YMCA, the following YMCA associations will be participating in the pilot program during the 2025-26 school year:

• Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA]
• Lakeland Hills YMCA
• Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges
• Montclair YMCA
• YMCA of the Jersey Shore
• Westfield YMCA

Families will play an important role in evaluating the program's impact, completing pre- and post-surveys to help the Y measure growth in their children's confidence, connection, and emotional well-being.

Raritan Bay Area YMCA President & CEO, Steve Jobin, said "Partnerships like this one with the Horizon Foundation help us deliver our cause to strengthen communities. When we come together with others who share our commitment to children and families, we can make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our neighbors.”

###

About the Y
The Y is one of the nation's leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,700 Ys engage 21 million men, women, and children and teens, improve the nation's health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.

About the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance
The YMCA Alliance is a statewide nonprofit organization leading a coalition of 30 independent YMCA associations. Through public policy, statewide initiaitives, strategic partnerships, and service delivery, the YMCA Alliance fosters a greater ability for YMCAs, community partners and leaders across the state to impact families, improve community health and advance equity. Our collective voice strengthens local communities while promoting youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. For mroe information, visit www.njymca.org

About the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's philanthropic arm, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, is focused on making New Jersey healthier by supporting non-profit organizations that expand access to health care, remove barriers to good health and increase opportunities for everyone to achieve their best health, no matter who they are or where they live. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit HorizonBlue.com/Foundation.