Hunterdon Central outlines interim mental‑health supports, seeks baseline data on student referrals

Administrators told the board on Jan. 12 that the district has a new social worker on campus and has been working to reconfigure services after the departure of prior providers such as CarePlus and the school-based youth services. The district reported it began an interim social‑work position Dec. 1 and has developed a partnership with NJ4S to provide tier 1 and tier 2 services on campus.

Principal Ed Brandt and counseling staff described a mix of interim measures and long-term changes: some services were absorbed by the child-study team, student‑assistance counselors, or outsourced to outside providers while the district established a more permanent model. “We do have the social worker and the partnership with NJ4S,” Brandt said, adding that the work also includes group counseling on campus and virtual options.

Board members pressed staff for measurable outcomes. Administrators said they will track referral counts, the number of students accessing outpatient support (including partial-hospitalization plans), frequency of referrals to child-study teams, and the caseload of the new social worker. Administration noted that historical data collection differed, and comparisons to previous years may not be “apples to apples,” but pledged to assemble baseline data in the coming months.

Officials also described efforts to identify community and free resources and to build a repository so counselors can connect families with named contacts. The district said some families may use off‑campus wraparound resources without notifying the school, which complicates tracking.

The board asked for a fuller update in spring once baseline data are available and recommended that staff present comparative metrics where possible so trustees can evaluate whether services are meeting district needs.