Hopeworks has partnered with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to launch a new website — Healthy Outcomes — to help young adults find relevant mental health resources. This project, spurred by a $20,000 grant from Horizon’s philanthropic arm, was inspired by the isolation, anxiety and the many other mental health concerns and needs among youth brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and other current events in the U.S. over the past few years.
The recently launched Healthy Outcomes website — built by the Hopeworks web team — was designed to meet the mental health needs of young adults by offering relevant statewide resources from the Chaffee Workgroup, the office of first lady Tammy Murphy, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and state directories. Leveraging these sources and the incredible expertise of the Horizon Behavioral Health Team as advisers, Hopeworks created a hub that meets the critical mental health needs of young adults.
“Projects such as this one with Horizon provide an incredible opportunity to make an impact on the lives of the young adults in our community in more ways than one,” Onna Jones, a mental health professional and director of community partnerships at Hopeworks, said. “Not only are we increasing accessibility to critical mental health resources, but the finished product also boosts the experience and resumes of the Hopeworks individuals who had a chance to participate in the process of building this website.”
In addition to the website itself, the grant made it possible for the Hopeworks team to employ youth-focused media channels like TikTok and Instagram to engage with a broader audience. The goal is to build ongoing social media campaigns utilizing social media influencers to reach young people where they are, driving them to the resources and mental health organizations that can help them.
“We as a society are placing a higher emphasis on mental health for our young adults, but there is still a disparity when it comes to accessibility to information, resources and help,” Jones said. “By providing these easy and free-to-use resources, this entire program has the potential to benefit the lives of countless youth in New Jersey and beyond.”
”New Jersey, like the rest of America, is facing a mental health crisis that is falling particularly hard on people under 25. Depression, anxiety, suicide, disordered eating and substance use are affecting more young people than ever,” Jonathan Pearson, executive director of the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, said. “Good health means body and mind. We are proud to support Hopeworks and bring another resource to connect young people with high-quality mental health services and information.”