Latest News on the Coronavirus for the Public, Mental Health Professionals, and our Members  
The New Jersey Psychological Association is closely monitoring the COVID-19 crisis and we are taking steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community.  

NJPA Statement Condemning Acts of Xenophobia and Racism in View of The Coronavirus
The New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) strongly condemns the multiple instances reported in recent news of xenophobic and racist comments and acts directed against people perceived as of Asian descent. People identified as of Asian background constitute over 9% of the population of New Jersey1, and 58% of people of Asian background in the United States who have immigrated here themselves have become American citizens2. read our full statement here 

 2020 NJPA Mental Health Awareness Campaign:  Compassionate Communities 

This spring, we will launch our 4th annual Mental Health Awareness campaign focusing on Compassionate Communities.  We collaborated with our affiliate organizations and outside groups to develop a coordinated approach to promote the cause of mental health and the profession of psychology. The campaign will run April through July 2020; April: Minority Health Month, May: May is Mental Health Month, June: Pride Month, July: Minority Mental Health Month. Diversity and inclusion of all populations, throughout the entire state, is a top priority of this campaign. This year, we will use three platforms on which we will host our campaign. 

We launched a video contest focusing on our theme using the hashtag #whatyoucando.  We are looking for New Jersey community members to submit a video no longer than 1 minute that expresses your idea of a compassionate community.  What makes a compassionate community?  How do you contribute to creating a more compassionate community and world?  Where is compassion needed in your community?  Where does compassion exist in your community?  What is your idea of a compassionate community?  How do compassionate communities improve the lives of others?  If you would like to participate, click here for more details about the contest and click here for the required registration and release forms.

Postponed due to the Coronavirus crisis - Please stay tuned for updates - On April 3, 2020, we had planned to participate in a multi-cultural event, as part of the Inter-Mental Health and Psychological Associations Coalition (IMPAC), One Scar, Too Many: Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Undocumented Immigrants in the Face of Trauma. The New Jersey Chapter Association of Black Psychologists (NJABPsi), the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey (LMHANJ), and NJPA join together as equal partners to contribute their unique educational acumen, expertise, experience, and perspectives to obtain synergy as a resource to promote equality in mental health care and to zealously advocate for the mental health needs for the diverse population of the state of New Jersey. We are working together to develop initiatives to educate the public, as well as healthcare providers, through training and professional presentations, and are mobilizing resources, as needed, to provide counseling and psychological services under emergent circumstances.  We will notify everyone when we determine the new date.  Thank you for your patience.

In May, we will release our E-Newsletter, which will focus on our theme.  Click here to subscribe!