“New Jersey has a profound need for a facility that can provide compassionate and effective treatment for teens and young adults with mental health disorders. I am excited to see my vision for such a facility coming to fruition at Rutgers, and I am confident that it will be the gold standard for providing treatment for a particularly vulnerable segment of our population.” — Marlene Brandt
Youth Behavioral Health Care—for All
Behavioral health crises such as depression, anxiety, substance and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and trauma affect young people from all backgrounds and all walks of life. While more than one in five young adults has had or will have a serious mental health disorder, it can be difficult for young people to get the help they need. Indeed, fewer adolescents and young adults receive mental health services than do their adult counterparts.
Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic and its immense fallout have dealt blows to many young people’s mental health.
But a new initiative at Rutgers, launched with a $30 million gift from alumna Marlene Brandt, will ensure that young people in New Jersey and surrounding areas, regardless of their families’ income, have access to world-class treatment and support. The Brandt Behavioral Health Treatment Center and Residence is just one way that Rutgers is shaping the future of human health and helping to make the world well.
A Generous Gift
Currently, no New Jersey facility offers treatment that is both exclusively for adolescents and young adults and backed by an academic health leader like Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. But Brandt’s transformational gift will help change this reality. Thanks to her support and the generosity of other donors, families will have access to the finest behavioral health care available—right here in New Jersey.
The Brandt Behavioral Health Treatment Center and Residence will be an exceptional resource for families needing treatment for their loved ones, the first of its kind in New Jersey. It will also forge a partnership between Rutgers’ health care professionals and the communities they serve, improving mental health on a broad scale.
How You Can Help
Rutgers has set a goal of raising an additional $11.5 million to realize Marlene Brandt and Rutgers’ vision of comprehensive, accessible behavioral health for adolescents and young adults.
Please consider the difference your philanthropy can make in the lives of young people with behavioral health needs. Your investment in this initiative will have a profound impact on adolescent and young adult mental health care in New Jersey. Young people treated at this world-class facility will gain new hope and new opportunities to lead fulfilling lives through compassionate, appropriate mental health treatment. Together, we can transform behavioral health care for New Jersey’s young people.
