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NFSB Expands Early Childhood Mental Health Services, Reinforces Commitment to Adolescents
The need for mental health services isn’t limited to certain age groups. In fact, more children than ever are experiencing anxiety, behavioral challenges, and emotional stress.
To make matters worse, there aren’t many agencies in the area that offer mental health services for young children. That’s why Nutley Family Service Bureau (NFSB) has expanded services to support children as young as age 4.
“We’ve seen an uptick in referrals and phone calls from parents and families in that age group,” said Susan Reyna, MSW, LCSW, Director of Outpatient Services at NFSB. “We’ve also connected with other providers and heard from preschool teachers who said there’s a need for social workers to treat children that young.”
Young children can throw tantrums, even becoming explosive. In some cases, children struggle to express their feelings verbally. Difficult circumstances at home or school could be affecting them, but they’re unable to articulate what they’re thinking.
“As adults, we may think the child isn’t absorbing or understanding the issues and tensions around them,” Susan said. “Just because the child isn’t explicitly saying something, that doesn’t mean it’s not affecting them. As therapists, we’re trained to piece together different parts of their story to identify the underlying causes of how children feel, behave, and communicate.”
Specialized, Developmentally Appropriate Care
NFSB clinicians provide evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents at every stage of development. For example, therapy for younger children tends to be more interactive and often involves play-based techniques. This helps children express their feelings more freely in a stress-free environment.
Whether children are showing signs of anxiety, difficulty with transitions, or behavioral challenges, our team is trained to identify symptoms early and intervene before they affect academic performance and social interaction.
As children grow and needs change, care evolves. NFSB has always served adolescents, both independently and through our partnership with Nutley Public Schools. However, referrals in this age group are on the rise as well.
“We’ve seen a lot of stress with regards to academic performance and the demands of juggling a lot of different things,” Susan said. “Kids in this age range struggle with their parents’ expectations, relationship issues, and their own identity. Social media can have an impact on their mental health. All can contribute to anxiety, depression, and even curiosity of substance use.”
NFSB works closely with children, families, teachers, and administrators to ensure personalized treatment, continuity, and long-term support.
An Integrated Approach: Counseling and APN Support
With a team of mental health clinicians and an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) on staff, NFSB offers an integrated care model that can help children more holistically.
Our clinicians and APN collaborate to provide psychiatric evaluations, counseling, and medication management, depending on the unique needs of each individual. When families are facing complex mental health challenges, we have the resources and expertise to guide them through their journey.
School-Based Services: Early Access, Greater Impact
We’ve strengthened our partnership with Nutley Public Schools through the new NFSB School-Based Program. This allows clinicians to deliver mental health services within the school setting where early signs of concern are often first identified.
If students are struggling, our clinicians embedded in the school can intervene quickly to reduce the risk of academic setbacks, severe depression, and other serious challenges.
School-based care:
- Increases access to treatment.
- Reduces delays caused by scheduling outside evaluations.
- Identifies signs of concern early.
- Provides crisis intervention and short-term support.
- Builds coping and resilience skills.
- Coordinates services for students and families as needed across home, school, and community to ensure seamless continuity of care.
We look forward to building on our success with Nutley Public Schools and expanding the school-based program to more districts in the area.
NFSB Is Here for You
Our approach to care, whether in person at NFSB, through virtual appointments, or in a school setting, is designed to help children and adolescents understand and improve their mental health on the way to positive outcomes. This will lay the foundation for a happy, successful life that extends far beyond the classroom.
If you’d like to schedule an appointment for your child with NFSB, call 973-667-1884 extension 1. Immediate appointments are available, and we’ll always respect your privacy.
If you’d like to discuss how the NFSB School-Based Program can support your students, families, teachers, and staff, call 973-667-1884 ext. 1 or email nutleyfamily@nutleyfamily.org.
