It's possible.

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 Many New Jerseyans who receive food assistance through the NJ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) will receive an extra benefit payment on Sunday and their benefits will be higher in April to help address critical food needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Latest updates from around Ocean County and the state.

We will host two zoom meetings next week, one during the day and one in the evening, to learn what you need most from PFLAG Jersey Shore through our online services.

The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities has modified an existing contract with The Arc of New Jersey in response to the current COVID-19 Pandemic.

A central hub of coronavirus resources for the autism community

With kids shut inside due to the current pandemic, we have put together a special Paint It BlueClaws art contest to help drive those creative flames! 

Tips for parents with older children at home

If you're one of the tens of millions of parents who are now essentially homeschooling your kids, we have some tips to help you keep your kids engaged and everyone sane.

Dr. Stroud has provided this informational video for parents in order to support caregivers in managing the emotional responses and developmental needs of their children during this crisis.

The NJ Mental Health Cares Helpline Offers Support to Individuals Experiencing Anxiety and Worry Related to the Coronavirus Pandemic

Parents and caregivers face a daunting task right now: keeping their children safe, active and engaged for what will likely be several weeks of school closings. 

Help yourself, and them, by learning techniques to manage stress in a healthy way

Tips for nurturing and protecting children at home

TOMS RIVER – The People’s Pantry’s executive director is retiring from the position, and the service will now be run by Fulfill.

Suzanne Buchanan of Autism New Jersey said the organization is preparing information to help parents with the special challenges ahead.

Comcast announced Thursday it will be increasing speeds for the Internet Essentials program, and making the program free to new low-income customers for two months, amid the coronavirus outbreak.

How you can harness your imagination to improve your body, mind, and life

Being in nature can reduce anxiety; guided imagery can bring nature to you.

Measure requires DCA to make information about programs available in one place on its website; uses libraries, welfare agencies, veterans services to get word 

Experts say students are severely underutilizing public assistance available to them, like SNAP nutrition benefits or housing vouchers.

10 things teens want to know about cyberbullying.

Mayor John G. Ducey would like to inform high school juniors and seniors in Brick Township about a scholarship opportunity offered by the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. 

Social media companies move to address mental health concerns.

The Ocean County Library is now accepting new or gently used prom dresses or tuxedos at all Library branch locations through March 13th. Ocean County Library wants to ensure that students can attend their Spring Formal event, regardless of financial challenges.

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting to fill temporary positions to assist with the 2020 Census. Census results are used to determine representation in Congress and inform how billions of dollars are distributed for hospitals, schools, roads, and more.

BLUE HOPE is similar to the original concept in which residents with a substance use disorder can choose to use a participating local police department to get linked to a provider/licensed agency for an evaluation.

Students, faculty and the global public will soon be able to discover nearly 190,000 titles from Rutgers University Libraries’ collections online, thanks to a new partnership with Google.

 The Department of Human Services will work in partnership with the National Council of Behavioral Health  to conduct statewide Mental Health First Aid trainings for school personnel from K-12 and higher education institutions....

While NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative is taking steps to address this terrible crisis, new findings serve as another wake-up call that young people battling opioid addiction need a lot more assistance to get back on the right track.

Staff training on assisting those with cognitive needs, spaces for sensory breaks and other accommodations are part of the certification.

Here are six ways you can make a difference.

Renee doesn’t speak, so at first, the teen boy is exasperated and at a loss for how to communicate with Renee, but the short shows us that with empathy, quite literally anything is possible. 

MIDDLETOWN, N.J. — A new New Jersey restaurant has made its focus a very unique mission: almost exclusively hiring adults with developmental disabilities

January 10, 2020 - This announcement serves as a “Request for Proposals” (RFP) to develop and/or increase the availability of resources to Ocean County youth and their families.  

Teaching hospitals are taking bold new approaches to reduce suicide rates, including rapid identification of at-risk patients and aggressive follow-up care

*Always^® and Walmart^® will donate one pad per view of the #EndPeriodPoverty video on www.Walmart.com/always between 12/26/2019 and 1/31/2020, up to a total of 1 million pads.

Focusing awareness on the present moment can enhance academic performance and lower stress levels

That's the message the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) will be sharing with youth as they return from holiday break this week. PDFNJ, in collaboration with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, has unveiled a media campaign about the dangers of vaping that will be distributed to each of the more than 3,500 schools in the state.

The list of benefits is long and notable, and they will endure long past boyhood.

Although TikTok is known primarily for silly videos — viral dances, short skits, or just kids goofing off — the platform also has viral memes where teenagers use self-deprecating humor to talk about anxiety, sexuality, insecurities, depression, and relationship abuse.

The FDA is reportedly taking unprecedented action to try and stop the teen vaping epidemic. Under the direction of the Trump administration, it will likely announce a ban on mint, fruit and dessert flavored e-cigarette cartridges as soon as Friday.

So your middle schooler is having friendship drama? That can be challenging and emotional for the both of you. Dad and school counselor, Andy Mullen, shares his advice on what you can do to help.

It’s been said that good cooking is an art form. The truth is, it’s much more than that. It’s a way to teach kids vital 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. 

Hackensack Meridian Health has received an award from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the amount of $15.8 million to be distributed over seven years to establish the New Jersey Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model.

Efforts are increasing to help students who aren’t getting enough nutritious food; by one estimate, as many as one-third suffer from ‘food insecurity’

Nearly 30 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act first outlawed workplace discrimination on the basis of disability, more disabled people live in poverty than when the law was passed. It’s a complex problem with many factors, but in some cases the very program intended to help disabled people becomes a devastating financial trap.

An Ocean County program that includes meals at senior nutrition sites and meals delivered to homebound seniors will be served up in the new year.

We’ve all heard of bullying, but do we truly know what it means? Bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior that involves a power imbalance.