Burlington County’s Hope One for Youth van is starting its third year of operations and seeking more community events to attend. The mobile unit focuses on mental health services, education, and outreach specifically for children and teens. Staffed by specialists from the Burlington County Department of Human Services and the Burlington County Municipal Alliance, it visits schools, youth groups, houses of worship, and local events to provide presentations and distribute materials about mental health, substance use prevention, emotional well-being, and reducing stigma.
The program began in spring 2024. In its second year, Hope One for Youth attended 64 events and served over 6,500 people across different age groups.
“Mental health is essential to overall health and it impacts all ages,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Dr. Felicia Hopson. “In Burlington County, we recognized that reality and we created Hope One and Hope One for Youth to bring mental health resources and education directly to our communities and schools to help those in need or at-risk where they are. Hope One for Youth has operated for less than two years and has already helped educate thousands of children, teens, parents and teachers, and we expect the van to attend even more events in 2026.”
Upcoming scheduled stops include Moorestown High School’s L.O.V.E. Fair on January 21; Lenape High School’s Wellness Day on January 23; and Character Building Day at Sacred Heart School in Mount Holly on January 27.
The van is available throughout all seasons this year for additional school or community events as well as youth group meetings or gatherings at houses of worship. Its educational resources include interactive games, coloring books, presentations on conflict resolution or anger management, plus iPad apps focused on mindfulness.
“There’s growing recognition about the significant mental health challenges impacting children and teenagers and the gap in specialized services for these age groups,” said Commissioner Randy Brolo. “Hope One for Youth is working to address that need to help Burlington County children of all ages to better understand mental illnesses, their symptoms, how to get help and how to build greater resilience. The van’s already proven to be a great resource and we’re hoping more Burlington County communities will take advantage of this service in 2026.”
Hope One for Youth builds upon the earlier Hope One Mobile Outreach Unit run by the Sheriff’s Office with support from Human Services staff as well as Virtua Health, Maryville Addiction Treatment Center, Deborah Heart & Lung Center staffers. Since launching in 2019, Hope One has provided overdose antidote training along with referrals for recovery services across county communities.
A recommendation from the Burlington County Regional Advisory Council led to creating a youth-focused outreach unit funded by opioid epidemic settlement money received from drug manufacturers.
Additionally—according to information from Burlington County’s official website—the county covers 827 square miles as New Jersey’s largest county by area; it includes three cities among its total of forty political subdivisions; features parks like Historic Smithville Park spanning over three hundred acres; recognizes women leaders through an annual awards program; operates under a five-member Board of Commissioners; offers learning opportunities via its library system; and recently expanded Camp Cardinal—a free camp day at YMCA of the Pines—for children affected by family substance use disorder.
Last year saw $200,000 allocated from opioid settlement funds so all forty municipalities could offer evidence-based prevention programs.
“Burlington County continues to prioritize substance use prevention and support services, and we continue to bring education and resources directly into our communities with our Hope One programs and Camp Cardinal days,” said Commissioner Brolo. “These are proactive actions to eliminate stigma and raise awareness about the dangers of substance use at any age. We’re excited to support them.”
For those interested in hosting a visit from Hope One for Youth—including organizations or houses of worship—contact coordinator Jennifer Wright at 609-265-5538 or jlwright@co.burlington.nj.us.
