The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), has announced the availability of funding for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Training Initiative. This initiative is aimed at addressing the shortage of child psychiatrists in New Jersey by providing support for additional fellowship training positions. Specifically, the state will fund a total of four new fellowship positions at fully accredited Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Fellowship Programs within the state, starting in July 2025.

The purpose of this initiative is to expand the training opportunities for child psychiatrists by offering fellows hands-on experience in public and community mental health services. These services include programs managed by the Department of Children and Families (DCF), focusing on behavioral health and the treatment of children and youth with severe emotional disorders. The state-funded positions will be part of a broader effort to expose all CAP fellows in participating programs to a wide range of mental health services within the public system, enhancing the fellows’ ability to work in community settings after their training.

The initiative will provide funding for up to four two-year CAP fellowship positions. Over the two-year period, the total funding available is $920,000. Each of the selected CAP Fellowship Programs will receive support for up to two new fellowship positions, helping the programs expand their capacity. These positions will be incorporated into the National Residency Matching Program for the 2025 recruitment cycle. DMHAS will closely monitor compliance to ensure that the selected programs follow the guidelines and provide comprehensive training experiences in accordance with the requirements outlined in the Request for Letters of Interest (RLI).

To apply for this funding, CAP Fellowship Programs must submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) that aligns with the RLI’s requirements and instructions. The RLI will be available on October 22, 2024, on the New Jersey DHS website. Interested programs must send their LOIs to Carol Pitonyak at DMHAS by 4:00 p.m. ET on November 12, 2024. The LOIs should detail the program’s commitment to training in public and community settings and demonstrate how the additional fellowship positions will contribute to addressing the shortage of child psychiatrists in New Jersey.

Programs that submit a Letter of Interest will be notified of their selection status by November 18, 2024. Selected programs are expected to immediately begin recruiting for the new fellowship positions and prepare for their integration into the 2025 National Residency Matching Program. This initiative is an important step in addressing the critical need for more child psychiatrists in New Jersey, particularly those trained in serving children and youth with severe mental health needs in public and community settings.