Briana: Tonight on NJ Spotlight News, New Jersey parents weigh in on LGBTQ schools and the results may surprise you.

>> We found some nuances depending on grade level or different type of accommodation.

Briana: A groundbreaking mental health initiative, 50 schools across the state receiving training to support kids.

>> From the student perspective they may see over the next two and a half years, they may see more mental health programming.

Briana: A disability care crisis , families desperate for help as they care for blood ones with disabilities.

>> A lot comes back to staffing and how do you create economies of scale and services tailored to the individual.

Briana: A summer camp for veterans, and experience for military veteran struggling to reconnect in society.

>> I can be comfortable here around other veterans, talk to them and they understand what I'm going through because most of them are going through the same thing.

Briana: weekend starts right now --New Jersey Spotlight News starts right now.

>> New Jersey Spotlight News is sponsored by the following.

♪ [typewriter typing] ♪ >> from NJPBS, this New Jersey Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi.

>> LGBTQ issues have taken center stage at school board meetings around the state for the last year or so and while lines are often pretty clearly drawn in those meetings, and new poll released today survey parents around the state to see how the majority that are on these hot button issues.

Things like should schools be required to tell parents if a child confides in them about their sexual preference or gender identity.

How did they feel about the state curriculum teaching students about gender issues?

Bathrooms and sports teams should they be assigned to?

And do the sentiments shift taste on party affiliation?

Ted Goldberg dug into the data to better understand where New Jersey parents and that these issues and to get reaction to the results from thought leaders on both sides.

>> Being day are identifying as transgender is nothing new.

People have had these experiences and feelings that have been born this way for centuries.

Thousands of years.

It is just now we are talking about it with language that is readily available.

>> A controversial policy about gender identity playing out in the Superior Court room last week is now the center of a new Monmouth University poll released to date that asks 814 New Jersey adults about rules mandating that teachers tell parents if their children ask for a change in pronouns or other accommodations.

And asked their views about transgender bathrooms and schools and about playing for the sports team of a different gender.

The results might surprise you.

Or than three in four New Jersey citizens feel that they go should be required to identify parents.

In sports, New Jerseyans think trend student should compete against people of the same biological sex, whether they are trans women or trans men.

The Monmouth polling Institute director Patrick Murray says there was one thing in common with the responses.

>> Younger adults versus older adults thinking there would be a huge difference.

There was not.

It was small.

Difference between men and women small.

The only real difference that drove everyone at the Scripps to have some variation in what they viewed was what political party they identified with.

>> The polls show most New Jersey adults don't believe someone can belong to a gender they were not born to and that affects our people feel about accommodations for transgender students.

A majority of Republicans and independents say someone can't identify as a man or woman if their birth sex is different, while a large majority of Democrats say they can.

>> Over all the majority of Democrats acknowledge that that exists, but a majority of independents say, no, they don't think that can happen in nearly all Republicans.

>> Nobody seemed surprised that a majority of New Jerseyans agree that parental notification should be required even if a security court judge and joint that will for three districts in Monmouth County last week.

>> 40% of the entire youth homeless population identifies as LGBTQ and that is because LGBTQ youth are growing up in homes that don't support them based on their sexual orientation or their gender identity, and so this is a safety issue, but we completely understand that parents want to know this information and we encourage parents to create an environment where children will share who they are to them.

>> Most New Jerseyans belief that if a child once access to sports teams, locker rooms, bathrooms, sex education vices of the opposite sex, their parents should be notified.

>> That makes sense.

It has been state policy for 14 years that students can compete against which average interested in identifies with, and while schools can appeal if they think a student's eligibility would threaten safety or competition, it is not clear how many times that has happened.

Senator Michael Testa has introduced a bill that would require trend student to compete by the biological sex and in a statement he said the results of this comprehensive poke could not be any clear.

It is time for the government to stop interfering with the parent-child relationship and it is clear now more than ever that parents do not want to coparent with the Murphy administration.

>> The policies over the past for years is what has caused a major mistrust of New Jersey public schools and has caused conflict between parents and school boards that used to never exist before and has created tension at the local level and we believe in most people believe it is local control.

>> The poll showed a range of the opinions with approval prize go students and more disapproval as students get younger.

>> When we talk about teaching gender identity to younger grades it is still age-appropriate content.

It is different conversation that would gender identity lessons would be for icicle students and that is important for parents to understand.

>> If there is a lack of awareness that it is vastly different, one to five versus high school level, then folks do not know about that and that might be an issue for those who are advocates for transgender students that they need to talk about.

The Pope >> Results thus poll results show gender includes the for bathrooms and Senators figure out students for trans Student statewide.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Ted Goldberg.

>>>> It is no secret that mental health care is a growing need for students across New Jersey here the state has launched a number of programs to meet those needs but a new partnership between the Department of Education and Rutgers University is providing 50 schools across the state with a range of supports, that they can offer more and better services directly to their students.

I am joined now by it in Murphy the director of the Rutgers University Center for comprehensive school mental health who can explain exactly what supports the schools are getting.

Thank you for being with us today.

What can you tell us about the training that these 50 schools are now receiving so that they can really improve and increase the amount of mental health services they are offering?

>> Sure.

Ask for having me today.

The schools will be receiving a comprehensive set of initiatives.

One of them will include training that will touch on how to implement a comprehensive school mental health system.

They will also receive individualized coaching and as part of that an individual from our team will be going out to the schools and really being able really being able to respond to an individualized support and training.

Some of the topics that will be covered are doing a needs assessments of working with each school, starting from where they are, identifying where they have strengths, where they have needs , and then based on that developing an individualized plan that the schools will carry out.

>> How are the schools selected?

They come from a range of backgrounds and mental health services as it is right now.

>> Yeah, so the schools were um required to apply to participate and they were assessed based on level of need so that looked at their student population, chronic absenteeism, number of discipline referrals.

We also looked at the readiness to implement a project like this, and also their commitment to doing so, so it is a two and a half year project so we needed schools that we be committed to participating throughout the two and a half years.

>> Just quickly when you say ready to implement, is this tangibly offering the mental health services or are they partnering with outside organizations?

Explain that a bit.

>> When we say readiness but we do not say they are necessary ready with the services and in place but they have individuals who are in a position to learn how to put best practices into place, so schools will be at a variety of places kind of along the spectrum of what they already have available and we will meet them wherever they are and like I said the sort of individualize what we need to provide to them in order to help them progress to providing more services, more comprehensive services services that are better able to respond to their student needs.

>> So in just a minute left, from the student perspective what would this look like when emeralds out and also was will it roll out?

>> I will start with the last question first.

We are starting to meet with school leadership this week.

We will be meeting with school mental health leads starting early next month.

And then we will begin the trainings going from there.

From the student perspective by Macy over the next two and a half years more mental health programming coming out, so some of those universal supports that all students will receive.

Schools will likely begin to implement some additional grouping -- group-based interventions as well as connecting more with their community mental health centers and organizations.

>> Amazing program.

And Murphy from Rutgers University Center for comprehensive school mental health thank you so much.

>> Thank you.

>> For more on the mental health care programs that schools will offer through this partnership check out the reporting at NJ Spotlight News.org.

In 2016 the city of Newark entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to overhaul its policing efforts after years of police misconduct allegations.

A consent degree were supposed to last five years but has continued under the oversight of federal monitor Peter Harvey for an extra two years.

Last night, Harvey sat down with Newark residents and members of the faith community with leadership from the Police Department for an open conversation about the progress that has been made over the last seven years and where Newark police still need to improve.

Some say the consent decree has gone on too long.

Melissa Rose Cooper reports that others insist that the police still need oversight.

>> I am happy to report that it is not the same agency I joined in 1998.

>> Acting Newark public safety director applauding apartments to the Newark Police Department over the last several years as a result of the 2016 consent decree.

The court order established a number of reforms under guidance of the U.S. Department of Justice.

>> Because of the consent degree every officer participates in mandatory 40 hours of training each year on community policing, implicit bias, and stopped, searched, and arrest practices.

Because of this consent decree, every officer is wearing a body-one camera to record interactions.

>> The decree was put into effect after complaints for gears of police misconduct.

>> The Department of justice concluded in 2014 finding that 75% of pedestrian stops had no legal basis.

20% of the recorded use of force was unreasonable.

In Newark's black residents were disproportionally subject to unconstitutional stops and arrests.

>> Now seven years later the former state Attorney General Peter Harvey who also serves as the independent federal monitor telling members of the community last night that data from recent audit show Newark's Police Department has made substantial progress.

>> In 2019 we found that 67.9% of the use of force incidents were compliant.

Uh, that means a significant number were not.

If you look to 2021 and compare the two, Newark substantially improved and went from 67.9% to 86.5%.

It means that the policies and the training are being implemented on the streets.

It means commanders and supervisors are paying attention to this.

It means officers are being reminded of what their obligations are.

>> Despite noted improvements in police misconduct, many residents still share concerns in their communities.

According to a University poll from July, while 68% of people say they feel very or somewhat safe working in the neighborhoods during the day, only 42% feel that way at night.

34% of residents also agreed that Newark has become a better place compared to 26% who say it has gotten worse actually down from how people felt five years ago where 43% said things were better and 19% felt things had worsened.

He says the community is more safe when police respond appropriate.

>> It looks like Eliza Garcia who gets killed at a sports activity because neither Essex County or Newark knew how to respond to that 911 call, and we have been screaming about that in this town for decades.

For decades.

>> Overall, is the police division getting better?

Yes, substantially better.

Is it ahead in some areas?

As distinguished from other areas?

Of course.

You always have progress in the greater progress in some areas than other areas, but on the whole, this is a different police organization than 2016.

>> And end date for the consent decree was expected this year but has not been confirmed.

But members of the Newark Police Department say the work is not over and they are committed to do what is necessary to make residents feel safe.

>> The stories of families across the state facing crisis because they're shouldering the care of their loved ones with disabilities are countless.

A mom sleeping next to her son on the couch every night for eight years afraid to miss his medical Lebron and another mother caring for Triplett sons with cerebral palsy with limited help from a home health aide.

We took a close look at what is happening in the state and what changes are needed in the health care system to help these families here at she joins me now to expend what she has learned.

Can you describe the reality that so many families of those with disabilities are facing here in New Jersey?

>> Yeah, I mean, the parents I taught two, primarily mothers but they describe this interminable wait for something to happen to get something that you need.

So it may be appropriate housing.

It may be more nursing help.

In the meantime, there are these daily crises you deal with.

Were talking about children or young adults that had feeding tubes who require ventilators to breathe.

I mean, tubes, medical equipment , anything could go wrong and you could not have enough suction one day and the child could get congested annexing you know you are back in the hospital and this triggers this whole new process that parents described as the sort of chaos where you are constantly trying to find the ground under your feet.

No, waiting for something to stabilize was almost nothing does.

>> Paul Aronson is the state's ombudsman designed to help the families navigate the system and says these families are simply in crisis.

What is needed and what are the solutions that are needed here?

>> Right and I think it is important and when Paul was saying that, we talked for a while, his point was that the families that he sees are the ones in crisis and there are families for which the system is working, right?

There are more than 25,000 adults with disabilities, some severe, some not so severe that have services to the state, so for a lot of them, it may be working.

For the cases that I talked to, I mean we are talking not just disabilities but also these complex medical issues, and for them it came down to largely a lack of housing opportunities.

Even that comes down to largely a lack of nursing, and you know, we hear so much about the nursing shortage and see people striking and talking about the need for better care ratios.

This is the same situation in the world of folks who have disabilities and you know complex medical issues.

You know that they need nurses to help move someone, to feed and clean them and help them to go to the bathroom, get dressed, get undressed.

Everything requires often two hands or two sets of hands and there are not enough people.

>> What are the barriers to expanding the care whether it be nursing or more group homes as you say?

Does it all come down to funding?

>> A lot of it is funding and the state has put a significant amount of money towards this.

I talked to one person who is a former executive with the state, now a housing expert, and he talked about the incentives to build this kind of care are not really built into the system, right?

There is a lot of NIMBY-ism and people do not place three or four or five people with disabilities living in the community.

There is funding challenges and staffing challenges and a lot comes back to staffing and how do you create an economy of scale was you know you want tailored care that is precise to the individual?

>> Yeah.

>> It is a challenge.

>> It certainly is a challenge for thank you as always for your reporting.

>> Thank you.

Support for the medical report is provided by Bryson does Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and independent licensee of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

>> In our spotlight on business report tonight.

[typewriter typing] where Fair Lawn residents smelled warm cookies they now fear toxic demolition and new development.

At a public planning meeting yesterday community members had a chance to weigh in on what happens next at the site of the former Nabisco factory.

A planned implosion at the site was canceled but there is no clear answer on how the empty building will now come down.

The new developer reportedly has plans to build office space and a warehouse.

That warehouse bringing pushback from local residents who don't like the idea that the number of trucks in the Bergen County region will now more than double.

Here is a look at how the markets close to end of the day.

♪ >> Veterans transitioning from military service to civilian life often struggle with even the most ordinary situations, and those challenges can persist for years, even decades, after their service.

The Salvation Army in New Jersey has organized event to help veterans and their families enjoy a summer activity that may often be too stressful for the veterans a family vacation.

It is a sleep away summer camp that offers many other activities you might think of a camp from fishing to sports to arts and crafts, and it is meant to be fun and healing for those who have given so much of themselves for others.

Raven Santana has more.

>> A lot of World War II, Vietnam, Iraq people who have served our country.

>> This 12-year-old has been coming to camp Tecumseh with his family for the past five years and one of more than 200 people with family members who are veterans.

>> Here at our camp, all veterans are in compliance with outpatient treatment programs at the V.A., primarily until health treatment programs.

>> The state director for the Salvation Army New Jersey division, for the past 30 years the Salvation Army in New Jersey partnered with V.A.

hospitals to hold events for their families for five days and four nights around the third week of August the goal is to help connect veterans with friends and family and in a stress free environment.

>> This year we started a game of bumper boat where we put everybody in giant hamster bulbs and played soccer.

>> The nearly 17 million veterans in our country transitioning from the military to civilian life can be a difficult adjustment, some struggle to connect with friends and family and typically vacations and trips generally are not a possibility.

The camp does not just offer fun activities like basketball and fishing, veterans and their families are all -- also offered peer support meetings they say have been critical to their recovery.

>> It has caused a spiritual awakening and this is the first thing they do at 7:00 a.m. in the morning, address your spirituality and also some of the challenges you may have with substance abuse or mental health, and we have 30, 35 people sitting in a group early in the morning before breakfast.

>> Someone asked me did you talk to anybody?

I said no, there is nothing wrong with me.

What really got me as a friend who said she had to talk to somebody about me, right?

I said if she went that far to talk to somebody about me, and that is when I started going for help.

>> This United States Marine Corps veteran was recruited by another veteran years ago.

The 68-year-old who suffers from PTSD now looks forward to the cap each year and credits it for his recovery.

>> When I saw how far some of the other guys was coming, I had no excuse.

I was coming every week.

I look forward to it.

>> And I think that is the hardest thing for a lot of veterans, showing that vulnerability or showing that you have issues just like anybody else.

>> The United States>> Air Force veteran Tracy Galeon says the lesson he and so many others have taken away from camp has been the ability to talk in a safe and nonjudgmental environment and he has now made it his mission to recruit more veterans like himself to the ca mp.

>> At my worst, the slightest thing would set me off.

Instead of talking to my kids, I would scream or holler.

It is not that easy.

No one wants to be where -- >> It is OK. Take your time.

>> I don't think anybody wants to be where we are, you know, mentally.

This is something for me that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life.

I am OK with it.

I was not always OK with it.

I am all right with it.

I understand I have a mission.

My mission is to make sure that those who come after me know that there is help out there.

>> I am am Raven Santana for NJ Spotlight News.

>> That will do it for us tonight but before you go don't forget to download the New Jersey Spotlight News podcaster you can listen to us anytime.

All of us here at New Jersey Spotlight News, thank you for being with us and we will see you tomorrow.

♪ >> NJM Insurance group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

The New Jersey realtors with the voice for real estate in New Jersey.

more information is online at NJrealtor.com and by the PSEG foundation.

>> Look at these kids.

What do you see?

I see myself.

I became an ESL teacher to give my students what I wanted when I came to this country.

The opportunity to learn, to dream, to achieve, a chance to belong and be an American.

I am proud to be in NJ EA member.

♪ >> Orsted provides renewable offshore wind energy, jobs, education, supply chain, and economic opportunities for the Garden State.

Orsted, committed to the creation of a new, long term sustainable, clean energy future for New Jersey on line at us.orsted.com.

♪