NJPN MILITARY PROGRAMS

Supporting our Veterans

NJPN offers three programs specifically designed to benefit active military personnel and their families, veterans, and/or first responders. Military programs are free for participants through funding by NJ-DHMAS. For more information about any of the programs, or to find the statewide program location nearest to you, please email prevention@njpn.org.

For additional information about specific agency programs, please contact the designated coordinator by clicking the desired location on the map below.

Military Family Nights programs offer childcare services at no cost to encourage participation!

Military Family Nights:
Military Family Nights (MFN) provides practical tools and interactive activities that strengthen family connections and promote healthy communication. Families learn how to manage stress, set boundaries, and build lasting resilience—all in a fun, supportive environment. Learn More

Achieving Personal Balance:
Achieving Personal Balance (APB) is a specialized, gender-inclusive program designed to help active-duty service members and veterans develop practical coping strategies to manage these unique challenges at work and home. Learn More

WISE for Vets:
The WISE for Vets program is a wellness and prevention initiative tailored to support older veterans in maintaining healthy and fulfilling lives. It empowers participants to celebrate healthy aging, make informed lifestyle choices, and avoid substance misuse. Learn More

Achieving Personal Balance Program

For Service Members and Veterans

Military service often requires enduring the challenges of multiple deployments—moving between combat zones and home life, sometimes within a matter of months. These cycles can bring repeated exposure to danger, intense stress, and difficult separations from loved ones. Achieving Personal Balance (APB) is a specialized, gender-inclusive program designed to help active-duty service members and veterans develop practical coping strategies to manage these unique challenges at work and home.

For First Responders

First responders—such as police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics—face daily exposure to high-stress situations, life-threatening emergencies, and emotionally charged events. Like military personnel, these experiences can lead to mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and reliance on unhealthy coping mechanisms. The Achieving Personal Balance program also serves first responders, providing the tools and support they need to effectively manage the unique stressors of their roles.

Program Highlights:

Free of charge: funded by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (NJ-DHMAS).
Incentives/gifts for participation.
Convenient statewide locations (see network map).
8-session program: eight interactive sessions designed for skill-building and lasting impact.
Through the program, military personnel and first responders will develop skills to:
- Reduce or eliminate stress triggers.
- Transition from avoidance-based coping to proactive strategies.
- Adopt healthy alternatives to alcohol and substance use.
- Prevent or alleviate depression and anxiety.
- Strengthen social support networks and create personal action plans.
- Broaden the use of effective stress management techniques.

The Achieving Personal Balance program empowers military personnel and first responders to create healthier, more fulfilling lives. By addressing the shared mental health challenges of these vital professions, APB offers practical, evidence-based solutions to foster resilience and well-being.

Military Family Nights Program

For Military Personnel and Their Families

Deployments can place significant strain on family communication and structure, challenging even the strongest relationships. Military Family Nights (MFN) is a supportive, family-centered program designed to help military families navigate these challenges together.

Grounded in the nationally recognized, evidence-based Strengthening Families curriculum, MFN provides practical tools and interactive activities that strengthen family connections and promote healthy communication. Families learn how to manage stress, set boundaries, and build lasting resilience—all in a fun, supportive environment.

Program Overview

Who It’s For:

Military families in pre-deployment, deployment, or post-deployment stages.
Families with children aged:
- 6–11 years: Fourteen-session program.
- 10–14 years: Seven-session program.

Program Details:

Completely free-of-charge.
Family dinner provided at every session.
Gifts for participating families.
Childcare services available for younger children not yet old enough to join.

What Families Will Gain

Parents Will Learn:

Effective communication strategies and problem-solving skills.
Positive discipline techniques and strategies for reinforcing desired behaviors.
How to educate children about substance use, set limits, and reward positive behavior.

Children Will Learn:

Stress management and how to cope with anger and frustration.
Social skills, resisting peer pressure, and problem-solving strategies.
The consequences of substance use and the importance of following family rules.

Together Families Will:

Practice communication skills and hold meaningful family meetings.
Participate in engaging family activities that promote bonding and teamwork.

Military Family Nights offers a unique opportunity for families to reconnect, build stronger relationships, and develop the skills needed to thrive, no matter the challenges they face. This program is designed to foster understanding, support, and resilience within military families.

WISE for Vets Program

For Older Veterans

The WISE for Vets program is a wellness and prevention initiative tailored to support older veterans in maintaining healthy and fulfilling lives. It empowers participants to celebrate healthy aging, make informed lifestyle choices, and avoid substance misuse. The program provides practical, educational services focused on areas particularly relevant to older veterans, such as:

Medication safety: Understanding and managing prescriptions to avoid misuse or harmful interactions.
Stress and depression management: Tools to handle life changes, combat stress, and address mental health challenges.
Substance misuse prevention: Education to identify and prevent substance misuse risks.

Originally developed by the New Jersey Prevention Network (NJPN) and delivered by prevention agencies nationwide, the original WISE program emphasizes health through education about high-risk behaviors among older adults. Since its inception in 1996, WISE facilitators have reached more than 40,000 individuals, promoting wellness and prevention in various communities. WISE for Vets is a derivative of this foundational program, created to address the more specific needs and issues that military veterans may face as they age.

Program Overview

Six-lesson curriculum facilitated by trained prevention specialists once per week for approximately two hours per lesson.
Often accompanied by lunch/dinner.
Designed to promote the understanding and value of generational diversity while encouraging participants to share what they have learned with family, friends, and peers.

Rather than relying on traditional lecture-style teaching, the curriculum uses interactive exercises such as small group discussions and projects, an approach proven to be more effective with adult learners. Participants are also provided with tools and resources to take home. This engaging format ensures that the program has a lasting positive impact on veterans and their communities.

By addressing the unique needs of older veterans, the WISE for Vets program fosters healthier, more resilient lives through education, prevention, and support.