PRINCETON — The NJ Coalition to End Homelessness (NJCEH) Monday, Nov. 18, hosts a conversation and call to action, in partnership with the School of Public and International Affairs in NJ (SPIA in NJ) and Eviction Lab. The event underscores an urgent need to invest in addressing the mental and behavioral health needs of unhoused New Jerseyans, particularly children. NJCEH will discuss the results of two reports, including a report written in partnership with the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness on the current experience of homeless children within the Children’s System of Care, and the preliminary findings of a pilot study the Coalition conducted by placing behavioral health services on-site at shelters. The event banners as “Meeting the Mental and Behavioral Health Needs of Unhoused New Jerseyans”. The aforementioned report delivers a overfamiliar warning — Invest Now or Pay Later — highlighting Consequences of Ignoring the Health Needs of New Jersey Children in Shelters. A conclusion notes, homelessness in children is associated with multiple adverse behavioral, mental, and educational issues that research has shown all too frequently have a negative impact on their health and well-being into adulthood. Children experiencing homelessness deserve the collective action of stakeholders to ensure they receive the targeted mental health services that account for their unique experiences and living situations. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at Whig Hall in the Oakes Lounge at Princeton University.