Adult ADHD care in Central Jersey: Middlesex, Somerset, Mercer, Union and Hunterdon

Central Jersey takes in the Rutgers campuses, the state capital in Trenton and the more rural county of Hunterdon. The five counties covered here, Middlesex, Union, Mercer, Somerset and Hunterdon, had about 2.37 million residents between them in the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates. Middlesex alone, at 883,335, is the third most populous county in New Jersey. This article sets out the public and university resources that serve the region, what each can and cannot do for an adult who may have ADHD, and the state rules that apply as of October 2026.

The five counties at a glance

The screening services and numbers come from the state Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) list updated October 8, 2026. DMHAS describes these services as being for psychiatric emergencies, crisis intervention services, information and referral. They do not provide routine ADHD evaluations. In a crisis at any hour, call or text 988. For non-emergency support and referral, DMHAS lists NJ Mental Health Cares at 866-202-HELP (4357), open 8 am to 8 pm daily. More options are in mental health crisis resources in New Jersey.

Rutgers: what is open to students and what is open to everyone

Rutgers' evaluation services are easy to misread, because some are open only to students.

• ADHD evaluations at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), in Piscataway, are offered for Rutgers students. The GSAPP clinic page states that these evaluations are only available to Rutgers students currently. The Rutgers Office of Disability Services adds that the first appointment gathers broad information and that an official diagnosis cannot be given from the first session alone.
• A comprehensive assessment of mental health and academic functioning at the same GSAPP clinic is open to Rutgers students and to the community. The page lists its fees and a phone screen process.
• Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care appears on the state list as Middlesex County's primary screening service, which is an emergency and referral function.

A psychological assessment and a psychiatric evaluation are not the same thing, and they answer different questions. The difference is covered in adult ADHD testing and evaluation in New Jersey.

Beyond Rutgers: where adults get care

This guide did not find a hospital program in these five counties that describes itself as dedicated to adult ADHD as of October 2026. Adults here generally use:

• Private psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners, found through an insurer's directory or a referral.
• Primary care clinicians, some of whom treat adult ADHD themselves.
• Telehealth with a New Jersey-licensed clinician, subject to the stimulant rules below.
• Public clinics overseen by each county's mental health administrator, which DMHAS lists by county. Ask any clinic directly whether it evaluates adults for ADHD. Lower-cost routes are covered in low-cost adult ADHD care in New Jersey.

Campus disability offices

Central Jersey has an unusual number of campuses. Each runs its own accommodation office, and each sets its own documentation rules.

Ask for the written guidelines before an evaluation so the report covers what the office needs. Princeton has its own rules, covered on the Princeton page, and the statewide picture is in ADHD accommodations at New Jersey colleges.

Support groups

NAMI New Jersey says it has 18 affiliates covering all 21 counties, and it lists an affiliate page for each of Middlesex, Union, Mercer, Somerset and Hunterdon. The state NAMI office itself is in North Brunswick. NAMI groups offer peer support and classes; they do not diagnose or prescribe. See adult ADHD support groups in New Jersey.

Rules that apply to visits from Central Jersey

The clinician must be licensed in the state where you are physically located during the visit. New Jersey's telehealth statute requires a provider to be licensed to provide services in New Jersey. Commuters who take a visit from an office in New York are covered by New York's rules for that visit, since New York's State Education Department requires a New York license for a patient located in New York.

For a patient located in New Jersey who takes a Schedule II stimulant, P.L.2026, c.40 (effective July 8, 2026) requires:

1. An in-person visit within 30 days if care starts by telehealth.
2. A contact at least every three months, in person or by real-time two-way audio and video.
3. An in-person visit at least once a year.

Federal telemedicine flexibilities for controlled substances run through December 31, 2026, and the rules for 2027 had not been published as of October 2026. See telehealth ADHD prescriptions in New Jersey.

County and town pages

Local detail is on the Middlesex County, Union County, Mercer County, Somerset County, New Brunswick and Summit pages.

Where Dr. Shershow fits

Dr. John C. Shershow is a psychiatrist who focuses on adult ADHD and is licensed in New Jersey and New York. He sees adults 18 and older for ADHD evaluation and diagnosis, treatment planning, medication management when medication is appropriate, and ongoing follow-up, with follow-up visits held by secure video. For a video visit you must be physically in New York or New Jersey. The office will explain how visits are arranged for patients located in New Jersey and can tell you the current fees and how insurance works with the practice. See appointments and telehealth.

A short checklist for Central Jersey adults

1. If you are a Rutgers student, start with the Office of Disability Services and GSAPP; if not, start with your insurer's directory or primary care.
2. Save your county's screening line and 988, for emergencies only.
3. Ask any clinician whether they evaluate adults for ADHD and how they handle the New Jersey in-person rule.
4. Get your campus office's documentation guidelines before an evaluation.
5. Check any clinician's New Jersey license before the first visit.