County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (CHR&R)
In 2018, NJSOPHE, in collaboration with the Rutgers Bloustein School Planning Healthy Communities Initiative (PHCI), received a grant from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (CHR&R) program. This grant project facilitated collaboration with partners at the New Jersey Department of Health, Office of Population Health; and Toni Lewis, the CHR&R State Liaison. The goal was to explore the role of social determinants of health and the use of Health Impact Assessments for a data-driven approach to forge new partnerships and support decision-making in existing projects. The target for this project was County Health Departments in southern New Jersey - specifically, Camden, Salem, Cumberland and Atlantic counties.
NJSOPHE Past President Candice Davenport, President Robin Vlamis, and President-Elect Linda Brown worked with Bloustein Staff members, Leigh Ann Von Hagen and Karen Lowrie, to design a 2-day training.
Day 1 included members from each of the County Health Departments. This training was designed to offer an overview of the HIA process and social determinants of health. Additionally, data for each county was presented, showing the most pertinent themes combining information from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps and NJSHAD data. This was compared to County Health Improvement Plans (CHIP) to determine if County priorities were well matched to data.
Day 2 was designed to bring back many of the staff members who participated in Day 1, as well as potential partners, specifically those identified as non-traditional health partners. Representatives from health, transportation, housing, social services, non-profit organizations, and economic development sectors were invited.
This grant program has highlighted the need for continued work outside of traditional health partnerships to better impact community health. NJSOPHE and the Bloustein School are continuing to work together to pursue additional funding opportunities to expand the scope of this project.
If you have any questions about this grant, please contact Candice Davenport at candice.davenport @ gmail.com.
