WRI is facilitating, and providing technical assistance to the Live Healthy Salem County Coalition, which is a collaboration between the United Way of Salem County (lead agency) and 19 other organizations and agencies across the county. The mission of Live Healthy Salem County is to inspire residents to live healthy, productive lives by enhancing opportunities that lead to a sustainable culture of wellness. The coalition is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) as part of their New Jersey Health Initiative: Building a Culture of Health in New Jersey.
The coalition has identified three health areas to focus on: mental and behavioral health, obesity and chronic diseases, and substance abuse. The group utilized two assessments, the 2015 Community Health Needs Assessment funded by Inspira Health Network, and the United Way of Salem County Needs Assessment prepared by WRI, as well as data from the Robert Wood Johnson’s County Health Rankings as sources for informing their decision to tackle the three identified health areas. Currently the coalition is working on developing a strategic plan that will identify programs, practices and policies to address the issues adversely affecting residents in the areas of mental/behavioral health, obesity and chronic diseases, and substance abuse. Additional, the Blueprint for Action (the official name of strategic plan) will identify both short and long term goals as well as the task and resources needed to reach the agreed upon benchmarks.
