The Newark Department of Child and Family Well-Being (DCFWB) formerly known as the Newark Department of Health and Human Services, originated from the City of Newark’s first established Board of Health which was created in 1857. The mission of the City of Newark’s DCFWB is to promote sound health practices among Newark residents through the provision of direct health services, health education and other public health initiatives. The mission of Newark DCFWB is to ensure an optimal level of health and well-being in the Newark community, and to enable those in need of health care to access needed services. In its 147 years of operation, the Department has kept pace with the dramatic changes in the health care system and continues to provide many direct “safety net“ services. To this end, and to cast a broader net to comprehensively improve the overall health of the community, the DCFWB has implemented a significant initiative which represents an innovative and unique paradigm shift in the manner in which the Department ultimately achieves a systemic, aggregate and sustained optimal impact on health outcomes and overall well-being for the diverse ethnic populations in the City of Newark.

The major initiative under the auspices of the DCFWB Health Planning Division, has entailed the implementation of standards set forth by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services for the implementation of a strategic paradigm shift in comprehensive health service delivery. The Health Planning Division is responsible for the planning and implementation of systemic changes and activities associated with the new federal and state requirements for all local health departments in the nation and includes the Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health (APEXPH); the Public Health Practice Standards of Performance (PHPSP) and the Mobilizing for Action Through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) strategic planning models.

The referenced assessment instruments and strategic planning models were developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all local health departments undertaking public health infrastructure development, community health planning and other development activities.

Consistent with the referenced systemic changes, the Health Planning Division is primarily responsible for the strategic planning, statistical analyses, research and tracking of health trends and social issues, as well as recommendations for policy development. Work of this division entails 1.) strengthening the public health infrastructure through implementation and utilization of the APEXPH for internal assessment, development and enhancement of the DCFWB infrastructure and 2.) the planning, research and development, in tandem with the MAPP Planning Partnership, for the creation and implementation of a comprehensive Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).

The MAPP Planning Partnership is comprised of all local Newark hospital systems, HMOs, pharmaceutical companies, institutions of primary/secondary education, community-based, faith-based organizations, consumers of services, as well as other facets of the community, and is both central and integral to the development, implementation and ongoing evaluation of the CHIP.

Concurrently, the Urban Behavior Risk Factor Assessment Survey (UBRFSS) was implemented in collaboration with Rutgers University Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies to provide a baseline of health and health seeking behaviors of Newark residents, and further provides a measure to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted health interventions and strategies over-time after implementation of the CHIP. Additionally, the Public Health Practice Standards of Performance will also be used to measure the impacts of both the strengthening of the DCFWB public health infrastructure and to evaluate performance based outcomes of the CHIP. Information derived from the BRFSS and outcomes of the CHIP will be used to continually inform DCFWB decisions regarding policy and resource development to address identified areas of need.



Surveys

• 2008 Urban Newark Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey - Executive Summary [Read Only]
• 2008 Urban Newark Behavioral Risk Surveillance Survey: Telephone Survey Findings - Executive Summary [Read Only]

City Wide Community Health Improvement Plan

• NJ Commission Rationalizing Healthcare Resources Final Report
• The Newark Health Plan
• Community Health Assessment
• Community Themes and Strength Assessment
• Forces of Change Assessment
• Assessment of the Newark Public Health Infrastructure
• Mapp Guide

For more information, please contact:

Deborah L. Edwards, MHS, CSW
Assistant Director of Personal Health Services   
DCFWB Division of Strategic Planning/Health Planning
(973) 733-6430
edwardsd@ci.newark.nj.us