New Jersey Disability Health & Wellness Initiative

The New Jersey Disability Health & Wellness Initiative (NJDH&W), funded originally by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is located at the Division of Disability Services. It seeks to promote healthy living and prevention of secondary conditions among children and adults with disabilities. As such, DDS works to identify gaps in the State health-care system. DDS also identifies and recommends initiatives that will help meet those needs - to promote overall well-being for people with disabilities of all ages.

Collaboration

The Division of Disability Services has strong relationships with other state departments, county organizations, and local community agencies that provide services for people with disabilities. DDS seeks to:

• Educate community groups about the Health & Wellness Initiative
• Partner with these coalitions, when appropriate, to insure that disability and health issues are addressed

Advisory Board

The NJDH&W Advisory Board is a consumer-driven, cross-disability group with members from across New Jersey. Its charge is to promote healthy living and prevention of secondary conditions. The Advisory Board's aim is to:

• Provide guidance to project staff and collaborators
• Help plan specific activities for the NJ Strategic Plan
• Educate the public health and human service communities

Domestic Violence Against Women with Disabilities

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) statewide grantmaking program, new Jersey health Initiatives, has awarded a three-year grant to DHS's division of Disability Services (DDS) for a new training project called The Unheard Voice: Addressing Violence Against Women with Disabilities.

Strategic Plan

A strategic plan is being designed to enhance the health and well-being of people with disabilities, in tandem with the Strategic Plan for the Division of Disability Services. This will help assure that, as DDS operates its various programs, it will incorporate elements of health promotion and prevention of secondary disabilities into the programs.

University and Other Partnerships

The Center for State Health Policy, Rutgers University , is under contract to the Division to develop a survey and conduct focus groups of people with disabilities to explore health promotion and prevention activities and to invite discussion about the primary health concerns and barriers they encounter.

For more information please contact:
(888) 285-3036