Communities That Care (CTC)

Communities That Care (CTC) is a data-driven process that engages communities across the nation, and the world, to help youth thrive. It is a process based on 30 years of research that shows if risk factors are greater than protective factors, youth are more likely to experience alcohol and drug abuse, antisocial behavior, violence, school failure, anxiety/ depression and teen pregnancy.

Women Speaking to a group of people

The Communities That Care initiative is a component of the RWJBarnabas Health Social Impact and Community Investment Practice (SICI), focused on addressing the social, economic and environmental conditions that contribute to poor health outcomes, reduced life expectancy and higher costs.

This initiative begins with a youth survey to identify community’s risks and strengths. The data is used to create a community action plan and implement programs that decrease risk factors and increase protective factors to improve youth outcomes and reduce problem behaviors. Measurable outcomes are tracked over time to evaluate the community’s progress toward its vision.

IFPR provides CTC services in Barnegat, Long Branch, Toms River and Newark and is the first organization to implement these services in New Jersey. Funding is provided by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

RWJBH’s SICI practice takes a unique collective impact approach to building communities’ whole health, and a key driver of the system’s mission. A wide spectrum of initiatives, including this CTC initiative, are being co-designed alongside communities within the RWJBH footprint, aimed at eliminating health care disparities and addressing social determinants of health.

Key Contacts

Barnegat:

Megan Tucker, Megan.Tucker@rwjbh.org

Long Branch:

Amy Carreno, Amy.Carreno@rwjbh.org

Newark:

Edith Muhammad, Edith.Moore-Muhammad@rwjbh.org

Toms River:

Keri Britske, Keri.Britske@rwjbh.org

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