The City of Trenton has been awarded the national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize, the Trenton Health Team announced this month.
The Culture of Health Prize is awarded annually to a select number of communities across the country, celebrating collaborative efforts that have led to real, systemic change in health outcomes and social well-being.
Trenton was recognized for its unique community initiatives and partnerships. The prize is a recognition of Trenton’s ongoing efforts to build a future rooted in wellness and shared opportunity.
The application process was led by Trenton Health Team, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing social determinants of health and well-being in the greater Trenton area, and Capital Health, in collaboration with many longstanding community partners.
Gregory Paulson, CEO of Trenton Health Team, says: “The Culture of Health Prize is an incredible recognition of Trenton’s collective efforts to build health and well-being for our entire community. This prize proves we do that best when we work together, reaffirming THT’s belief that meaningful and sustainable change is only possible through collaboration.”
The prize application was supported by a video where a number of community initiatives were covered, including THT’s Maternal Health Stakeholders group, a coalition of over 20 organizations focused on improving the lives of families in Mercer County and surrounding areas.
Trenton residents are reimagining what communities can be when no one is hungry, neighbors have a say in the laws that affect their lives, and moms have safe, respectful healthcare during and after pregnancy. In the multiracial and multi-ethnic city, Black and Latino Trentonians are leading the charge to fulfill their vision for a healthy and prosperous region where they keep each other safe.
Through the work of a multisector partnership of health care organizations, city agencies, and health service providers, Trenton has sought to overhaul numerous public services and policies to more effectively prevent violence, promote maternal and infant health, advance food security, and invest in communities. And it has redesigned response systems so that health workers trained in de-escalation are the first line of contact in nonviolent emergencies.
The city has also established mobile food banks that go to doctors’ offices with the aiming of providing people better access to vital services. Other initiatives recognized in the Culture of Health award include:
The Trenton Restorative Street Team and Trenton Community Street Team’s use restorative justice practices to heal and empower marginalized communities. The teams work to prevent community violence and to impact systems through advocacy and legislation to help ensure sustainable change.
From first response to victim advocacy, safe passage to reintegration of returning residents, community circles to community mediation, Street Team efforts have led to new legislation establishing community-led response teams (instead of police) for nonviolent, drug-related behavioral health calls in Trenton. The teams also support services for formerly incarcerated individuals across New Jersey.
The New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate has recognized the success of the Trenton Health Team’s collaborative Tri-County Food Insecurity Index and is creating a statewide version of the food index to all N.J. counties.
Launched by New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy Murphy, the statewide Nurture NJ program is committed to reducing maternal and infant mortality in the state. Through the program’s efforts, more than 45 pieces of related legislation were passed, from Medicaid rate parity to doula access. In 2023, the program culminated in the establishment of the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, the first of its kind in the country.
A collaboration of local health, faith, and community institutions, For My Baby and Me was established to provide services for pregnant people impacted by opioid use disorder. Services include safe and sober housing, medication, group therapy, prenatal care, job training, transitional housing support, and other supportive services. Since 2017, the program has provided care for more than 175 people and their families, with outcomes including shortened ICU stays for infants.
The Trenton Neighborhood Initiative has helped 35 families buy their home through a down payment assistance program. The initiative has provided nearly 150 families with financial counseling, distributed more than 15,000 meals and bagged food staples and 100 students received Mercer County scholarships.
Shaffona Morgan, Dontae Thomas, Pete Lewis and Keyion Jones, members of the Trenton Restorative Street Team, conduct community outreach throughout neighborhoods in Trenton.,
