Hackensack Meridian Health Project HEAL Receives $3 Million in Government Grants to Address Community Violence

Innovative Program will celebrate its two-year anniversary in March and has aided 400 people impacted by violence.

Hackensack Meridian Health is proud to announce that Project HEAL, a hospital-based violence intervention program based at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, received more than $3 million in federal and state grants recently, and has aided 400 victims of violence since its inception two years ago.

“We are proud to do our part to help address violence, in all forms, present in our communities,’’ said Robert G. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “The epidemic of gun violence in this country has claimed nearly 48,000 Americans and has become the number one killer of children. We are losing about 120 Americans a day to senseless gun violence, especially in communities of color, and we must take urgent action to address this serious public health threat.’’

Since the launch of Project HEAL (Help, Empower and Lead) two years ago, nearly 400 clients have been aided in multiple ways: through counseling, emergency financial assistance, legal referrals, transportation assistance and more. To date, the program is approaching $8 million in state and federal funding.

“These investments send two very clear messages. First, our healthcare network and state and federal leaders understand that violence is a serious public health issue,” said Aakash Shah, M.D., MBA, MSc, medical director, Project HEAL and chief of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “Secondly, if you have been a victim of violence, they see you, they hear you, and they are providing the resources needed to ensure that your tomorrow is better than today."

More than 1,850 individual and group counseling sessions have been provided, as well as hundreds of instances of emergency financial assistance, health screenings, informing of victims’ rights and referrals to available legal, medical and faith-based services. The new grant will enable the program to continue to enhance and expand its services. Across the nation, hospital-based violence intervention programs have reduced homicides by as much as 60 percent in areas where they are implemented.

The U.S. Department of Justice as part of its Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiatives (CVIPI) awarded Project HEAL $2 million. The CVIPI includes a $100 million investment from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The additional funding, from the N.J. Office of the Attorney General, is part of a $10 million allotment for the continued support of the New Jersey Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (NJHVIP), and was announced by Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin in January 2023.

These community-based violence intervention funds will enhance Project HEAL's existing infrastructure by enabling the team to access Monmouth County's at-risk youth, ages 13-20, and provide them with the holistic support needed to break the cycle of violence.

 “As we celebrate our two-year anniversary in March, Project HEAL will build even greater connections with local school districts and faith-based organizations to deploy Peer Specialists, who are impacted, local, young adults who can act as a mentor to provide alternatives to violence,’’ said Lisa McDermott, LCSW, LCADC, Clinical Program manager for Project HEAL.

Community violence and victimization is rarely a one-time event. “Yet, victims often find themselves returning to the very same circumstances that contributed to their injury, without resources to prevent future violence,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, Southern Market, Hackensack Meridian Health. “I’m grateful for the efforts of the Project HEAL team to intervene in the lives of these individuals to help stop the cycle of violence.”

While violence is present in all communities, in urban settings it’s estimated that 41 percent of victims of violence are re-injured within a five year period; one in five will die in that five year period. While 120 people die every day to gun violence, 200 more are shot and must endure the lifelong consequences of those injuries, a horrifying epidemic that is especially pronounced in communities of color. Young Black men and teens made up more than one-third of firearm homicide victims, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their death rate is 20 times higher than white males of the same age group.

According to data from the Uniform Crime Report, three areas of concern in terms of violent crime are Asbury Park, Neptune Township, and Long Branch City. Combined, these areas saw 12 murders and 744 aggravated assaults in the past three years. Between January 2016 and August 2019, Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s internal medical data shows that the hospital’s clinical teams treated 408 violent injuries in a variety of different capacities: 107 by fist, 176 by knife, 84 by gun, and 41 by other means.

“Caring for our community, whether it’s within our medical center walls or through our outreach efforts, is at the core of everything we do,” said Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA, president and chief hospital executive, Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Project HEAL launched with part of a $20 million grant to stem community violence, and continues to utilize holistic, trauma-informed therapies enhanced with options for extra curricular activities, career development, and healthy lifestyle options to aid in ending the epidemic. “I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact the Project HEAL team has had on their clients,” said Stacy Doumas, M.D., MBA, chairwoman, Department of Psychiatry, Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “This increase in funding is well-appreciated and enables the team to continue their important work for our community.”

For more information about the program, call 732-897-8190 or visit www.ProjectHealNJ.org.