The Christie Administration today announced that $3 million in federal Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funds will be distributed to county public health departments to coordinate health-related services to individuals who were impacted by Superstorm Sandy.
County health departments in the nine most impacted counties, as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD, will receive $121,024 each to support ongoing recovery activities. The most affected counties include Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Union. The 12 remaining county health departments and the City of Newark will receive grants of $25,000 each to conduct recovery-related activities.
“Although there has been much progress made, some families and communities are still recovering from Superstorm Sandy,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd. “This funding will strengthen the ability of county health officials to connect individuals and families to vital health, mental health and social services programs.”
New Jersey local health departments have been assisting residents impacted by Sandy through case management services as well as educating homeowners and businesses about mold cleanup, disaster debris and lead-safe practices in renovation and rebuilding efforts.
County health departments will use funding to:
· Identify outstanding recovery needs of their communities and work to address these needs;
· Provide education to increase awareness of programs and resources available to families and individuals; and
· Increase awareness regarding "Register Ready - New Jersey's Special Needs Registry for Disasters," a free, voluntary and confidential on-line registry designed to identify the needs of people who may find it difficult to maintain their safety in the event of an emergency or disaster.
“With this funding, county health departments will work to ensure that outstanding health and social service needs of Superstorm Sandy survivors are identified and addressed,” added Commissioner O’Dowd.
Other programs launched by the Department of Health to support the health-related recovery efforts include:
· Mold Remediation Training and Mold Guidelines for New Jersey Residents;
· Expanding Case Management for Children with Special Health Needs;
· Carbon Monoxide Outreach and Education; and
· Enhancing Emergency Communication and Coordination
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