Essex County Hospital Center
The state-of-the-art Essex County Hospital Center was completed in December 2006 and welcomed its first patients in February 2007. It has established a clear mission to provide evidence-based care to promote patient recovery and return to community living. The Hospital Center has a well-organized discharge-planning process that ensures all discharges are appropriate and timely. The new facility is designed to support and facilitate Information Technology projects to benefit consumers and the providers. Because the Hospital Center is the receiving hospital for all short-term psychiatric facilities in Essex County, and is the site for community mental health groups, such as the Mental Health Advisory Board, PAC and NAMI, it is well suited to organize a local integrated system of care.
In October 2006, the Institute for Mental Health Policy, Research and Treatment, a new academic division of the Essex County Hospital Center and the first of its kind in New Jersey, was established.
Through the Institute, Essex County and its Hospital Center have established clinical-academic partnerships with various medical schools and related institutions. The Institute has the potential to improve the quality and effectiveness of mental health services to meet patients’ needs by bridging the gap between research and treatment, and to help policy makers reach decisions about funding based on evidence. It is divided into six centers of excellence that specialize in the following areas: The Center for Mood Disorders, the Center for Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders, the Center for Metabolic Disorders, the Center for Workforce Development, the Center for Mental Health Policy, and the Center for Technology Integration
Office of Public Health Management
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Division of Community Health Services
The Division of Community Health Services is an umbrella agency that oversees the administration and management of grants made available for community health purposes. The definition of health is extended beyond its medical meaning to include quality of life issues, such as environmental health concerns, education and preventive programs, the integration of persons with disabilities into everyday situations, access to programs that nurture self-development and equity of services.
The Office of Addiction Services organizes, implements and monitors programs for clients with alcohol and drug related issues, makes funding available to implement alcohol and drug treatment programs for Essex residents and provides substance abuse and behavior health counseling and referrals for Essex County government employees and their families through the Employee Assistance Program.
The Municipal Alliance Program provides funding to municipalities to support the creation and implementation of alcohol and drug prevention programs. It also provides municipal programs with technical assistance and training and conducts fiscal and program monitoring.
The Intoxicated Drivers Resource Center is a state-mandated program that provides education and treatment to clients to prevent the recurrence of a DWI/DUI offense.
The Office of the Disabled offers programs to assist clients of all ages. The Personal Assistance Services Program provides information, referrals and personal assistance services to permanently physically disabled adults ages 18 and older.
Special Child Health Services coordinates services for children with special needs from birth to age 21 and coordinates free multidisciplinary evaluations for children from birth to age 3 who has a developmental delay.
The Health Department services all of Essex County’s 22 municipalities in the areas of solid waste enforcement, air noise and water pollution and hazardous response. The Health Department strives to be an impactful, visible and valuable environmental health education resource for all of Essex County.
The Domestic Violence Assessment Center is a court-referred program that addresses the epidemic of intimate and family violence by assessing, providing intervention plans and monitoring defendants with final restraining orders. Its goal is to enhance the safety of victims and their families while providing accountability and resources to the offender.
