The Believe in a Healthy Newark (BHN) initiative announced it will host its 4th annual “Building a Culture of Health in Newark” Conference, titled “Promoting Health, Healing, and Sustainable Recovery.” This year’s conference will bring together nationally-recognized speakers to focus on the physical, social, emotional, and economic impacts of COVID-19, offering insight and resources to address the key social determinants of health and the ways in which they have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The virtual conference will be held via Zoom Meeting over three consecutive Mondays on October 12th, 19th, and 26th from 11:00a – 2:00p. Each day will include keynote addresses as well as various breakout sessions.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the significant role of social determinants, things like income, employment, and access to food in predicting health outcomes. In New Jersey, like the rest of the country, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to become infected, more likely to be hospitalized and more likely to die from COVID-19 than Whites and Asians. This means that many residents of Newark are at greater risk from the disease, as well as from the resultant economic declines associated with this pandemic. Our conference seeks to not only highlight these disparities but to also discuss strategies and interventions that can be employed to lessen the impact on Newark residents in particular” said Dr. Denise V. Rodgers, chair of the Believe in a Healthy Newark steering committee.
This conference seeks to present information and provide resources to help attendees cope with the trauma experienced during this time of crisis as a result of the: pandemic, racial unrest; increased psychological distress due to the continued unwarranted killings of Black men and women; increases in food insecurity across Newark; potential for a housing crisis if the moratorium on evictions is lifted in Newark; and, the increased rates of depression and anxiety.
“The Believe in Healthy Newark Conference is consistently one of the key events here in Newark, bringing together key stakeholders and thought leaders to discuss critical public health issues facing our community members,” said Catherine Wilson, President & CEO at United Way of Greater Newark. “At a time when the coronavirus pandemic has devastated Newark, United Way of Greater Newark is proud to be supporting the Believe in Healthy Newark Initiative and to be virtually participating in this important conference.”
The sessions for the three-day conference are as follows:
- Session 1, Collective Recovery Strategies to Promote Social and Emotional Well-Being:This inaugural session will kick off the first of three Monday sessions, focusing on a multi-generational, multi-strategy approach to protecting and maintaining emotional and social health and well-being during a pandemic.Breakout sessions will discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on young adults, caregivers, and parents and how community healing can help us all through difficult times. The keynote address will be presented by Dr. Mindy Fullilove, a social psychiatrist, who will discuss Collective Recovery as a strategy to help individuals and communities deal with the stressors associated with the pandemic. Other speakers include: Love M. Gaillard, MSW, Social Emotional Learning Facilitator at St. Peter’s University; Yasmine Jameelah, CEO and Founder, Transparent Black Girl; Rachel Bland, MPH, Learning Facilitator at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This session will begin on Monday, October 12th at 11:00am Eastern Time. If you’re interested in attending session one, register here.
- Session 2, The Adverse Impacts of COVID-19, Racism, and a Changing World on Physical Well-being: This session will focus on helping attendees get the facts about COVID-19, understanding the role of science in combatting the pandemic, and understanding how racism is a significant contributor to the disparities in COVID outcomes observed in the Black and Latinx communities. One of the keynote speakers for this session will be Linda Villarosa, contributing Writer to the New York Times, who has written extensively about health disparities. Breakout sessions will discuss approaches to eating well, a candid conversation on racism and public health, exercising in the winter months, and facts about COVID-19. Speakers include: Denise V. Rodgers, MD, Vice Chancellor for Interprofessional Programs at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences; Ketlen Baptiste-Alsbrook, Chief of Staff at the Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness; Jennifer Salt, RD, CHES, Director of SNAP-Ed, Zufall Health Center;; Darrin Anderson, PhD, CSCS, Executive Director and CEO of NJ YMCA State Alliance / NJ Partnership for Healthy Kids. This session will begin on Monday, October 19that 11:00am Eastern Time. If you’re interested in attending session two, register here.
- Session 3, Recovering from the Economic Impact of COVID-19: This session will focus on Newark’s economic response to COVID-19; how race impacts wealth building; understanding the underserved and unbanked; and overall economic impacts of COVID-19. The main plenary speakers for this session will be Wole Coaxum, Founder of Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi) and Frederick Wherry, PhD, Townsend Martin, Class of 1917 Professor of Sociology at Princeton University. Key local plenary speakers will include Catherine Wilson, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Newark, as well as Allison Ladd, Deputy Mayor and Director of Newark’s Economic and Housing Development Department. Breakout sessions will discuss access to needed services and employment. Speakers include: Carlos Rodriguez, President and CEO, Community Food Bank of New Jersey; Beverly Lynn, President and CEO, Programs for Parents; Amina Bey, MPA, Executive Director, Newark Emergency Services for Families; Rodney Brutton, Chief Administrative Officer/Director of Workforce Development, New Community Career & Technical Institute; Della Walker, Jr., Project Director of Newark 2020, Newark Alliance. This session will begin on Monday, October 26th at 11:00am Eastern Time. If you’re interested in attending session three, register here.
Registration is now open. Separate registration for each session and individual breakout sessions is required.
Believe in a Healthy Newark is a Culture of Health Initiative aimed at addressing social determinants of health in order to improve health outcomes for the residents of the South and West Wards of Newark. The mission of the coalition has temporarily changed to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new mission is to help the Greater Newark community remain healthy during this crisis. The Believe in Healthy Newark Conference is sponsored by United Way of Greater Newark and The Nicholson Foundation.
