The Division of Community Relations and Social Services oversees comprehensive public health outreach for the Department of Health and Human Services. It designs and administers annual grant programs that support nonprofits serving Jersey City’s diverse and underserved communities, advancing initiatives in opioid prevention, youth enrichment with STEAM and STEM, community engagement, and equitable access to care.
Partnership for a Healthier JC
CR & SS leads the Partnership for a HealthierJC, a citywide initiative that drives collaboration between public and private sectors to improve health outcomes and community well-being in Jersey City.
With a network of over 600 partner organizations, the division offers a calendar for partner events, gives each a dedicated page and disseminates social media for their events and programming on HealthierJC platforms.
Communications
The division creates messaging through social media, press communications for consistent marketing and branding for the department. It coordinates public information efforts across all HHS divisions and the Director’s Office while working closely with City Hall Communications, Hudson County, and New Jersey State partners to ensure accurate, consistent and timely dissemination of critical health messaging.
CR&SS designs, creates content and manages the HealthierJC website and works closely with other Health and Human Services divisions to deliver timely, targeted outreach via HealthierJC social media platforms, X and Instagram.
Grants
The division supports local nonprofits that serve Jersey City’s diverse and underserved communities with programs the city is not equipped to offer. The 2025 Summer Youth Reimbursement Grant awarded $446k to 59 organizations that provided nearly 3,000 young people with enriching, high-quality programming that focused on arts, academic improvement and social development. The upcoming 2026 Opioid Settlement Grant further expands this impact by funding nonprofits that integrate STEAM/STEM education with evidence-based mental health strategies for Jersey City youth. The division brings the grant cycle to fruition designing and implementing the application and rubric systems, monitoring programming and reporting program data, to measures the program outcomes. Stories about each grantee’s program are posted to www.healthierjc.com
FindHelp
Through the platform, we allow residents to be connected to vital resources and services when they need them most. FindHelp
In addition, the division manages the city’s FindHelp social services database connecting residents to thousands of free and low-cost resources including food pantries, housing support, and financial assistance, making free and reduced-cost services more accessible.