University, Corporate, Local Education Unit Systematic Partnership for Community Health

Since the late 1990s, community engagement has become an increasingly common practice utilized by corporate and private funders and academic institutions to address social and health concerns. Specific principles of such engagement, especially in community health, have become formalized and articulated over time. Additionally, there are many lessons to be learned from academic-based health interventions in communities in the U.S. The key element in these efforts is the deliberate and deep involvement of community members.  This type of engagement represents a shift away from a top-down approach to a more inclusive model with greater potential for sustainable results.

The Johnson & Johnson (JnJ) School Health Leadership Program is a nationally-recognized fellowship program designed by Rutgers University Center of Alcohol Studies in collaboration with JnJ. The program engages local educational agencies (LEAs) and includes intensive education guided by curriculum and opportunities designed to empower school nurses and their community/administrative partners to become leaders within their community’s educational and health services teams, with an ultimate goal of improving student and community health. A unique aspect of this program is the three-way partnership between JnJ, Rutgers, and a LEA.

The model focuses on long-term engagement, aiming to build relationships and trust by moving from consultation and information-sharing to shared responsibility for measurable results. A robust evaluation plan designed with input from all partners facilitates measurement of program reach and outcomes at participant and community levels. We propose to describe the multi-sectoral partnership, define the program model, and present case studies of community impact.