Supporting Disadvantaged Residents
In addition to the regular services and support programs, under the leadership of Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., the following initiatives have been undertaken to assist vulnerable and disadvantaged residents:
- Purchased the former Bank of America building in downtown Newark and repurposed the 150,000-square-foot facility into a new headquarters for the Essex County Division of Family Assistance and Benefits. The new facility opened in 2020.
- Initiated Case Banking at Division of Family of Assistance and Benefits to improve service provided to clients
- Initiated a call center (973-395-3000) to centralize service calls and reduce wait time to reach a case worker
- Installed computerized information kiosks at 18 Rector Street to allow clients to submit applications and information
- Rebranded the Division of Welfare as the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits to better reflect the broad range of services provided
- Created the One-Stop Youth Resource Center to help prepare clients ages 17-24 years to enter the workforce by assisting with educational enrichment or job readiness skills
- Created the Essex County Juvenile Day Reporting Center, an alternative to incarceration program for juveniles ages 16-18 who are assigned to the program by the New Jersey Family Court System that offers mainstream educational and growth opportunities, including work experiences, educational and vocational skill attainment, coping skills, family integration, and substance abuse and mental health counseling
- Developed a state-of-the-art psychiatric hospital center to replace an antiquated facility
- Remain as the only Juvenile Detention Center in the state to offer a full school day to residents
- Implemented Code Blue procedures to provide temporary emergency housing to homeless clients during cold, winter months
- Host Project Homeless Connect, a day-long event to link homeless clients to programs and services offered by the county and community-based agencies that help get their lives back on track