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Family and Community Health Sciences

Family and Community Health Sciences

Mission Statement

Family and Community Health Sciences, a part of Rutgers Cooperative Extension, promotes health and wellness through education, research and collaboration with outreach in food, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles.

Family and Community Health Sciences (FCHS) helps people stay healthy, enjoy life, be active, and reduce health care costs. Many of today's health problems--obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer--can be reduced through good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. FCHS encourages today's busy families and individuals to learn more and make personal choices to improve health. FCHS combines research and practical advice to improve your health for a better tomorrow.

Key Department Initiatives

  1. Get Moving – Get Healthy New Jersey encourages a healthy lifestyle, especially healthy eating and physical activity, through educational programs, a website, publications, and targeted marketing campaigns.
  2. Grow Healthy is a wellness initiative that joins elementary schools, childcare/preschools, families, and the community together to make wellness and learning top priorities.
  3. Small Steps to Health and Wealth motivates consumers to implement behavior change strategies that simultaneously improve their health and personal finances.
  4. Worksite Wellness provides online evidence-based information that empowers employees to make better food choices, manage stress, and increase physical activity.

FCHS Outreach Focuses On

  1. Nutrition, Physical Activity and Health
  2. School and Child Care Wellness
  3. Chronic Disease Prevention
  4. Food Safety and Food Allergy
  5. Food Security

Programs Offered in Mercer County

  1. School Wellness Initiatives for Students, Parents, Staff, and Wellness Councils
  2. Early Care Education/Child Care Wellness Initiatives
  3. NEW Developmental Disabilities Training Series provides valuable training for the Cooperative Extension system and organizations which offer programs to individuals or audiences who have developmental disabilities. Topics include: Overview of Developmental Disabilities; Disabilities and Learning; Understanding and Managing Behavior; Visual Supports; Disabilities Laws and Program Accommodations and Modifications.
    1. Developmental Disabilities Training Series
    2. Developmental Disabilities Publication Search
    3. Developmental Disabilities Flyer (120k PDF)
  4. NJ SNAP-Ed
  5. "Early Stages": Informative Programs for New Parents
  6. Take Control of Your Health: Chronic Disease Self-Management Program©
  7. Take Control of Your Health: Cancer Thriving and Surviving©
  8. Nutritional Education for Older Adults
  9. Farmers Market Cooking Demonstrations
  10. Shopping Smart Programs – Get the most nutrition for your money!
  11. Employee Wellness Programs

Check out the Health Happenings and Services in Mercer County. Visit www.healthymercer.org.

Publications

Partners

  • Trenton Public Schools
  • Greater Mercer Public Health Partnership
  • Hunterdon-Mercer Regional Chronic Disease Coalition
  • Family Resource Network
  • Trenton Health Team

Contact

Michelle Brill, M.P.H., Family and Community Health Sciences Educator
Telephone: 609-989-6831
Email: brill@njaes.rutgers.edu