Led by the Ocean County YMCA, five coalition members are participating in a year-long Boundary Spanning Leadership Institute delivered by the Center for Creative Leadership. This team of five coalition members, representing more than 50 organizations spanning the healthcare, nonprofit, public health, philanthropy, education and government sectors, is sharing the skills and tools from this Institute with their full coalition to strengthen the coalition’s capacity to make long-term change in their community. In working to identify the greatest health impact areas in the Toms River community, the leadership team has prioritized Access to Care, Chronic Disease, Food Insecurity, Mental Health, Senior Isolation, Substance Abuse, and Wellness.

The team also includes a community coalition coach who is deeply rooted in the community and acts as an advisor to the team and the larger coalition as they embark on its mission to “make Toms River the healthiest community in New Jersey.” The coalition is developing a blueprint for action, outlining its work and timeline for the remaining three years of grant funding. This blueprint will be shared on the NJHI website in early Summer 2017.