Bergen’s Promise is honored and proud to announce that we are a recipient of the 2022 Rutgers' IFH Community-Academic Partnership Award. The organization was awarded $10,000 for projects focused on health equity.
For the past 35 years, the Rutgers IFH has been devoted to breaking down academic silos to make a direct impact in practice and policy. An essential component of this work is building partnerships with community groups to help translate research to New Jersey populations. The Community-Academic Partnership Award strives to strengthen these partnerships to study pressing health concerns, build community-research infrastructure and/or implement translation of research in their communities served.
By receiving this grant, Bergen’s Promise will be creating a culturally competent group therapy intervention for families of Latinx teens with eating disorders. Participant feedback and outcome measures will inform intervention revisions.
“This award will facilitate the collaboration of highly qualified researchers/clinicians from Rutgers, Bergen’s Promise, and a community-based organization to address a resource gap in northern New Jersey,” says Kathy Werheim, Community Resources Director at Bergen’s Promise. “This project will address a growing community need for tailored care for Latinx teens with eating disorders by creating and piloting a culturally competent group therapy intervention with a sample of families of Latinx teens with eating disorders that are enrolled in Bergen’s Promise."
Eating Disorders are among the many behavioral health challenges addressed by Bergen's Promise. In light of limited availability of culturally competent eating disorder treatment and prevalence of teen eating disorders due to the pandemic, this is serious challenge for families in Bergen County. Parents whose primary language is Spanish are experiencing confusion, stress, and desperation in these situations. Currently 43% of youth at BP with an eating disorder diagnosis identify as Hispanic/Latino. With the academic oversight and assistance from Rutgers's faculty we will be able to thoroughly address this challenge. Faculty will assist with intervention development, implementation oversight, and outcome analysis. Additionally, Bergen's Promise will collaborate with a licensed Spanish-speaking clinician who is certified as an Eating Disorder Specialist.
If your child is struggling with an eating disorder, make sure to make the call to PerformCare today (1-877-652-7624) to get started with us.
