Monmouth ACTS is an innovative public-private partnership between Monmouth County government and its human services stakeholder community.
The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners created Monmouth ACTS in 2018 to carry out the recommendations of a far-reaching Human Services Needs Assessment, “A Call to Action.” Monmouth ACTS represents an affirmative response to this “call.”
One key finding showed that County service providers do not generally collaborate to offer comprehensive services to residents, that many residents are not aware or not using services, and that many opportunities exist for innovative strategies to better reach and serve residents.
So Monmouth ACTS was created with the goal of Serving You Better. Together.
Monmouth ACTS brings together County Employees and community nonprofit leaders to share their distinct perspectives for the common good. Together, they are finding effective ways to meet today’s human service needs and improve overall quality of life.
Monmouth ACTS is an innovative response to the Needs Assessment’s recommendations to:
- Help County residents learn about services and how to access them through expansive community information sharing, education/dialogue and resource navigation
- Mobilize impactful use of the County’s rich resources through public/private partnerships for integrated human service planning, funding and delivery
- Address unmet service needs through an integrated planning process, and meet larger, long-term challenges through advocacy and new service approaches
After launching in 2018, Monmouth ACTS continued to streamline services for residents, make meaningful connections and address unmet needs. It became apparent just how important and necessary this work was in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought life in Monmouth County screeching to a halt. With services either shut down or scrambling to adapt, the organizations of Monmouth ACTS were prepared to pivot and address urgent, often life-and-death service needs for residents.
The Next Phase: Monmouth ACTS Today
With Monmouth County continuing to deal with the lingering and far-reaching ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to communicate with residents has become more important than ever. In 2022, Monmouth ACTS unveiled its next phase.
With a focus on resident voice, the new iteration establishes guiding values that will inform all phases of service planning, implementation and evaluation. It will include:
- consistent resident and community voice in every step of the process
- bending the curve away from crisis response and toward family supports and prevention
- building systems and responses which promote racial and ethnic equity
- assisting communities through organized systems of service
- building resilient communities utilizing trauma-informed practices
The new phase includes supporting the growth of and collaborating with existing Place-Based Activities – initiatives that bring supports and services to residents in the local community where they live, increasing access and promoting resident wellness and engagement. It also introduces the Community Engagement Network (CEN), a strategic grassroots approach that will facilitate outreach and engagement through a network of community and faith-based organizations.
HUBS of Opportunity
The Needs Assessment identified needs clustered around seven areas. Monmouth ACTS has formed “Hubs” around each of these issues. Each Hub examines identified issues and needs and makes recommendations for improvement. These seven Hubs offer fertile opportunities to benefit from ACTS’ collaboration of public officials and community stakeholders:
- Early Childhood Success
- Positive Youth Development
- Successful Aging
- Housing & Homelessness
- Transportation
- Financial Empowerment
- Behavioral Health
These Hubs, which are integrated through the Monmouth ACTS Advisory Committee, will make it their mission to support individual and family success through all stages of life by supporting:
- Strong family relationships and community connection
- Personal safety, equal opportunity and financial security
- Good health and well-being
- High-quality learning and education