Dr Aakash Shahs Project HEAL Receives 3 Million in Government Grants to Address Community Violence

What You Need To Know

• Project HEAL (Help, Empower and Lead), a hospital-based violence intervention program at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, has aided 400 victims of violence since its inception two years ago, including through counseling, emergency financial assistance, legal referrals, transportation assistance and more.
• It is led by Aakash Shah, M.D., MBA, MSc, Project HEAL’s medical director and chief of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

'A Serious Public Health Issue'

Project HEAL is approaching $8 million in state and federal funding and has provided more than 1,850 individual and group counseling sessions, as well as hundreds of instances of emergency financial assistance, health screenings, informing of victims’ rights and referrals to available legal, medical and faith-based services. The newly awarded state and federal and state grants will help the program expand.

“Our healthcare network and state and federal leaders understand that violence is a serious public health issue,” says Dr. Shah. “If you have been a victim of violence, they see you, they hear you, and they are providing the resources needed to ensure that your tomorrow is better than today." Across the nation, hospital-based violence intervention programs like Project HEAL have reduced homicides by as much as 60 percent in areas where they are implemented.

"I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact the Project HEAL team has had on their clients. This increase in funding is well-appreciated and enables the team to continue their important work for our community." -- Stacy Doumas, M.D., MBA, chairwoman, Department of Psychiatry, Jersey Shore University Medical Center