The Cumberland Department of Public Health and the Department of Social Services (DSS) each received North Carolina Association of County 

Commissioners (NCACC) Civic Excellence in Innovation Awards at the NCACC 118th Annual Conference.

Cumberland County Public Health received the Civic Excellence in Innovation Award for the Healthy Conversations program. The Healthy Conversations program is a community-centered initiative that trains barbers and stylists as lay health educators to promote awareness of heart health, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer.

“We’re grateful for Board of Commissioners’ investment in Healthy Conversations. We need innovative programs to solve complex public health programs,” said Cumberland County Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green in a press release. “Our partnership with our local barbers and stylists has resulted in real behavior change.”

Cumberland County DSS received the Excellence in Innovation Award for the program “Social Work Simulation Training,” in partnership with the University of Utah. The partnership implements cost effective, real-world virtual social work training to support staff for critical child and adult protective social work duties in the community. Earlier in August, Cumberland County DSS was awarded by the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services for the same program. That award was presented at the annual Social Services Institute.