Toolkit: HEZ
It's challenging to rethink ways to improve population health, but resident engagement changed the way our community was able to respond to the pandemic. As a result, we are stronger, more resilient, and determined to work together to get things done.
In 2018, Rhode Island hosted the Health Equity Summit where the health equity zones came together to share best practices and identify priorities. It was clear that building power in communities to create change was a vibrant tool to improve community health. In 2019, the President's Challenge for ASTHO, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, was to create systems to engage community voices. They advocated for creating pilot programs that would seed change in other areas. The goal was to create resident-led, place-based programs that would engage, empower and transform participants.
1. Identify the Region
Review Census and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, state illness and disparity reports, and vulnerability indexes to guide your selection. Understand what services and programs are available in the area; identify local leadership including muncipal leaders, representatives and clergy. Identify health resources including clinics, practitioners and Community Health Workers. And then begin to reach out.
2. Engage Potential Partners
Begin by listening. Ask open-ended questions: "What do you like about your community and what would you like to improve?" "Is there anyone in particular that we should include in this conversation?" Recruit diverse stakeholders and ensure representation of all demographics in the area. Each catchment area will need a backbone entity, whether that is the role of an outside non-profit or department of health agency, this group will be the conduit for group meetings and will arrange convenings with prospective partners. Host convenings with local stakeholders and brainstorm a list of issues. Break into groups to develop ideas for solutions.
3. Enlarge the Tent
Include members of local business, health providers, insurance providers and government. Articulate the expectations of the sessions that include respect and equality - ensure that those who are most affected by community issues are represented, since their voices are the ones most often ignored. Use these open fact-finding forums to exchange ideas and allow the key issues to come into focus. Prioritize as a community of concerned participants, and identify key priorities. Vote as a group on which topics are the most urgent. Sharpen the focus.
This is also the time to begin to coalesce the "collaborative." Identify strengths and opportunities within the group, and assess whether there is additional training required. Begin a regular system of communication with collaborative members that can include monthly meetings, emails, newsletters, websites and get-togethers.
4. Create an Action Plan
After the participants have prioritized issues and provided input necessary to address the topics, use this feedback to create an action plan. Each issue should have action steps, outcome goals, and a list of the organizations and individuals who will participate in the solution. Once codified, it's presented back to the community partners for approval and buy-in. Review the criteria for selecting approaches that you agreed on, and make sure that everyone understands and still agrees.
5. Take Inventory
Braided funding is key to advancing solutions for issues. Identify funding opportunities in the community including community foundations, corporate philanthropy and individual directed foundations. Identify innovative funding strategies available through local, state and federal government that are available for addressing key issues raised by the community. For example, there are Food and Nutrition supports available through grants from the federal government; there are Community Development Block Grant funds available through the municipal or state government, and there are grants available from corporate funders to address key issues like social isolation.
6. Get Started
Once you have the necessary commitments and buy-in from the collaborative members, you can get to work. Depending on the size of the initiative, there may be a need for Task Forces or sub committees to focus on specific challenges. Regular and frequent sharing sessions will keep residents and partners informed and will help navigate the inevitable challenges that will come up. Report back to the community on successes and share the spotlight with all of the participants. You're building a coalition of many hands that will shape the future of health in the community.
