Archive
Enacting and Enforcing Local Public Policy to Improve Health
A training offered by the Western Mass Center for Healthy Communities
Western Massachusetts Center for Healthy Communities
489 Whitney Avenue in Holyoke, MA
3rd floor conference room
January 24, 2012
9:30am-12:30pm
Join us to learn more about how local public policy can support prevention and improve community health. In this training and dialogue, we'll examine:
* What role does policy play in improving health?
* Who has the power to make local municipal policy change? How can my prevention coalition educate and influence them in positive waysWhat types of local prevention policies are effective and should be enacted?
* What types of activities are allowable for non-profits? What are the parameters around "education" vs. "advocacy" vs. "lobbying" and what are the options?
* What resources are available to help prevention advocates support public policies?
For more information, click here for the flier.
Posted 12.8.11
The Public Health and Prevention Fund is in danger of being cut!
With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, $15 billion was set aside in this fund to be used over a ten year period. Some of the programs we will be seeing locally come from this Fund, such as the Community Transformation Grant program. Here is a breakdown of the allocation of some of the funds for FY 2012:
Please take the time to voice your opinion to your representative on the Prevention and Public Health Fund Lobby Day, December 15, 2012.
Click here for more information about this day and how to contact your representative.
Posted 12.14.11
Massachusetts awarded $3 million in Community Transformation Grant money!
On September 27, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced more than $103 million in Community Transformation Grant funding to states and communities across the country to fight chronic disease, which is the leading cause of death in America.
Created by the Affordable Care Act, the Community Transformation Grants (CTG) program supports states and communities that tackle the root causes of poor health so Americans can lead healthier, more productive lives. Grantees will use these funds to improve where Americans live, work, play, and go to school to reduce chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, which are a significant portion of the health care costs in the U.S. By promoting healthy lifestyles, especially among population groups experiencing the highest rates of chronic disease, these grants will help improve health, reduce health disparities, and control health care spending.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been awarded the two Community Transformation Grants that we applied for this past summer. We received the 8 county grant to work in Barnstable, Berkshire, Dukes, Franklin, Hampshire, Hamden, Nantucket and Plymouth Counties as well as a large county grant to work in Middlesex County in collaboration with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. This is very exciting news!
The award is comprised of two separate grants of approximately $1.5 million each. The funding will be used to expand a wide variety of community-based efforts to promote tobacco-free living, active lifestyles and healthy eating, and healthy and safe physical environments. A key focus of both awards is a significant expansion of the Mass in Motion Municipal Wellness and Leadership Program, which works at the local level to support policy and environmental change to reduce obesity, improve nutrition, and promote active living. Grant funding will allow DPH to increase the number of participating projects from 14 to 30.
Posted 10.20.11
New National Prevention Strategy Released by US Surgeon General and National Prevention Council
The new National Prevention Strategy: America’s Plan for Better Health and Wellness recognizes that good health comes not just from receiving quality medical care, but also from clean air and water, safe outdoor spaces for physical activity, safe worksites, healthy foods, violence-free environments and healthy homes. Everyone—businesses, educators, health care institutions, government, communities and individuals—has a role in creating a healthier nation.
The National Prevention Strategy also has an Implementation Center to help communities spread the word about the Plan and apply it at the local level.
Posted 6.22.11
The current system of Massachusetts Regional Centers for Healthy Communities is coming to an end on June 30, 2012.
Our primary source of funding since our inception more than 20 years ago has been the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS). They are reducing their investment in technical assistance and increasing their investment in community programming.In light of the funding reduction for technical assistance services, BSAS is interested in ideas that you may have about how to design an efficient and effective model of services that will preserve regional expertise.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for technical assistance and training. We anticipate that this RFP will become available in the early months of 2012. This RFP will only be for substance abuse prevention technical assistance.
Currently, DPH has issued a Request for Information (RFI). An RFI is the way that BSAS provides opportunities for providers and consumers to participate in the redesign of programs. This is the only opportunity for public input. Your comments will be taken into consideration by DPH as they create the Request for Proposals. It is very important that people and projects that have depended on our services over the years participate in the request for information and advocate for the services they need.
Please take a few minutes out of your day to respond to the online survey and participate in this RFI. Since the survey does not ask what region you are from, my suggestion is to include that information in one of the comment boxes.
Link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5SKPFLV
If you feel that the survey does not give you enough opportunity to describe your needs for technical assistance (including substance abuse as well as other topics and issues), you may want to send a separate e-mail to Jose Morales at BSAS and copy Geoff Wilkinson, DPH.
jose.morales@state.ma.us
Geoff.Wilkinson@state.ma.us
Posted 11.14.11
New Federal Public Health Funding Available!
Information from the Massachusetts Public Health Association:
Community Transformation Grants
A new program of Community Transformation Grants will provide up to $102 million to help communities implement projects proven to reduce chronic disease, violence and injury, and improve mental health and equity. Up to 75 grants will be awarded across the country to state and local governmental agencies, tribes and territories, and national and community-based organizations.
Healthy Food Financing Initiative
A new Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) will provide up to $10 million in grants and loans across the country to supermarkets, farmers' markets, and expanded convenience stores in low-income and under-served communities.
The funding opportunity states three goals of the new program:
* Bring healthy food choices to communities that are in food deserts through the establishment of new healthy food retail outlets or by supporting the offering of a significant number of healthy food choices at an existing retail outlet that lack such choices;
* Develop and enhances distribution systems to increase the amount of healthy food going to healthy food retail outlets in food deserts; and
* Develop strategies that promote or encourage the purchase of healthy foods, including outreach and education to consumers in foods deserts about healthy food choices and how they can be integrated into their diets.
Click here for more information on the Healthy Food Financing Initiative.
Posted 5.20.11
Opportunity for Hampden County communities to work with WMCHC on substance abuse prevention
WMCHC is committed to working with community coalitions in their local efforts to prevent and reduce youth substance abuse. WMCHC welcomes written applications from municipalities in Hampden County that are not currently funded by state or federal grants to engage in a community prevention planning process. WMCHC will work closely with the selected community(ies) to provide technical assistance, training, and support for the development of a community coalition, to mobilize resources, and to collect information that informs effective prevention planning. WMCHC also intends to help the selected municipality seek additional resources and future funding to support prevention work.
Report by the Food Trust shows need for more grocery stores in Western Mass
Commissioned by the Massachusetts Public Health Association, the report examined the number of grocery stores per capita and found that, compared to the national average, Massachusetts is third from the bottom when it comes to number of grocery stores per person. The report includes data for the Western Mass region.
Posted 4.19.11
Federal Budget Cuts Threaten To Gut Public Health Funding
Thank you to the Massachusetts Public Health Association for the following information:
The House is now on a path to pass at least $65 billion in extreme cuts that will harm millions of people and threaten the economy. The Senate will be next. Please join us in telling Congress to Reject Irresponsible Spending Cuts that Hurt the Most Vulnerable and Jeopardize Public Health
The House is now debating an appropriations plan for the remainder of FY 2011 that slashes domestic spending by more than $65 billion in the next seven months. These extreme and damaging cuts would disproportionately hurt the jobless and low-income families. Jobs programs, affordable housing, Head Start, heating assistance, community health centers, and other vital community services would all be cut.
The bill includes cuts to numerous Health and Human Services programs. Among many others, these include:
$1 billion cut for community health centers
$1.1 billion cut to Head Start
$850 million cut to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
$50 million cut to the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant
$41 million cut to enforcement of federal occupational health and safety standards
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act is also being targeted, including the elimination of $750 million in funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund.
House members are expected to vote this week on the spending bill; then the House and Senate will be back home February 18-26. The Senate will take up the bill sometime in late February or early March.
Take Action:
1. Send a message to your Representative through the American Public Health Association by clicking here.
2. Write a letter from your organization to our Congressional delegation about the impact of the cuts. You can use these letters as examples:
Come to the Next Regional Health Dialogue!
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) is pleased to announce that Commissioner John Auerbach will soon conduct a series of Regional Health Dialogues across the state. Please join the Commissioner in discussing new priorities for public health as we look ahead to the next four years. Your input is welcome at any of seven sessions to be held in different cities and towns listed on the attached flyer. Details are also available at www.mass.gov/dph/ohc
The 2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys today has released a new report with recommendations aimed at drastically altering life outcomes for black men and boys.
We Dream A World: The 2025 Vision for Black Men and Boys identifies concrete policy solutions to close educational achievement gaps, ensure workforce success, reduce health disparities, improve conditions for low-income fathers and improve the overall well being of black men, their families and communities.
Report author and senior policy analyst at CLASP, Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt , said "We need fresh ideas, political will at all levels, and a clear vision forward to ensure that we don't lose yet another generation of young black men."
Register Now: National Convening January 12
On January 12, 2011, CLASP and the 2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys will host an event to advance the vision and policy solutions presented in the We Dream A World report. This event will be held in Washington, D.C. at the Pew Charitable Trusts. For those outside of D.C., the event will be webcast live. We hope you will join this national dialogue on improving outcomes for black men and boys.
Race and America’s Future Virtual Book Club
Hosted by PolicyLink and Angela Glover Blackwell. Please consider participating in this national dialogue on race.
Week 1: Angela Glover Blackwell on "Are We Post-Racial Yet?" from PolicyLink on Vimeo.
Cooley Dickinson Hospital Deploys Youth Squad to Survey Northampton Residents About their Health, writes Fred Contrada of The Republican
Photo credit: Fred Contrada, The Republican
Cooley Dickinson Hospital and the Western Mass Center for Healthy Communities was recognized for its work with youth people in Northampton to conduct an assessment and community conditions that affect people's health behaviors. See the article on MassLive about the survey and the young people who helped to make it happen.
Posted 8.23.10
Julius Joel Ford: One Year Anniversary
August 6,1968 - October 8, 2009
It is approximately one year ago that the Western Massachusetts Center for Healthy Communities lost our beloved staff member, Julius Joel Ford. His wife Debora, and friends put together this CD as a tribute to Julius and as a way for all of us to remember our friend Julius and his remarkable legacy. A suggested donation of $10.00 will benefit The Education Fund of Julius's Children. The CD will be available in our library.
Jeff Harness, Director of the Western MA Regional Center for Healthy Communities provided this moving Tribute to Julius Ford
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Sign a Petition for Healthy Kids and Healthy Schools!
Action for Healthy Kids and Schools
Stand with us by Signing the Petition for Healthy Kids and Schools. Once you’ve signed, please encourage your co-workers, family members, friends and anyone else you know who cares about our kids being healthy to sign as well. We'll share the petition with our public officials.
Visit our Website to learn more about this important legislation, see how to contact your Congressional representative while they're on summer break, and make sure your voice is further heard on this important matter.
Posted: 8/16/10
Registration for the Winter 2011 A Deeper Look into the Youth Development Approach Training is now open.
Information about this training can be found on the Youth Work Central website. This training is a new offering for this year. It is geared towards youth workers who have completed the Youth Worker Certificate Training.
All registrations for BEST trainings are now done online. Please click here to register for the training.
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