Building Healthy Communities Initiative

Building Healthy Communities Initiative
Image credit: Miguel A. Vazquez, AICP

Summary

The Building Healthy Communities in the eastern Coachella Valley (BHCECV) was designed specifically to address the social determinants of health through (1) People Power; (2) Youth Leadership Development, (3) Enhanced Collaboration and Policy Innovation; (4) Leveraging Partnerships and Resources, and (5) Changing the Narrative.

Target Community

Youth, racial minority groups, workers in agricultural and service sectors, residents of the City of Coachella and 3 nearby communities

Equity Challenge

Disadvantaged communities in the State of California with significant heath disparities.

Approach

The Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Initiative, created by the California Endowment in 2010, selected 14 of the most disadvantaged communities in the State of California with the intent of improving the social determinants of health with a commitment of 1 million dollars per year per community over a period of 10 years. Some of the factors in the selection process for the community entailed demonstrating significant heath disparities and readiness for collaboration amongst government and NGOs.

Scale

City of Coachella and 3 communities in unincorporated community of Riverside County

Equity building blocks

identify
Recognition + Representation
Adoption of a Health and Wellness Chapter into the City of Coachella's General Plan.Provided spaces to ensure the community was comfortable and could participate and vote on what they wanted to see.
strengthen voices
Participation + Power
Community came together and engaged with the decision-makers to learn how to read their own community, identify the problems and possible solutions, and learn how to address different issues related to public health.
share
Fair Resources + Burdens
More landscaping, artwork to represent the community, improvements in the community.Community learned how to work with decision-makers, different departments, how to write grants, etc.
analyze barriers
Fair Systems + Structures
Adoption of a Health and Wellness Chapter into the City of Coachella's General Plan.

Overview

Region:
U.S. and Canada
City:
Coachella, CA
Country:
USA
Start Date:
2010
End Date:
2020
Leading Organization:
Riverside University Health System-Public Health, The California Endowment
Contact:
Miguel Angel Vazquez

More Information

More information is available here