The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49853

Raul R Rojas, BA, Monument Community Partnership, John Muir/Mt. Diablo Health System, 1341 Galaxy Way, Suite D, Concord, CA 94520, (925) 363-7588, monument@value.net

The Monument Community Partnership (MCP) is a collaborative of over 100 representatives from local organizations and residents striving to create a healthier community. The goal is to mobilize community stakeholders around a problem-solving initiative that would result in the creation of a community infrastructure, capable of implementing a collaborative health initiative in the Monument Corridor community. The project is organized as five task forces, overseen by a representative Steering Committee.

The MCP has operated as a public/private partnership from the outset, with the full commitment and participation of key partners and stakeholders. Members include leaders in business, community-based organizations, education, law enforcement, government, hospitals, the faith community, and most importantly, residents. Members have recognized the importance of full participation of grassroots, low-income and ethnic minority residents, whose experience and views are critical in driving the decision-making process. In order to establish a critical mass of grassroots participants, MCP adopted the Neighborhood Action Team model for neighborhood-based leadership development, which utilizes a peer support methodology within a larger framework of popular education and community building. Providing evidence of the power of a community driven collaboration to catalyze community change, there have already been a number of successes to date.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn to develop leadership skills in community residents and understand the value and importance of community-based leadership.
• Participants will learn to create a community-based infrastructure in which residents are the primary driving force in the decision-making process.
• Participants will aquire the basic skills to engage community residents to apply their expertise and identify opportunities to address the changing needs of the community.

Keywords: Community Involvement, Decision-Making

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Monument Community Partnership
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.