Supporting place based change across the US

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are increasingly asked to make an impact on public health, particularly those with national affiliate networks. They have the ability to reach large number of people in a variety of settings, infrastructure to allow for broad-scale dissemination of programs and strategies, and trust among those they serve.  The Y is one type of CBO impacting public health using a strategy that mirrors the socio-ecological model by addressing the places and levers that can impact a person’s ability achieve good health.

YMCA of the USA, national resource office to Ys across the county, has spent the last decade catalyzing community leadership teams to implement policy, systems, and environmental changes to transform communities into healthier ones.  The Y has funded nearly 250 community teams to collaborate with leaders from public and private sectors to ensure healthy living is within reach of the people who live in those communities.  To enhance the work at the community level, the Y has funded 20 state-level teams to effect state policy change.   Early signs suggest when state-level teams focus their work on complementary policies to that of their community counterparts; more progress is made towards the adoption and implementation of organizational policy than in states without such support.  This session will share the technical assistance strategies, assessment and sustainability tools that have been developed to create sustainable and equitable communities that have led to nearly 41,000 documented policy, systems and environmental changes.  It will also highlight key lessons learned and share success stories.