Welcome to the new Healthy Communities site!

"Healthy Communities" are made more attainable by health care funds coming to Ventura County through the Tobacco Settlement proceeds. The County Board of Supervisors continues to designate settlement funds to public health care programs. The overall intent of these funds is to enhance the quality, quantity and availability of health care services for the residents of Ventura County, thus improving Community Health.

Community Health Partnerships provide an opportunity for a broad diversity of community organizations, businesses and individuals to participate in addressing particular community health problems. Active and meaningful participation in these Partnerships will create a basis for community-wide priority setting and decision-making.

This Community Health Partnerships' site will be periodically updated for the community to access as the process unfolds. Information specific to each focus area will include: priorities, events, data, partnership membership, calendar, funding opportunities, progress and ultimately a Policy Brief on the issues affecting that focus area.

COMMUNITY HEALTH PROJECTS

Funding opportunities for community programs for January -December 2002 were made available by the Public Health Department through the RFA process in the following six focus areas. Click on any of the following Partnership/Focus Area pages to access Purpose, Priorities and Funded Projects:

• Tobacco Prevention
• Chronic Disease
• Oral Health
• Communicable Disease
• Elder Care
• Priority Health Care Services
  

  Return to this website periodically to view updates and future funding opportunities.

Guiding Principles for proposals are as follows:

1. Identifies and addresses an unmet need
2. Is sensitive to cultural and linguistic needs of the population the project intends to serve
3. Builds on the strengths of the population served
4. Exhibits clear, measurable outcomes that are achievable
5. Demonstrates cost effectiveness
6. Increases access to services
7. Targets under-served populations
8. Meets diverse needs
9. Integrates systems, reducing fragmentation in service delivery
10. Develops collaborative partnerships
11. Leverages dollars through matching funds and in-kind contributions
12. Ensures sustainability

ROLE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP

1. Invite health leaders in the community to become members
2. Develop partnership identity
3. Co-chair Partnership
4. Focus on all aspects of the spectrum of prevention
5. Expand knowledge in specific Partnership area (share data/expertise)
6. Identify and develop key focus areas of the Partnership using Guiding Principles
7. Prioritize identified needs
8. Make recommendations
9. Identify additional funding opportunities and advocate for focus area funding by other agencies/programs

ROLE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT

1. Set up structure and support functions of the meetings (secure space, agenda, minutes, membership communication, write Policy Brief)
2. Co-Chair Partnership, providing leadership and facilitation
3. Provide evidence-based support (epidemiology, research, information dissemination and facilitate sharing)
4. Educate community on Public Health and Spectrum of Prevention
5. Develop RFA to fund projects in the focus group of Partnership in subsequent funding cycles.
6. Provide administrative oversight of partnership