Healthy Living Community Engagement Strategies

Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support

Creating a Healthier Minneapolishealthy eating + physical activity + smoke-free living

Department of Health and Family SupportVision: Health, equity and well-being for all people in their communities

Mission:To promote health equity in Minneapolis and meet the unique needs of our urban population by providing leadership and fostering partnerships

Health Department Goals & Initiatives• Strong Urban Public Health Infrastructure

– Emergency Preparedness– Health care safety net

• Healthy weight through active living and healthy eating– Minneapolis Healthy Living– Homegrown Minneapolis

• Healthy sexuality and relationships– School-based clinics– HIV and STD prevention

• Thriving and violence-free youth– Youth development projects– Commission Youth Violence Prevention

• A healthy start to life and learning– Lead and smoke-free homes– Thriving babies: Healthy Start Infant Mortality Prevention Initiative– School-ready children

Minneapolis Healthy Living Initiative• Comprehensive, 14-project initiative to reduce

obesity, tobacco use, and the chronic diseases they cause (examples: diabetes, heart disease, asthma)

• Focused on achieving health equity; targeted to specific communities

• Focused on policy, systems and environmental approaches

Spectrum of Healthy Living Community Engagement Strategies• Official boards and processes• Community Input

– Periodic meetings– Ongoing Community Leadership Team

• Per project engagement• Initiative-level partnership• VOICE: story-based community dialogues

Per Project engagement

Community engagement built into every projects Examples:• North Minneapolis Greenway Project• Smoke-free multi-unit housing• EBT at farmers markets

Initiative-level engagement• Expanding the reach and impact of Healthy Living

strategies in small, clearly defined populations (cultural or geographic) through community-based and neighborhood organizations

• Partnering with organizations to: – Increase the concentration of healthy

opportunities– Increase target population’s participation in and

use of these opportunities

A community engagement strategy that connects with cultural communities that are at high risk for obesity

• Story Based Community Dialogue

• Fosters Partnerships

• Shares Knowledge

• Promotes Sustainability & Community Buy-In

• Promotes Greater Inclusion

• Strengthens understanding

What is VOICE…..

Stories from VOICE…..*Food is central across cultures

VOICE is a strategy that builds upon core community engagement principles—City of Minneapolis

1. Right to be involved

2. Contribution will be thoughtfully considered

3. Recognize the needs of all - sustainable decisions

4. Seek out involvement – public participation

5. Participants design participation – consult for professional services

6. Adequate information – meaningful participation

7. Known effect of participation – affect decisions

The Voice Project(Valuing Our Individual Cultures through Engagement )