What We Fund The Funds focus on addressing health and racial inequities and are guided by the following principles: The Social Determinants of Health account for significant variation in health outcomes Policies, systems, and social/physical environments are historically based in structural and institutional racism and other forms of oppression. Structural and institutional racism and other forms of oppression need to be understood and disrupted to eliminate inequities in population health outcomes and the social determinants of health. Funding Streams Three funding streams make up the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds. Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change The Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds focus on policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change approaches. Policy change approaches include the passing or changing of laws, also known as legislation, as well as ordinances, resolutions, mandates, regulations, or rules. Systems change approaches create fundamental shifts in how problems are solved and how resources and services get distributed. Environmental change approaches involve the economic, social, or physical surroundings or contexts that affect health outcomes. These PSE change approaches are different from direct service or programmatic approaches. This funding opportunity does not fund initiatives that focus only on direct service delivery. PSE change approaches make long-lasting changes within communities to make healthy choices practical and available to all residents. Learn more about PSE change approaches from the DPH program, Mass in Motion. PSE Resources Improving Community Health through Local Policy Change Moving from the Social Determinants of Health to Health Equity Preparing Your Community for Policy Change Healthy Aging The Healthy Aging funding stream supports strategies that: focus on the eight multi-sector domains of livability for age-friendly communities defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the AARP (see figure below) emphasize social determinants of health, and use policy, systems, and environmental change approaches The eight domains of Livability for age-friendly communities are transportation, housing, social participation, respect & social inclusion, work & civic enagement, communication & information, community & health services, and outdoor spaces & buildings. For more information on the eight domains, click here. Healthy Aging Resources Age-Friendly Massachusetts Action Plan Healthy Aging Data Reports Community Health Improvement Planning A Community Health Improvement Plan (or CHIP) is a long-term effort to improve the health of a community. The CHIP is based on the results of a community health assessment (CHA), which studies the health-related needs and strengths of a community. CHIPs aim to respond to CHA results, bring together resources and stakeholders, and create a shared framework for community health. CHIPs coordinate strategies between different sectors and stakeholders. These include health care systems and hospitals, health departments, local government, community-based organizations, businesses, and residents. The Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds support the development and/or implementation of local and/or regional community health improvement planning processes. Community Health Improvement Processes (CHIP) Approaches CHIP Resources An Overview of the Community Health Improvement Planning Process: Webinar recording by the Community Health Training Institute that describes the CHIP process and the resources required to complete them. Addressing Challenges and Barriers to Implementing a CHIP: Webinar recording by the Community Health Training Institute that describes some of the challenges of CHIP implementation and strategic opportunities for addressing these challenges. Community Health Training Institute Coalition Finder: A resource of the Community Health Training Institute. The Coalition Finder can help you find potential CHIP partners in your community. Community Health Improvement Processes (CHIP) Approaches The Health Tree: Connecting Health Outcomes to Root Causes The Funds’ strategy is based on a model that connects health outcomes to the root causes of health inequities. Awardees focus their initiatives on the root causes of health and social determinants of health to create a sustainable impact on health outcomes. The tree below shows the relationship between health outcomes and the root causes of health. The Health Tree is adapted by Health Resources in Action from the Human Impact Partners Grantmaking Process
