What happens when all government agencies in a town, county, or state work together to build healthier communities? They create jobs, make sure families can afford healthy food, and build parks where all kids can play. And ultimately, they build communities where all people feel healthy, empowered, and connected to the place they call home.
It’s impossible to make this vision a reality unless everyone works together. Behind the scenes, government agencies must collaborate. That means identifying shared goals and maximizing resources. It means coordinating tasks and investing in big solutions. It means harmonizing policies, plans, and systems.
This is the idea behind Health in All Policies. It requires all parts of government to create a unified vision of a healthier, more just community, and then work together to achieve that vision.
Yet many communities struggle with this approach, and for good reason: It’s hard. We live and work amid bureaucratic structures, history, and practices that keep us isolated, operating in our separate silos. Libraries over here, sheriff’s office over there, and public health department way over there. We speak different technical jargon. We’re accountable to different outcomes — even when we share the same boss!
So how do governments actually do Health in All Policies? A Roadmap for Health in All Policies offers some answers. This comprehensive resource provides strategies for collaboration, challenges to consider, and concrete guidance and inspiration from real people who have done this hard and important work. The newest addition to our growing library of Health in All Policies materials, the roadmap focuses on using policy to build and institutionalize the public sector’s ability to collaborate across government departments, agencies, and offices. No matter where your community is starting, the guide offers strategies you can work on today.
ChangeLab Solutions creates healthier communities for all through better laws and policies. Check out Tools for Change, our resource catalog, for an overview of what we offer on our website. With your help, we can make healthy changes in every community. Contact us to learn how you can get involved!
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