Regional Efforts
INTRO CONTENT
Click on the icons below to discover more about each regional effort.
ReCAST
In September of 2016, the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health, in partnership with the City of Saint Louis Health Department and the Saint Louis Mental Health Board, was awarded a five-year, $4.7 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – a division of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. St. Louis is one of ten communities that have received funding nationwide.
The initiative, Saint Louis ReCAST (Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma), funds efforts in the federally designated Promise Zone, which encompasses 28 North St. Louis County municipalities and 11 North St. Louis City wards. Promise Zone residents 11 years of age and older are recruited to take part in ReCAST’s participatory budgeting approach to develop, score and monitor micro-grant awards in four specific areas: violence prevention, youth engagement, peer support, and mental health.
Since its launch in January 2017, ReCAST has built a strong presence in the community and awarded over $2 million for community projects. Over 3,000 residents have participated in the process, making services like parenting classes, work readiness programs, after-school activities, and peer support groups available in the Promise Zone.
ReCAST recognizes residents as subject matter experts and values the voices and perspectives that individuals can share. Residents that participate in ReCAST are trained in facilitative leadership, racial equity, trauma awareness, and proposal development, scoring, and evaluation. When the initiative ends in 2021, ReCAST is hopeful of leaving a legacy that demonstrates the exceptional value of inclusion and self-advocacy in the delivery of public services.
All efforts combine to build a foundation that promotes well-being and community healing while improving access to behavioral health resources. ReCAST is excited to be part of a strong coalition working to make St. Louis a stronger, healthier, more resilient community.
ST. LOUIS CITY
THE 2014-2017 ST. LOUIS CITY COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN
In 2014, St. Louis City put together a plan to help it achieve its goal of:
“A healthy St. Louis Community everyday, all of the time.”
The plan identified five priority health issues for St. Louis City.
The full plan can be reviewed here.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY
THE 2014-2019 ST. LOUIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN
In 2014, St. Louis County put together a plan to help it achieve its goal of:
“Living in a community where one can achieve optimal health.”
The plan identified five priority health issues for St. Louis County. Learn more about these five priority areas:
HOW DID ST. LOUIS COUNTY GET THERE?
The Saint Louis County Department of Public Health used the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) framework to bring together a broad spectrum of organizations and individuals interested in improving the health of all of those who live in St. Louis County and formed the St. Louis County Partnership for a Healthy Community.
The partnership worked on its mission to join forces to improve the health of St. Louis County residents through comprehensive and accountable assessment, planning, programming, and measurement by conducting the Community Health Assessment (CHA), comprised of four MAPP assessments between 2011 and 2013:
- Community Health Status Assessment (2011)
- Community Themes and Strengths Assessment (2013)
- Forces of Change Assessment (2013)
- Local Public Health System Assessment (2013)
A comprehensive Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) was developed as a result of these assessments. The CHIP includes a plan for each priority issue with goals, measurable objectives, and strategies to achieve the objectives.
In addition, the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health adopted a five-year strategic plan that paralleled the CHIP. That strategic plan can be viewed here.