The Bernalillo County Community Health Council (BCCHC) serves as a resource and convener for anyone working to improve the health and well-being of all Bernalillo County residents, including organizations, institutions and individuals who work to create the conditions needed for health in the neighborhoods where its residents live, work, learn and play.The Health Council focuses on the following desired results:

• Healthy and sustainable communities where all families and individuals have their basic needs met and prosper.

• Improved health and education outcomes for children/youth from pregnancy to age 25.

• Improved healthcare access and quality of service for uninsured and indigent populations for both physical and behavioral health.

In order to accomplish this, BCCHC strategies and activities include:

• Maintaining a Community Health Profile to assess the health status of county residents, and to identify and map the community's resources, needs, and conditions that affect its residents’ health.

• Supporting a county-wide comprehensive planning process that promotes the concept of primary prevention and assures that the voice of the community is represented to Bernalillo County decision-makers and is included in all planning and program development affecting the health of the county.

• Convening community members, leaders, organizations, public agencies, policy-makers and advocates to identify and prioritize issues related to improving individual and community health through primary prevention and promotion of health in all policies.

• Joining with other local coalitions and collaborative to work collectively on issues aligned with our priorities.

• Creating action plans, policy recommendations, strategies and activities to achieve the systemic changes, program coordination and policies needed to improve the health status of all Bernalillo County residents and achieve health equity.

The Sandoval County Health Council and its predecessor organizations have been in existence since 1991.  Since its inception, the Council’s goal has been to improve the health and health services of the County. Today, the 15-member council continues its mission to develop, support and maintain healthy communities.

 

Sandoval County encompasses 3,716 square miles of diverse geography and is home to more 130,000 people.  At present, Sandoval County residents live in a mix of incorporated municipalities, unincorporated places and charted communities, including, Bernalillo, Cuba, Corrales, Jemez Springs, Rio Rancho, San Ysidro, and Cochiti Lake.  The County is also home to all or portions of nine Indian pueblos, three Navajo Chapters, and part of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. Sandoval County’s changing geographic and population diversity highlight the importance of the Council’s ongoing commitment to continue assessment, planning, and implementation of health policies, services, and programs that benefit County residents.

 

A major outcome of the Health Council’s work is creation of the County Health Commons in Bernalillo.  The Commons delivers direct services to low-income residents with a special focus on expectant families and families with young children.  In partnership with the community, the Council will continue to promote healthy lifestyle, coordinate health care resources, and recommend strategies to increase access to quality health services for the residents of Sandoval County

To learn more about the Sandoval County Health Council, please visit its website at:

http://www.sandovalcounty.com/healthcouncil.

The Partnership for a Healthy Torrance County has identified as its priorities as (1) Access to community-based resources, (2) Teen pregnancy and births to single parents, (3) Substance abuse, and (4) Domestic and community violence.  The Partnership completed a Torrance County Community Health Profile in 2009, as well as a 2011-2014 Community Health Improvement Plan.  The Partnership leveraged $97,000 in state funding into $670,499 in additional programs and services to support priorities, and secured the McIntosh Community Center for a radio studio and transportation hub.  It also significantly expanded transportation services for medical and other trips, completing 14,553 passenger trips in FY2009. 

 

Programs initiated by the Partnership for a Healthy Torrance County include:

 

• Teen Outreach Program (TOP) at Estancia Community Center (NMDOH): adolescent pregnancy prevention; youth development including community service learning; 1/2 high school credit as service learning elective; summer Teen Fest; and family and teen activities.

• Drug-Free Communities Initiative (SAMHSA): Spring and Fall Youth Leadership Summits; Community Substance Abuse Prevention Forum with NM Attorney General, judicial representatives and policy makers; prevention media campaign; and youth-led prevention workshops. The Partnership worked to shift focus to environmental strategies to change community social norms.

• Torrance County Domestic Violence Program (CYFD): victim and family support services – advocacy, emergency housing, safety net services, empowerment groups; services for court ordered perpetrators – assessments, non-violent communication counseling; and community education and provider training

• Children’s Trust Fund & Home Visiting Program primary & secondary child abuse prevention (CYFD); Amigas de la Familia bilingual family services, including prenatal education, home visiting program, post-natal wellness classes, infant and child development education, and parenting and life skills education. The Partnership is working toward Infant Mental Health Association’s competency certification.

• Medicaid Enrollment Program (NM Primary Care Association): Presumptive Eligibility determination, Medicaid on-site application assistance, and an outreach van.  The Partnership assisted with 805 enrollments in FY09.

• Monthly Mobile Food Pantry, who distributed an average of 62 food boxes per month in FY09.

• Car Seat Distribution Center: Certified technicians distributed 127 car seats in FY09 at low or no cost along with installation and safety instruction.

 

The Partnership also spearheaded the establishment of a community public radio station, KXNM, by establishing the KXNM Community Foundation to provide multimedia communication broadcast signals to the citizens of Torrance County ,and making available local emergency and educational broadcasting, promoting personal development, and quality of life enrichment.

 

The Partnership has recently spearheaded a Health Impact Assessment for a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline through Torrance County and other counties. 

 

Partnership meetings are open to the public:

 

• Partnership for a Healthy Torrance County:  1^st Wednesday of every month (except July & December), 12:00 – 2:00 pm, Moriarty Civic Center. For more information call 505-832-0332.
• PHTC Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force:  3^rd Thursday of every month (except June & July), 3:30 – 5:00 pm, location alternates between Moriarty and Estancia). For more information call 505-832-0332).
• PHTC Domestic Violence Task Force: meets quarterly. For information call 505-832-0332.
• Judicial District 7 Local Collaborative:  1^st Tuesday of every month, 9:00 am, Torrance County Project Office in Moriarty.
• PHTC Torrance County Behavioral Health Alliance:  1^st Wednesday of every month, 11:00 am, Moriarty Civic Center.
• Tri-County Rural Health Coalition:  medical providers meet 4^th Thursday of every months. For more information, call 505-832-0332.

 

For information contact Patricia A. Lincoln, Executive Director, plincoln@lobo.net, or Billie R. Clark, CHC Coordinator, bclark@lobo.net.

History of Council

The Community Wellness Council originated in 1993 as the Valencia County Coalition for Families, Children and Community (VCC-FCC), and was “dedicated to helping build better futures for children and families in Valencia County.”  The Valencia Maternal Child Health (MCH) Council served in an advisory capacity to the VCC-FCC.  In 1999 the VCC-FCC was reorganized as the Valencia Community Partnership, transitioning from a service organization to a focused health assessment and planning organization. In 2010 the council once again reorganized to become the Community Wellness Council with the mission to promote community collaboration through a framework of coordination, assessment and solutions. 

Through its many transitions and iterations, the Council has retained its 501©3 status, and an active and dedicated leadership team that is passionate about community wellness, health and safety.  Currently, CWC is working to become an information hub in which a framework is used to assess the on-going needs in Valencia County, to meet identified needs through the promotion of collaboration between agencies, coalitions, and action groups.  The council has sponsored a number of training sessions in recent months in such areas as community health improvement, results-based accountability, collective impact, and health data.

Measuring Success

The Council focuses its work on a wide variety of issues including wellness, health equity, injury prevention, and health promotion.  On-going council-sponsored assessments will provide county stakeholders and other residents with data on both community problems and how collaboration and cooperation are effectively addressing them.

For More information visit: http://www.communitywellnesscouncil.org/default.html