ISSUE AREAS
Discover how participants in our programs and initiatives have addressed the most pressing issues in public health.
Overdose prevention
We are building a movement to strengthen connections within communities. We support local, regional and statewide overdose prevention efforts that bring together health care providers, public health leaders, law enforcement, and other stakeholders.
We believe that by working together, we can prevent addiction, improve access to treatment, and stop unnecessary deaths.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Lessening rates of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in Kentucky
The Big Sandy NAS Prevention (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome) team sought to lessen rates of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome for babies born to mothers dealing with substance use disorder.
They did this by developing an educational curriculum, reaching out to people living with substance use disorder to understand their needs, and developing a referral program.
“The main leadership elements I have learned through this project are that different people interpret information in different ways. Also, communication is a key to getting support for a project and getting the project done correctly. Teamwork is also crucial as each person has something to bring to the table. If we all work together utilizing our own personal strengths, we can accomplish great things.”
Rural communities
We support multi-sector teams working in rural environments and build off the inherent strengths of rural communities, such as their close social ties. By leveraging specific strategies and approaches we help local teams create impact that meets the nuanced reality of rural life.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Reducing adolescent smoking in rural Texas
The YouthWISE team wanted to reduce tobacco and e-ciggarette use in rural East Texas. They assessed tobacco product use among junior high and high school students and partnered with schools to provide best-practice solutions and policy recommendations. The team also ran targeted education campaigns and events that included students, staff, and the community to build on their findings and support long term health outcomes.
“When we were planning out our project, we set out to do school-based presentations in high schools throughout East Texas and in particular, in rural communities. We found it really difficult to kind of get into those schools [to give presentations]. So we pivoted our project and I think that it turned out to be better than what we originally planned in the beginning, and I think we used a lot of those LAPH models to ...work through that process and figure out, okay, what do we need to do? How can we pivot so that we’re successful?”
Disaster preparedness
With our support, teams have been able to navigate limited resources and increase volunteers prepared in emergency response. From outbreaks including Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19 to natural disasters such as tornados and hurricanes, our teams are ready to mobilize quickly and save lives.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Cross-sector preparedness planning in the San Diego-Tijuana region
The Llegando A Comunidades En Caso de Emergencias (LACECE) team brought together individuals from government, academic, and non-profit sectors to develop a public health disaster preparedness plan.
The team also create a communication pathway for exchanging information with the binational Latino and border population living in the San Diego-Tijuana region.
“The information that was shared through NLAPH helped us to become better leaders. We hope to continue to use the concepts that we learned in self-reflection, critical thinking, framing the message, and leveraging relationships.”
Coalition building
Creating lasting change requires effective leadership and partnerships. We support local and state leaders by giving them the tools, strategies, and coaching needed to work across sectors, engage their communities, build capacity, and ensure sustainability of their efforts.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Building capacity to address health disparities in Nassau County, NY
The Nassau County Preparedness team wanted to better support communities with priority health needs in the event of an emergency.
They did this by developing a capacity building plan to address health disparities and worked with community partners across sectors in an organized effort to promote health and safety.
“Leadership requires taking a stand, having a vision and communicating the direction for others to follow. Together, the Nassau County Team did this with the project and with the program.”
Chronic disease prevention & food systems
We build healthy communities by working with leaders across sectors to better engage stakeholders and address the factors that contribute to chronic disease.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Creating policies to address chronic disease in Virginia
The Eastern Shores Healthy Communities team worked to reduce the burden of chronic disease by implementing organizational wellness policies.
The team created a leadership institute and helped local organizations, increase physical activity within the community, provide vending machines with healthy food options, and promote tobacco-free campuses.
“The NLAPH experience has helped our fellows and coalition strategically select new partners, frame our message, maintain a strategic focus, and rein in our expectations. We have learned to manage meetings transparently, become comfortable with dialogue and disagreement, and reflect on and capture our learning moments and accomplishments. NLAPH planted seeds on Virginia’s Eastern Shore that will yield many healthy harvests for years to come. For this we are truly grateful. ”
Lead-free communities & environmental health
Safer communities include safer streets and eliminating lead contamination. Our teams have made communities safer for pedestrians, increased access to public transit, and created more walkable cities. And through a partnership with CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health, teams are reducing community lead hazards.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Eliminating lead’s impact in Louisville
The Louisville Lead-Free Community Team focused on implementing lead-free strategies, starting with one high-need neighborhood, Smoketown, and spreading successful strategies to other zip codes where there was need.
After their involvement in our program, the team developed local policy recommendations that were implemented in Louisville.
“We have developed both policy recommendations and budget proposals to expand the lead program through Louisville’s American Recover Plan (ARP) funding. [With the support of NLAPH] we’ve submitted those proposals to the City Council and are waiting to see where those land.”
Maternal/childhood health & breastfeeding
From increasing access to doula care to breastfeeding support and prenatal care, we have bolstered teams’ statewide efforts to promote policies that support the healthy development of families within healthcare systems.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Increasing access to breastfeeding-friendly locations in Mississippi
The Delta Breastfeeding Coalition wanted to support mothers who choose to breastfeed. By surveying businesses and mothers involved in the Delta Health Alliance Home Visitation Program, the team was able to develop a toolkit and recruit local businesses to offer breastfeeding-friendly spaces and policies welcoming to mothers and their families.
“The NLAPH program has given our team good leadership skills on how to plan, develop, help implement policy with system changes, work with communities, and develop a relationship with stakeholders.”
Communicable disease prevention
With our support, teams across the country have developed, implemented, and evaluated tools and strategies to better reach Black, Latinx, LGBTQ and other groups disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Building a cross-sector approach to improving health outcomes in Northeast Texas
The Collective Impact Initiative team wanted to transform the health status of Northeast Texans who have some of the highest rates heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory illnesses, and strokes in the state.
The team brought together stakeholders from hospitals, universities, and coalitions to combat these health problems, establishing a multi-sector collaborative that was better able to engage with local communities.
“Working with our coach and all the resources that NLAPH provided us, in particular, the resource...that focused on channeling change and making collective impact work, helped us a lot to think that our focus should be on establishing the Northeast Texas Health Status Collective.”
Behavioral health & trauma response
We have helped teams launch initiatives that address domestic violence prevention, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and trauma-informed strategies that make communities safer and create space for healing.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Addressing hehavioral health needs in Salt Lake City
The Mental Health for Salt Lake team built on county and university findings that identified mental health services as a top need in their community.
By conducting a comprehensive landscape analysis and engaging the community, the team found areas of opportunity and identified culturally responsive organizations to serve as implementation partners for community-driven recommendations within government, service providers, and nonprofits.
“I really appreciated the conversation about agile leadership. It was actually really liberating, I think, to have that way to sort of lead where the energy is. Overall, I felt it was a confidence builder on a personal level but also collectively.”
School readiness
Our teams have launched collective impact plans to improve educational outcomes. Through our work with local and state leaders, children up to five years old are better prepared to enter school and thrive.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Improving school attendance rates in Spokane, WA
We helped a team from Spokane tackle school attendance rates by increasing the community's collective capacity to improve educational attainment and communicate the impact of this effort on the community's health.
By developing a collective impact framework and working with community members, the team was able to better understand and address the social determinants contributing to low attendance among middle school students.
After participating in our leadership training program, the team continued their work and won the 2014 Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Award for creating community-wide impact.
“Cross-sector leadership depends on a web of strong, trusting relationships that enable top and mid-level leaders to think and learn together across organizational boundaries, in pursuit of shared community goals.”
Housing access and justice system reform
By building bridges between law enforcement and community partners, our teams have developed sober living housing with wraparound support services for formerly incarcerated individuals rejoining the community. Other teams have worked with local jurisdictions, businesses, and local non-profits to create housing in areas where it is scarce.
We have supported
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Addressing the housing shortage in Philadelphia
The team from Philadelphia Department of Public Health worked in close collaboration with community groups and partners to develop a strategic plan to address blood lead screening and lead hazard exposure.
By cleaning up environmental hazards and providing education and home assessments, the team increased access to housing stock in affected communities and improved health outcomes for residents in targeted zip codes.
“We learned that in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing public health landscape, adaptability is crucial for leaders. This highlights the need to be flexible, open to change, and responsive to new challenges and opportunities. Leaders who are adaptable can effectively navigate uncertainties, adjust strategies as needed, and lead their team through various transitions”
Ready to improve health outcomes in your community?
Addressing today’s challenges requires cross-sector partnerships and strategic, community-driven solutions. We can help you transform your work and create lasting impact.