Commitment to Change

Most — if not all — government decisions affect health. Policies that shape food access, housing, transportation, public safety, education, sustainability, climate change, parks, air and water quality, criminal justice, and economic development can and should be directed toward improving health outcomes.

In order to ensure health is consistently considered, governments need to adopt a new approach to decision-making, one in which every part of government strives to make our social, physical, and economic environments more conducive to health. That’s the idea behind Health in All Policies, which is a collaborative approach to policymaking and improving the health of a community.

ChangeLab Solutions developed these model policies to help communities institutionalize a Health in All Policies approach, ensuring that structural change is sustained over time, even when there are shifts in staffing and leadership. The three models offer options for communities at different stages of readiness, or that face different opportunities to create change. All three can be adapted to meet your community’s needs.

1. Model Health in All Policies Ordinance: This policy is the most comprehensive of the three options. It is designed to help a jurisdiction fully implement Health in All Policies.
2. Model Health in All Policies Resolution: The model resolution is designed to help cities and counties that are ready to take initial steps to implement Health in All Policies.
3. Health in All Policies in General Plans: This model language offers examples of how communities can include a commitment to Health in All Policies within a policy that is focused on the actions of a specific agency or sector (in this case, planning).

Contact us for editable (Word) versions, and for assistance tailoring these policies to fit your community.