Supporting Equitable Community Engagement

Why is community engagement essential for improving public health and reducing health inequities? How can state health departments support local health departments' community engagement efforts?

State health departments have a strong influence in shaping how local health departments engage with communities. However, our literature review and interviews with state and local health departments revealed that few community engagement resources are tailored to the public health context and health departments' wide-ranging involvement in programs, services, and policies.

Based on our findings, ChangeLab Solutions has created a resource to help state health departments understand the importance of equitable and inclusive community engagement in their work to address social determinants of health and promote the well-being of all their residents. This guide explains the roles and activities that state health departments can pursue to support equitable community engagement work in local health departments.

This publication, developed with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is part of a suite of resources tailored to the specific needs of health departments, based on ChangeLab Solutions' literature reviews and interviews with public health practitioners.