Community Health Collaborative Toolkit

Regardless of what type of Community Health Collaborative you are, the framework for getting started, or growing stronger remains the same. As with anything that is cyclical in nature, you have to start somewhere. But once you begin, each phase informs the next in one continuous loop, as demonstrated in the model to the below:

Community Lab

Community Health Collaborative Training in Partnership with Project ECHO

IT’S TIME TEXAS is pleased to announce Community Lab, an innovative, web-based forum providing free, interactive training and support to community health collaboratives (CHCs) throughout Texas. Community Lab members will have the opportunity to learn best practices from experts in the field while participating in monthly web conferences to exchange ideas, successes, and challenges with members from other CHCs working toward similar health improvement goals. If interested in joining Community Lab please email us at communitylab@itstimetexas.org.

What is Community Lab?

Community Lab brings together a cohort of like-minded individuals from collaboratives across the state to share best practices and help one another trouble-shoot ways to overcome obstacles. Each month, members will participate in a 90-minute web-based forum comprising 20 minutes of expert-led training followed by facilitated discussion of 1-2 scenarios currently faced by members of the cohort.

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Community Lab IS ONGOING!

What is Project ECHO?

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an innovative telehealth model developed at the University of New Mexico to treat chronic, complex diseases in rural and underserved areas. Incorporating expert teaching, case-based learning, peer-to-peer education, and team-building, the ECHO model leverages scarce healthcare resources through web-based technology, promotes best practice protocols, improves patient outcomes, and measures outcomes to ensure safety and efficacy. The Community Lab utilizes the ECHO model to promote the transfer of best practices for Community Health Collaboratives to groups across the state of Texas.

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Project ECHO Model
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Who Should Apply?

CHCs that are looking to learn best practices and gain assistance in the following areas:

  • Applying for grants
  • Identifying community assets and barriers
  • Utilizing a dashboard approach for measuring data
  • Identifying key stakeholders
  • Engaging the community and building buy-in
  • Executing successful community initiatives

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Program Requirements

  • Identify one or more collaborative member(s) to represent your organization
  • Participate in an introductory call with IT’S TIME TEXAS and an orientation session with the full cohort
  • Commit to actively participate in one year of monthly online web-based forums beginning April 2019
  • Prepare and present, with the help of the IT’S TIME TEXAS team, at least one case study describing your collaborative’s current priorities and initiatives, including barriers encountered
  • Assist with evaluation of the Community Lab model (i.e. pre-and post- surveys

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We will begin accepting new applications for the Community Lab in October 2019.

Questions? Contact communitylab@itstimetexas.org

Apply Now

Workshops

Building Healthier Communities Workshop Series Logo

Free Workshop Series

A collaboration between IT’S TIME TEXAS, SNAP-Ed, and regional constituents and health leaders across the state, the Building Healthier Communities Workshop Series is designed to provide those who serve Texas Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligible populations with resources, support, and education to tackle challenges like obesity, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity within their communities.

These free one-day workshops will take place in three regions of Texas. Workshops will be led by expert facilitators and will empower those looking to improve health in their school, workplace, or community to lead effective collaborations while aligning efforts to develop purposeful and actionable plans.

Register