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’ Community Lab is an innovative, web-based forum providing FREE, interactive training and support to CHCs & SHACS throughout Texas. Each month, Community Lab members will have the opportunity to make social connections with peers, learn best practices from experts in the field, and receive peer-to peer feedback on their collaborative’s work.

If you’re interested in joining Community Lab, please fill out our form.

What is Community Lab?

Community Lab brings together a cohort of like-minded individuals from collaboratives across Texas to share best practices and help one another trouble-shoot ways to overcome obstacles. Each month, members will participate in a 60-minute web-based forum comprising of expert-led training followed by participant case studies. Over the year’s, session topics have included:

  • Health equity 101
  • COVID messaging
  • Advocating during a crisis
  • Needs Assessment & Asset Mapping
  • Grants & Funding 101
  • Mission and Vision development

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. It’s Time Texas’ Community Lab utilizes the ECHO model to promote the transfer of best practices for Community Health Collaboratives and School Health Advisory Councils to groups across the state of Texas.

Project ECHO Model

Who Should Apply?

Individuals who are part of CHCs or SHACs that are looking to learn best practices and gain assistance in the following areas:

  • Strategic Planning
  • Building a Governance Structure
  • Mission & Vision Development
  • Grants and Funding
  • Social Marketing
  • Identifying Community Assets and Barriers
  • Utilizing a Dashboard Approach for Measuring Data
  • Building Community buy-in
  • Health Equity
  • Social Determinants of Health

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
  • Assist with evaluation of the Community Lab model (i.e. pre-and post- surveys)

Questions? Contact communitylab@itstimetexas.org