Project Description: HRiA is offering three learning communities aimed at staff and volunteers with local boards of health. Learning Communities will spend 5 sessions together, diving deeper into different topics. Each cohort will begin with grounding sessions in more advanced racial equity training, and then move onto additional skill-building opportunities with other participants working in… Read more »
status: Current
BeHERE Initiative
The Behavioral Health and Racial Equity Initiative (or BeHERE Initiative) envisions an equitable behavioral health system that allows all to thrive. This initiative brings together HRiA staff from projects and programs across the organization—trainers, communicators, practitioners, and advocates—to offer bold solutions to advance racial equity in behavioral health. The BeHERE Initiative website is a hub… Read more »
2021 Statewide Assessment of Gambling and Problem Gambling in Illinois
Since Fall 2020, HRiA has been working with the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery to conduct a statewide gambling needs assessment in Illinois to understand the scope of gambling and problem gambling in the state; which populations are most affected or at risk of developing gambling disorders; and… Read more »
The MA Problem Gambling Helpline
The MA Problem Gambling Helpline is the Commonwealth’s official statewide problem gambling helpline, funded by Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Problem Gambling Services. Our trained Problem Gambling Specialists provide referrals to licensed problem gambling treatment and recovery support services, and serve as a resource for problem gambling awareness and education. Helpline services are… Read more »
MA Technical Assistance Center for Problem Gambling Treatment
The Massachusetts Technical Assistance Center for Problem Gambling Treatment (M-TAC) is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), Office of Problem Gambling Services (OPGS) and managed and administered by Health Resources in Action (HRiA). M-TAC provides capacity building and technical assistance (TA) services for outpatient treatment and recovery programs and providers across the… Read more »
Boston Housing Authority Youth Virtual Project
If you live in these Boston Housing Authority Developments, please use this link: LINK: https://tinyurl.com/BHASum HRIA & Y Alice Taylor Roxbury Archdale Roslindale Commonwealth Brighton Faneuil Brighton Franklin Field Dorchester Gallivan Boulevard Mattapan Highland Park Roxbury Orient Heights East Boston South Street Jamaica Plain West Broadway South Boston If you live in Boston Housing… Read more »
Vermont HelpLink
Vermont Helplink is a comprehensive contact center and website that provides VT residents with information and referrals to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support. VT Helplink is staffed by experienced and certified Screening & Information Specialists and Clinicians who are available to help people with SUD, as well as their families, friends, care… Read more »
Gun Violence Prevention Training Center for Excellence
Gun violence in Massachusetts is concentrated in communities most impacted by racism and structural violence, which includes systemic denial of access to economic, educational, and employment opportunities. While Massachusetts consistently has one of the nation’s lowest firearm death rates, 39% of all victims of firearm-related injuries are between the ages of 15-24, and Black youth are 32 times more… Read more »
Project Build Up – Building the Workforce to Address Problem Gambling
About Project Build Up Project Build Up (PBU) is a Grant and Community Support Initiative funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (MDPH) Office of Problem Gambling Services (OPGS) and administered by Health Resources in Action (HRiA). PBU is designed to strengthen the capacity of outpatient substance use or gambling treatment agencies to provide… Read more »
National Maternal Health Research Network
Women in the United States experience higher maternal death rates than those in other developed nations, with Black women, women experiencing poverty, and women living in rural areas bearing the heaviest burden. With funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), HRiA will facilitate a 2-year process to address the rising maternal death rate in… Read more »
Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds
In January 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) completed a landmark revision of the Determination of Need (DoN) regulation. The revised regulation authorized the creation of the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds. The Funds invest significant resources in Massachusetts communities to improve population health outcomes through innovative and sustainable approaches that… Read more »
Qualitative Assessment of Use of Evidence-based Strategies in Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention
HRiA is working with the MA Department of Public Health’s (MDPH) Women’s Health Network (WHN) to evaluate the use of evidence-based strategies through clinical-community linkages in breast and cervical cancer screening and prevention. The project engages with accountable care organizations, health systems, community health centers and their community-based partners to increase screening rates and ultimately… Read more »
Community HEAL grantmaking for Partners HealthCare System
Partners HealthCare System wanted to make an impact in the communities they serve through change in policy, systems, and the environment to support residents to make healthier choices and improve their overall well being. HRiA helped them to partner with MDPH to invest in the Mass in Motion Model in four communities: Revere, Chelsea, Lynn,… Read more »
Grantmaking support for Smart Choices – Charlestown
HRiA has provided grant-making support to MGH’s Center for Community Health Improvement since 2014. Funding awarded through the Smart Choices program is focused on addressing the priorities identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan. The Smart Choices program is designed to strengthen the capacity of agencies located in Charlestown through grant-making. Interested… Read more »
Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances
The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) contracted with HRiA in 2017 to establish and support the Illinois Helpline for Opioids and Other Substances. The Helpline is staffed by experienced and certified Screening & Information Specialists and Clinicians who are available 24/7 to help people struggling with substance… Read more »
Community Needs Assessment for Health and Wellbeing Equity in Issaquah, WA
Over the spring and summer of 2017, HRiA worked with the City of Issaquah Sustainability Department to conduct a Community Needs Assessment in Issaquah, WA. The participatory process included engaging an advisory group of regional community and organizational leaders; gathering quantitative data for the city, county and state; conducting five community focus groups and twelve… Read more »
New Jersey Asthma Intervention Pilot Project
Since 2016, HRiA has worked collaboratively with the Nicholson Foundation and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) to design and develop a pilot asthma home visiting program. The goals of the pilot are to improve asthma outcomes and reduce healthcare costs among children age two through 17 enrolled in NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid) by: (1)… Read more »
Boston Area Hospital Collaboration on the Social Determinants of Health
To implement the MassHealth payment reform initiative in 2018, ACOs will have to screen patients for needs related to social determinants of health (SDOH). This includes understanding housing, employment, and food insecurity needs. As hospitals consider how to develop and implement social needs screening, a group of Boston health care institutions have come together to… Read more »
Connecticut Statewide Population Health Council
Since 2016, HRiA has been contracted by CT Department of Public Health (DPH) to facilitate a planning process with a diverse, statewide stakeholder group known as the Population Health Council. HRiA is supporting the Council’s efforts to research, design, and pilot a model for Prevention Service Centers (PSCs) in three demonstration sites in the state,… Read more »
Springboard to Active Schools
About Active School Environments With over 50 million students enrolled in grades K-12 nationally, schools are critical settings to promote physical education and physical activity (PE/PA). National guidelines recommend that elementary and secondary school-age youth participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Research demonstrates that physically active students have better health and… Read more »
BeHERE Training
BeHERE Training (formerly the Opioid Overdose Prevention Training Project) is a suite of overdose prevention and harm reduction trainings for human service agencies. These trainings are provided at no cost to the participant thanks to funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS), as part of SAMHSA’s State Opioid… Read more »
Peer Leaders Promoting Safe Driving Project
The Peer Leaders Promoting Safe Driving Project is managed by Health Resources in Action (HRiA) and is supported by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) through the Drunk Driving Trust Fund Prevention, Education, and Training grant (DDTF PET). Using the peer leadership model, youth groups lead workshops to promote a public health initiative to… Read more »
Sí Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South Texas
HRiA is currently the external evaluator for a multi-site Social Innovation Fund (SIF)-funded initiative called Sí Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South Texas. The project is sponsored by Methodist Health Care Ministries of South Texas, Inc. who is serving as the SIF intermediary. Methodist Health Care Ministries hired HRiA as the external evaluator for… Read more »
Assessment of the Impact of Energy Development on the Behavioral Health of Women in Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota
HRiA is currently conducting an assessment of the impact of energy development on the behavioral health (substance abuse and mental health) of women in Western North Dakota and Eastern Montana. This 3-year project, funded by the Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health for the US Department of Health… Read more »
Peer Leadership Training, Curriculum, and Programs
Peer leaders are young people who make a commitment to promoting healthy behavior in their communities, particularly among other young people. After completing peer leadership training, they educate their peers about health and prevention issues through a wide range of creative and effective strategies. They may lead school and community organizing projects. Peer leadership is… Read more »
The Tobacco Compliance Check Program
The Tobacco Compliance Check Program, funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, engages young people in enforcing tobacco sales regulations. Youth from across Massachusetts, hired as Youth Inspectors, conduct “tobacco compliance checks” to make sure tobacco retailers are following the law by not selling tobacco to minors. Compliance checks are an important part of… Read more »
HOPE: Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences
Current understandings have shed light on the impact of childhood adversity, risks, and toxic and negative factors impacting healthy child development. Yet this focus can only go so far in prescribing what is needed for a thriving society. This project introduces the importance of HOPE – Health Outcomes of Positive Experiences, a framework that studies… Read more »
Health Starts at Home Evaluation
HRiA serves as the lead evaluator of Health Starts at Home (HSAH), an initiative hosted by The Boston Foundation which supports work that focuses on the positive benefits of stable, affordable housing on children’s health outcomes. Four multisector partnerships (which include housing, health care, and other relevant organizations such as legal services and community development… Read more »
Evaluability Assessment of Community Health Improvement Processes
Community Health Improvement (CHI) processes offer extraordinary promise for advancing a culture of health through multi-sector collaboration. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has funded Health Resources in Action (HRiA) to conduct an evaluability assessment of CHI processes. The Internal Revenue Service requirements for non-profit hospitals to conduct Community Health Needs Assessments and develop strategic… Read more »
Developmental Understanding and Legal Collaboration for Everyone (DULCE)
The first six months following the birth of a child are a challenging time for most families. Developmental Understanding and Legal Collaborations for Everyone (DULCE) supports families by adding a Family Specialist to the infant’s primary care medical home. DULCE builds family strengths by incorporating training and support from existing evidence-based programs. For example, family… Read more »
Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network (CPLAN)
Formed in 2016, the Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network (CPLAN) is a diverse group of passionate community advocates from the district, charter, parochial, and METCO schools in the city of Boston and gateway cities of Massachusetts working across all sectors to revive educational activism initiated and led by parents. CPLAN’s parent engagement uses a dual-capacity… Read more »
UMass Medical School SPARC Strategic Plan
HRiA facilitated a day-long planning retreat to 1) refine the University of Massachusetts Medical School Department of Psychiatry’s Systems and Psychosocial Advances Research Center’s (SPARC) mission, vision, and values; 2) draft goals, objectives, strategies, and metrics; and 3) align these strategic components with the strategic plan for the UMass Department of Psychiatry and the state… Read more »
Travis County Community Health Improvement Plan
HRiA worked with the Travis County Hospital District (Central Health, Austin, TX) to lead a senior level community planning process to develop a shared vision and plan for the future of health and healthcare in Central Texas. HRiA partnered with the client to shape the planning process, developed a White Paper to make a compelling case… Read more »
RWJ Somerset Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)
HRiA conducted a comprehensive and collaborative Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) process for Somerset County, NJ. The project was spearheaded by the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset and the Healthier Somerset Coalition. A broadly representative stakeholder group of nearly 50 organizations including health department leaders, hospital representatives, and community-based… Read more »
Connecticut State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP)
HRiA completed a 22-month statewide assessment and planning process as the contracting organization for the Connecticut Department of Public Health on their State Health Assessment (SHA) and State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), titled Healthy Connecticut 2020. For the assessment, HRiA worked with hospitals, local health departments, professional associations, and community groups around the state to… Read more »
The LEAH Project
The Leaders through Education, Action, and Hope (LEAH) Project is a science education and youth development initiative that helps low-income high school students of color succeed academically and pursue higher education and/or careers. The LEAH Project’s mission is to cultivate the power of youth to transform their lives and communities through science, education, and service…. Read more »
The BEST Initiative (Building Exemplary Systems of Training) for Youth Workers
HRiA is a recognized leader in the out-of-school time community. HRiA operates the BEST (Building Exemplary Systems for Training) Initiative, the only region-wide professional skills training and credentialing system for youth workers and their supervisors. BEST provides beginning, advanced, and specialized training; follow-up support services; and technical assistance to youth agencies to help them incorporate… Read more »
Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) and Oral Health Policy
Despite its proven safety and effectiveness, community water fluoridation (CWF) implementation remains a challenge and is often thwarted, while de-fluoridation efforts are also ramping up throughout the country. A small, vocal, well-organized minority that relies on junk science and appeals to fear-based messaging means that fluoridation can no longer win on its scientific merits alone…. Read more »
The 84 Movement to Fight Big Tobacco in MA
The 84 is a statewide movement of high school students from across Massachusetts who promote the social norm that most youth do not smoke. The 84 represents the 84% of Massachusetts youth who did NOT smoke when the movement began. As of today, 92% do NOT smoke. We typically have about 100 Chapters across MA… Read more »
Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse
The Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse, funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, provides free health promotion materials for Massachusetts residents, health care providers, social service providers, and other organizations invested in the health of Massachusetts . Each year we distribute millions of copies of brochures, booklets, wallet cards, posters, and fact sheets to locations… Read more »
