Living Well Kent (Washington)

Living Well Kent (LWK) is an immigrant- and people of color-led collaborative focused on creating a community where all residents thrive. LWK serves as a community convener, advocate, organizer, and social innovation incubator. Current focus areas include health and well-being; early childhood development; food access; and youth leadership and empowerment.  

In partnership with its founders, Community Initiatives facilitated the launch of LWK in 2014. We continue to collaborate with staff and partners to:

• Shape the LWK change strategy and strategic plans

• Support creation of a food policy council

• Provide coaching to executive team

• Explore ways to democratize mental health services by leveraging the expertise of Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) community leaders

North Central Accountable Community of Health (Washington)

North Central Accountable Community of Health (NCACH) brings together clinical and community partners throughout our North Central Washington region to improve local health systems. NCACH’s collective work supports more equitable access to improving health and well-being for the residents in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, and Grant counties.

Community Initiatives partners with Better Focus, North Central ACH staff, and regional partners to:

• Provide responsive coaching, thought partnership, and strategy development  

• Build capacity for greater network-wide engagement 

• Co-create shared priorities and approach for whole-person health and well-being

• Support evolution of governance model and practices to advance NCACH future state

North Sound Accountable Community of Health (Washington)

North Sound Accountable Community of Health (North Sound ACH) exists to create a just and inclusive culture and the necessary conditions for all community members to thrive. Building on experiences and findings from its Medicaid Transformation Project and equity and Tribal learning journey, North Sound ACH is launching a Collaborative Action Network to facilitate regional learning and action. 

Community Initiatives collaborates with the North Sound ACH staff team and regional partners to:

• Advance equity, well-being, and a sense of belonging as fundamental elements of its regional Collaborative Action Network

• Integrate the Thriving Together ethos and targeted universalism framework to shape and inform planning, actions, decision-making, and investment

• Serve as a strategic thought partner, coach, capacity builder, and bridge to larger movement for just and inclusive communities

Thriving Together

On July 4, 2020, Community Initiatives, in partnership with ReThink Health, a Rippel Initiative and Well Being Trust, published Thriving Together: A Springboard for Equitable Recovery and Resilience in Communities Across America. Written in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and during increased calls for racial justice, Thriving Together drew on the contributions of more than 100 leaders and nonprofits.

With national, regional, and local stewards, Community Initiatives continues to develop pragmatic tools and curate actional resources on Thriving.US. Recently released publications include: 

• Recovery to Renewal: Resources for State, Regional, and Local Leaders

• Shared Stewardship in Health Care

• Thriving Campuses

US News Healthiest Communities Rankings

The Healthiest Communities rankings from U.S. News & World Report show how nearly 3,000 U.S. counties and county equivalents perform in 84 metrics across 10 health and health-related categories. The broad framework of categories and subcategories is based on factors key to evaluating community health that were identified by the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics – a policy advisory board to the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – as part of its Measurement Framework for Community Health and Well-Being.

In partnership with the University of Missouri Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES), Community Initiatives:

• Served as the lead consultant and facilitator  for the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics original data framework, the basis of US News’ framework

• Provided coaching to US News Senior Leaders to define the overall goals and direction of the Healthiest Communities Rankings 

• Continues to consult US News on the the evolution of the framework, the metrics and related resources – including stories leads

Well Connected Communities

Well Connected Communities builds cross-sector coalitions to facilitate learning and action across generations and geographies. Uniquely positioned to support young people and emerging leaders, this Cooperative Extension System initiative advances networked capacity for health and well-being in partnership with National 4-H Council and with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). 

With national, regional, and local leaders, Community Initiatives: 

• Shapes strategy and coordination, evolving project direction with stakeholders

• Advances systems transformation and innovation, facilitating co-design processes for tool development and spreading emerging practices

• Convenes welcoming spaces and curates asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities  

Our Project History

Our team members have had the privilege to serve a host of national, state, regional and local organizations, networks and communities over the last 20 plus years.