I almost titled this post, “Everything I need today can be found over at the RWJF site”, but I didn’t feel like it would really grab anyone’s interest. However, I spent a lot of time trawling through their Vulnerable Populations portfolio, and frankly, there are some tools there that could help us make the (stronger) case that prevention is a part of forensic healthcare; that engaging our communities to support our work means thinking about the messages we craft about our work; and that conversations about social determinants of health must address the impact of violence in the home, in the workplace and in the schools.
So if you are looking at ways to strengthen your proposal for funding, or you are trying to convince agency or community leaders that your voice should be heard at the policy table, or you are trying to get your healthcare system to let you expand your practice, perhaps these are some resources that can help you crystalize the argument or frame it in a way that will maximize impact:
- A New Way to Talk About the Social Determinants of Health(PDF). “The Portfolio shares a way to create more compelling, effective and persuasive messages that resonate across the political spectrum.”
- Healthy Starts for All: Policy Prescriptions(PDF). “This article, a review of child health and development research from the past 20 years, offers a brief synopsis of current knowledge. The authors update information developed for the Commission and identify evidence-based policies and interventions. The paper describes interventions undertaken to improve cognitive, social and emotional development, in particular for socioeconomically disadvantaged children. The authors review the different types of childhood stress and report recent increases in federal funding.“
- Exploring the Social Determinants of Health: Violence, Social Disadvantage and Health (PDF). “Here we focus on the links between violence, health and social disadvantage, examining the health effects of violence on individuals and communities and exploring strategies to prevent violence by addressing the social determinants of health.”