Following many years of underfunding, Public Health departments will be getting an infusion of nearly $4 billion as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). $3 billion of that funding is allocated to strengthening the public health workforce. This funding will likely go to health departments in all 50 states and to 60 of the largest cities and counties. The state health departments will need to allocate at least 40% of the funding they receive to the local health departments who are not eligible for direct funding.
Join Bill Barberg, Michael Quinn Patton, and Nora Murphy Johnson in a concise, action-focused webinar on August 2 to learn more.
WEBINAR: How Local Health Departments (and PACEs Coalitions) can Make the Most of New Public Health Infrastructure Funding
August 2. 2:00 to 2:30 PM Central Time
PACEs coalitions should team up with their local health departments to act quickly to be included in in their state’s plan for using this new funding. Here’s the recommendation.
- PACEs coalitions in multiple counties in a state come together with their local health departments and suggest that minimizing and addressing trauma (and increasing positive experiences) is a priority and foundational issue that the public health department should include in their Community Health Improvement Plan.
- One of the local health departments can hire a full-time person to provide “backbone support” for the PACEs coalitions in three to six counties in the region and this new Public Health Infrastructure funding would pay for recruiting and training that person along with salary and benefits for 4 years. This would significantly strengthen the PACEs coalitions in all those counties, and after 4 years, they would share the cost of that position.
- The funding would allow the local health departments to pay for the annual participation in InsightFormation’s ARRCC Action Network for the next four years. This provides a powerful and very economical way to build the knowledge and skills of people in the public health department and other local PACEs coalition members.
To make this a reality, anyone involved with a state, regional or local PACEs coalition should take quick actions—since each State’s response to the funding proposal is due on August 15.
- Register for the webinar on August 2 by clicking on this link.
- Send a link to this post to people in your local health department who might be working on their community health improvement plan, PACEs-related topics, grants or workforce development (This approach checks all those boxes). Encourage them to immediately reach out to the relevant people at the state’s public health department to encourage them to view the webinar targeting State Health Departments on July 26 (which will be available on demand after it is completed).
- Reach out to the PACEs coalitions and local health departments in the counties that surround you. With this collaborative approach, the more peers you are working with, the more resources you will benefit from. Share this email and have them join you in proposing this approach to your state. When you work together, everyone gets the benefits of the funding.
If you have any questions, please contact Liz.Gallagher@insightformation.com
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