Cultivating Peace in Salinas: Lessons Learned from a Community Collaborative Planning Process

Almost a decade after the development and implementation of a community-wide framework to prevent violence and improve health outcomes for children, youth and families in Salinas, California, residents and city leaders have reconvened to assess what has and has not worked and set new priorities in light of lessons learned and changing community conditions. The assessment, process of prioritization, and updated framework, Cultivating Peace in Salinas II, will be shared, including the community collaborative planning approach involving key informant interviews with city and community leaders and two half-day community engagement and visioning meetings facilitated by Prevention Institute, with funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the partnership of a Salinas-based community collaborative. Emphasis will be placed on the community-identified opportunities and recommendations for organizational practice and policy change to support comprehensive primary prevention and the creation of a safe and healthy community in Salinas. Although the original framework was initiated and promulgated under the direction of the former mayor, this presentation will highlight how the community's investment and ownership in violence prevention has built the momentum, commitment, and vision of a new political leadership. Further, it will discuss the importance of a coordinated bottom-up (community-driven) – top-down (political will) approach, emphasizing the value of community engagement for ensuring support and sustainability that transcends election cycles.