ARRA Communities Putting Prevention to Work application process: A collaborative approach

The County of San Diego (COSD) is a recipient of an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant award. As part of the application process, the COSD entered into a unique collaboration with a statewide public-private partnership that identified a collective vision, shared goals, and key policy frames. In addition, there was a commitment to share lessons learned and to provide access to products and materials developed through the grant. This agreement influenced the strategic framework of the COSD application and has resulted in new synergies with both statewide and regional efforts. In addition to this beneficial partnership, over the past five years, the COSD developed multi-pronged strategies that created an effective state of readiness in responding to this extraordinary CPPW funding opportunity. In 2006 was the development of a countywide Childhood Obesity Action Plan, which was unanimously supported and funded by the County Board of Supervisors. This initiative is a public-private partnership and is co-chaired by the County's Public Health Officer. In 2008, the County's Health and Human Services Agency created a Chronic Disease Agenda Initiative which focused on reducing chronic disease and health disparities through a Place Matters approach. Most recently, the County has adopted a Health Strategy Agenda which includes a Prevention Goal which has transformed COSD organizational and staffing resources to address Chronic Disease Prevention efforts. The CPPW award will provide the resources to further institutionalize environmental, policy and systems change within multiple sectors and among diverse partners.