Collective Impact through Community Engagement: The Live Well San Diego Experience

In a county of 3.2 million residents, aligning common goals for policy and environmental change related to community health and well-being can be challenging. Under the umbrella of the County of San Diego’s Live Well San Diego initiative, a long-term vision for healthy, safe and thriving communities, regional community health teams implemented a multi-tiered approach to community engagement. By focusing on common goals identified through community health improvement planning processes, teams aligned efforts of various stakeholder groups to work toward common outcomes. Beginning in 2011, five regional leadership teams were formed, consisting of elected officials, influential leaders, agency representatives and residents.  School districts, cities, businesses, community and faith-based organizations and healthcare agencies have also joined as official partners. Groups of engaged residents have been convened and trained on how to become advocates for change in their neighborhoods.  By focusing on the goals and strategies outlined in the Community Health Improvement Plan, each sector leveraged their influence to make an impact.  The lure of the official Live Well San Diego designation brought many non-traditional partners such as businesses, financial institutions, and utility companies to the table where they came to understand their role in impacting community health and well-being.  Resident Leadership Academies of all forms – youth-led, intergenerational, mono-lingual Spanish speaking – engaged stakeholders and saw meaningful policy and environmental changes in their neighborhoods.  Partnerships across sectors have been critical to the success of this effort and have shaped the collective impact toward a healthy, safe and thriving San Diego County.