Valley Trauma Center

StrengthUnited Introduces Community Public Health Team

February 13, 2024

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StrengthUnited would like to introduce the Community Public Health Team (CPHT)! The goal of the CPHT pilot project is to build a community-centered system of care and strengthen the infrastructure needed to deliver coordinated, community-based services to individuals and high-need communities. This project is funded by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) in collaboration with Rising Communities. The CPHT Concept was introduced and created by Dr. Ferrer, Director of LACDPH who was inspired by work being done in Cuba and Puerto Rico where reduction in health disparities in their regions came from community trust, strength, and connection. It is a large-scale project with the goals of reaching 8,000 households annually. CPHT works with communities to identify local health priorities, reduce gaps in health outcomes, and improve the conditions essential for overall health and well-being. The RFP was very competitive with only 10 agencies selected throughout all of Los Angeles County being awarded $3.5 million dollars over a three year period. StrengthUnited’s CPHT partner is North East Valley Health Corporation who will focus on physical health while StrengthUnited will focus on mental health. StrengthUnited has also subcontracted with CSUN’s Center for Assessment, Research, and Evaluation (CARE) as well as CSUN’s Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing. StrengthUnited’s chosen communities are San Fernando, Sylmar, Pacoima, and Arleta. The CPHT will build upon existing community-based resources and supports including relationships with local organizations and social services agencies to address various public health issues, community-identified concerns, and respond to emerging public health threats. StrengthUnited is utilizing a community-driven approach and is structured to meet the unique needs of each of our chosen communities.