Public Health Institute

The California-based Public Health Institute (PHI) if one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive public health organizations. A larger voice for the public health community in climate change planning is long overdue: community health should be in the forefront of planning for sustainable transit, housing, and economies. The public health and environment experts have traditionally worked through different venues however. PHI is working to improve collaboration given their common concerns about health impacts. Through the recently launched PHI Center for Public Health and Climate Change, PHI will increase the engagement of public policy advocates in climate change decisions. PHI will advocate for setting ambitious regional greenhouse gas reduction targets (Sustainable Community Strategies), and the creation of a Community Benefits Fund as part of implementation of AB 32. This advances Hewlett's efforts to broaden the voices call for strong efforts to address climate change.

Since 1992, Center for Collaborative Planning, a project of the Public Health Institute, has promoted health and social justice by building capacity at the community level through leadership development technical assistance. It has participated in major initiatives in California, including The California Endowment's Agricultural Worker Health Initiative and the Sierra Health Foundation's REACH Youth Development Initiative. We recommend a grant to support the CCP's signature program, Women's Health Leadership, which, over the next three years, would provide leadership development training to 50 women leaders from organizations serving communities in Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties. Each participant will attend a total of four retreats, which will cover strategic visioning, social capital development, policy/advocacy, collaborative leadership, organizational change processes, fund development, and board development and management. Supplemental training will include webinars, mentoring, and peer exchange circles. (New, $70,808, 40% of project budget)