July 2020 A Collaboration Between

The Intersection of Community Development & Mental Health

A Safe Home and Thriving Neighborhood When it comes to determining one’s Contributes to Improved Mental Health health, ZIP Code is more important than genetic code; Community A safe home and thriving neighborhood improves both Development is in the ZIP Code improvement business. This series physical and mental health. The Community Health Needs of fact sheets from NeighborWorks Assessments of many health systems identify mental health America and the Build Healthy Places as a high priority. Community development organizations Network highlights the common aims, across the country are doing work that can contribute evidence base, and what works for to improved wellness and better health outcomes, also health and community development. addressing the disproportionate burden on historically marginalized communities. The Intersection Of Community Development & Mental Health | A collaboration between Build Healthy Places Network and NeighborWorks FACT SHEET #1 PG 2

Why Should • The Healthcare sector spends over $1 Trillion each year treating preventable DEFINITIONS conditions caused by poverty and social inequity. Mental Health is not simply the absence of mental illness • The Healthcare sector is increasingly considering new approaches to addressing social Community and can be defined as the state determinants of health (factors such as quality affordable housing, good jobs, access of well-being in which every Development to good food, education, and safe neighborhoods) as a way to improve communities’ individual realizes their own Matter to physical and mental health. potential, can cope with the • As an action arm for addressing social determinants of health, advancing equity, normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and and improving health, community development is in a strong position to Healthcare? is able to make a contribution cultivate protective factors for supporting good mental health. to their community. • Community development is often discussed as a key catalyst for improving well- (World Health Organization) being. It’s also important to recognize that good health equally contributes to “Behavioral Health” is a term community and economic development. Good mental health contributes to encountered in mental health prevention of unnecessary hospitalizations, homelessness and involvement in the systems which some associate criminal justice system. with less stigma but avoid using it interchangeably with mental health since behavioral health includes substance use disorders (SUD). • Community development acts to reduce some common stress factors that can Mental Health and Behavioral Evidence contribute to the development of mental health challenges e.g. financial stress of Health can be correlated with inability to make rent or house payments, homelessness and unsafe neighborhoods. one another; e.g. Substance Bites use disorders (SUD) can be • Likewise, racism is another factor that adversely affects mental health, contributing Currently mental health perpetuated by individual to inequities like housing segregation and discrimination, poverty, and lack of is often perceived to be experiencing mental health access to services. issues such as stress caused the healthcare sector’s by homelessness; mental illness responsibility acting at • Housing with integrated health services can substantially increase utilization of such as bipolar disorder can mental health or behavioral health services and reduce costs. individual-level diagnosis sometimes be worsened or and treatment but not • Stabilizing mental health issues in people who are experiencing homelessness can even caused by SUD. prevention. Prevention be extremely challenging. Transitional and supportive housing can assist healthcare Upstream refers to a can most effectively be providers in this process. community level intervention addressed collaboratively • Exposure to green spaces works upstream as a protective factor to reduce the moving beyond individual through multiple sectors, impact (social needs or risk of developing mental health illnesses. including community clinical care) to address the development partners. • Providing stable housing can reduce the incidence of Adverse Childhood social, physical, economic, Experiences (ACEs) which can lead to better mental health outcomes. and environmental factors that determine health in a community. The Intersection Of Community Development & Mental Health | A collaboration between Build Healthy Places Network and NeighborWorks FACT SHEET #1 PG 3

Evidence Healing Brandywine South Stockton Center

In Action South Stockton, California Coatesvilla, Pennsylvania

Healing South Stockton partners with local stakeholders In a city of 13,000 residents, the Brandywine Center including Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente, and offers a diverse range of health services including mental Stockton Unified School District using an Accountable health, affordable rental housing for low-income seniors, Communities for Health (ACH) model, to implement and a children’s library. The center is the city’s first major health, educational and economic interventions that community development investment in over 30 years, all address the underlying causes of trauma. Supported by possible through the cross-sectoral collaboration between the ACH’s local Wellness Fund, the initiative pushes for public and private partners and the financial support of school-based health centers, advocates for affordable federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, USDA loan and housing policies and promotes data sharing between public donations. organizations to improve trauma impact tracking.

Pathways Vermont New Kensington Community Housing First Program Development Corporation

Burlington, Vermont Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Supported by the Vermont Department of Mental New Kensington Community Development Corporation Health and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (NKCDC) in Philadelphia, a NeighborWorks network Administration, the Program provides permanent organization, utilizes trauma-informed approaches in its supportive housing and short-term rental assistance community engagement and community development for chronically homeless residents, many with trauma work. In its resident training programs, NKCDC utilizes histories. The program helped more than 200 individuals, a “train the trainer” model to support resident leadership saving the state over $2 million per year in hospitalization and development. Applying this model and approach has costs, maintaining an 85% housing retention rate, and helped NKCDC to better communicate trauma-informed reducing the rate of reincarnation. concepts to residents and has supported on-going program sustainability. The trauma-informed lens has also supported NKCDC to shift organizational practices. The Intersection Of Community Development & Mental Health | A collaboration between Build Healthy Places Network and NeighborWorks FACT SHEET #1 PG 4

Where As you consider possible partnerships with hospitals To Start and healthcare systems, the following questions can help you identify opportunities for collaboration and assess hospital priorities, capacity, and pain points to strengthen your case for partnership:

• What type of hospital are you meeting with and is it part • Has the institution adopted a trauma informed approach? of a bigger healthcare system? Larger systems might have Is it integrated in their Community Health Improvement their own Foundations with community investment and Plan (CHIP) and external collaborations? be ready for partnership. • What are the key healthcare incentives and regulatory • What are the priorities of the healthcare institution as requirements at play? e.g. the mission orientation of the identified through their Community Health Needs Assessment institution, a Housing First approach, state level changes (CHNA)? Is mental health identified as a priority? (e.g. Medicaid expansion, Whole Person Care Initiative) or city policies. • How engaged is the institution’s leadership around addressing social determinants of health?

Tools To • BHPN’s Healthcare Playbook for Community • Affordable Housing Investment: A Guide Developers helps you build partnerships with for Nonprofit Hospitals and Health Systems Move hospitals and healthcare systems to improve examines nonprofit hospitals and health Forward community health and well-being. systems’ motivations, opportunities, and barriers to initiate housing investments. • BHPN’s Jargon Buster demystifies common industry jargon across sectors. • NeighborWorks America’s Community Partnership Readiness Guide.