Neighborhood & Advocacy Planning
Lincoln Community Health Assessment & Planning ProjectLincoln, Massachusetts
COG worked with the Town of Lincoln’s Healthy Communities Steering Committee to design and implement a Community Health Assessment and Planning Project (CHAPP) in 2009-2010.
Funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the project included a comprehensive evaluation of the town’s existing health-related services and community health needs, including needs that may not be the purview of town government.
COG used nationally recognized Community Health Principles to sketch out what community health means for Lincoln, identifying physical, mental, social, and spiritual health as four key elements of individual and community well-being. Through public forums, interviews, and a survey, the assessment engaged a cross-section of the community to determine what the town does well and to identify needed improvements in health-related services.
COG used town and state data to develop indicators and benchmarks to measure progress in meeting Lincoln’s community health needs. The final product presents an ambitious yet realistic action plan with concrete recommendations to improve five community health issues.