5th Annual MA Healthy Communities Conference

Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Time: 8:30am – 3:30pm
Location: Beechwood Hotel and Conference Center (363 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA)

Please join Health Resources in Action, Inc. for their 5th Annual MA Healthy Communities Conference. This year, they will explore Health Equity: Recipes for Success.

• Connect and learn how health equity is being applied in the field among public and private funders, policymakers, and practitioners.
• Share success stories and tools in creating healthier communities and improving health equity.
• Increase awareness and understanding of healthy communities principles and health equity.
• Identify next steps/ingredients in achieving health equity within your respective agency, institution, coalition, and/or community.

Additional Information and Registration

Exploring the Intersection of Community Development and Health

Date:  April 20, 2011
Time:  8:30am – 6:30pm
Location:  Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Fourth Floor Connolly Center (600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA 02210)

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and The Boston Foundation invite you to explore how the health and community development sectors can collaborate to promote better health outcomes for low-income people and communities by addressing the social determinants of health.

The following topics will be covered:

• New Resources. As traditional health funders increasingly seek ways to leverage the connection between health outcomes and physical environments, potential partnerships between health-oriented foundations and new government programs are emerging.
• New Partners. The work of the community development sector could be much more effective when joined to the work of other partners. Sharing knowledge and best practices is the first step.
• New Ideas. We can learn from each other. The health sector has an advanced approach to data collection and outcomes measurement. Community development practitioners use a sophisticated network to implement programs.

Registration and Additional Information

Co-Sponsored by Massachusetts Housing Partnership & the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation

Date: November 15, 2010
Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Location:  Walker Center (Newton, MA)

CEDAC and MHP have set the date for their upcoming training focused on helping developers and service providers form partnerships to serve homeless families.  The session’s intended audience is affordable housing developers; service providers; property managers; funders; and anyone else involved with providing housing to formerly homeless families.

For additional information, please contact:
Sara Barcan
Affordable Housing Program Manager
617-727-5944 x131
sbarcan@cedac.org

Social Determinants and Health Equity: Community Solutions

Date:  Monday, June 7, 2010
Time:  9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Location:  Hoagland Pincus Conference Center, Shrewsbury, MA (222 Maple Ave.)

The Conference will include:

MA Healthy people 2020:  Reports from 3 Massachusetts communities which conducted a special pilot project on the Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity.

Graduation:  MassForum VII (Action, Avon, Chelmsford, Fall River/New Bedford, Lincoln, Taunton and Uxbridge)

Healthy Community Principles Awards:  Honoring exemplary work with implementing one or more of the Healthy Community Principles will be inaugurated

Skills Building Workshops:  Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity; Critical Lessons Learned on Developing Municipal Policies to Support Health; and, Partnerships that Work.

For more information and registration, please contact:
Stefanie Valovic
617-279-2240 x534
svalovic@hria.org

Date:  Friday, April 2, 2010
Time:  9:00am – 4:30 pm
Location: Mass School of Professional Psychology (221 Rivermoon Street, Boston, MA)
Registration Fee:  $175

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is the study and exploration of what gives life to human systems when they function at their best. It is based on the assumption that individuals, teams, and institutions all move in the direction of the questions they ask and encourages questions about what we want more of in ourselves, in our relationships and in our communities. This exciting day-long experience is intended to bring together communities of care and cultivate shared practices for well-being.

Here are some of the skills that will be discussed during the conference:

• Understand your own strengths and what you need to be your best.
• Know how to “strengths spot” using Appreciative Inquiry.
• Enhance your capacity “to flip” narratives from energetically negative to energetically positive topics.
• Create appreciative questions that are relationally transformative.
• Master the art of Appreciative Inquiry for large-scale whole system change.

Additional Information and Registration

Innovation, Collaboration, Action!
Creating Accessible, Affordable Housing for Individuals with Disabilities and Elders

Discussion areas of focus include:

• Funding and development in MA
• Regional solutions to housing issues with a diverse group of stakeholders
• Housing development and policy through collaboration

October 29, 2009
9:00am – 4:00pm
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road West
Marlborough, MA 01752

Register online at:
www.communityfirstgrant.org
Deadline is Oct. 6, 2009

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is hosting it’s 12th Annual Ounce of Prevention conference on Tuesday, October 6 from 8am to 4 pm.  Registration is now open for the 2009 conference, Facing the Future: Healthy People, Places and Policies.
Conference areas of focus include:

• Building new partnerships and strengthening collaborations to protect and promote health at the local and regional levels
• Promoting culturally responsive strategies to address health disparities and the social determinants of health
• Examining opportunities to survive and thrive in the current economic environment Tuesday, October 6, 2009 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Rd West (Route 20 West)
Marlborough, MA

Registration Information

Supportive housing has been shown to be a cost-effective way to provide both housing and support services to low and moderate income residents.  In recent years, a number of successful models have been developed that provide permanent housing to families, people with disabilities, and elders and that tailor a range of services based on individual needs.  Recent attention to the issue of homelessness as well as new state and federal policy initiatives have sparked renewed interest.

Speakers will provide an overview of the different types of supportive housing; key ingredients for successful development, management, and service coordination; and new legislative and funding initiatives at the state and federal levels.

Friday, October 9
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Nixon Peabody LLP
100 Summer Street, 25^th Floor
Downtown Boston
(Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.)

Registration:  You may register online, by phone, fax, or email.
Online:  www.chapa.org/calendar; Phone: 617-742-0820; Fax: 617-742-3953
Email: jmissick@chapa.org

This full-day conference will take place Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel at 99 Erdman Way in Leominster, MA.

The Summit, valued at $160 per person, is geared toward executive directors, senior managers, and nonprofit staff.  Sponsorship by the Institute for Nonprofit Development though a federal Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Grant, with additional scholarship support from the Associated Grant Makers of Boston, allows registrants to participate for only $40.  This registration fee includes conference attendance, continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments.

The conference will feature 13 different hands-on workshops; structured networking with over 40 professional consultants who have expertise in key areas of nonprofit development; a keynote address by Hal Schippits, Ph.D. on maintaining your work/life balance with a sense of humor; and tools to help community and faith-based organizations navigate the economy and improve outreach.

For more information please visit http://www.mwccconnects.us/vitality

An Opportunity for Learning and Leading Positive Change

The MassForum offers community teams and individuals a unique, extended opportunity to enhance skills and learn new strategies to create healthier and safer communities. MassForum Trainings: Hone the Skills that Make a Difference.

The MassForum training curriculum centers on eight core components. These components which are devoted to exploring ideas, enhancing skills, developing strategies, accessing tools and resources will lead to building safer and healthier communities. Trainings will be tailored to meet the needs of the participants and will be conducted by recognized national and local experts. Trainings will be conducted through face-to-face meetings, webinars, and online web tutorials.

The core training components include:

• Understanding the Healthy Communities Approach

• Diversity and Cultural Competency

• Collaborative Leadership

• Working Together for Change: Building a Sustainable Coalition

• Community Visioning, Assessment, Action Planning, and Evaluation

• Developing Effective Approaches to Environmental Strategies and Policy Development

• Engaging Youth in Healthy Communities

• Effective Communication Planning

A commitment to attend all training sessions and to complete assignments is required for acceptance. Complete details, including full training course descriptions and updates, are available on the web at: www.masspartnership.org

MassForum 8 Brochure