Resource Center for Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans

The CHA/CHIP Resource Center

The Resource Center for Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans (CHA/CHIP Resource Center) provides practical, customizable tools and resources to all local health departments (LHDs) in a central and publicly accessible location. The resource center is intended to support LHDs and their partners in completing community health improvement processes, including the conduct of a community health assessment (CHA) and the development of a community health improvement plan (CHIP), for the purpose of improving the health of local communities. The initial version of this resource center is being populated primarily with the following:

Existing items that have been deemed high-quality; and
Items being developed by LHD CHA/CHIP demonstration sites to complete CHAs and CHIPs for accreditation preparation.

The CHA/CHIP Resource Center will be updated on an ongoing basis; by December 2012, it will contain example high-quality CHAs and CHIPs and case studies of communities who have completed CHAs and CHIPs for accreditation preparation and more. Check back frequently for new information and updates.

The tabs below represent the general steps in a community health improvement process. Click on a tab to be directed to trainings; practical, customizable tools; and links to additional, existing resources specific to that topic that will help LHDs and their partners complete a community health improvement process.

Engaging Partners

Getting Started

CHAs

CHIPs

Taking Action

Examples

Accreditation Prep

Additional Factors

Featured Tool

Recommendations on Characteristics for High-Quality CHAs and CHIPs

The recommendations presented in the document describe the characteristics of a community health improvement process that yield a high-quality CHA and CHIP, according to NACCHO. The recommendations are presented as a checklist to assist LHDs and others in tracking their efforts with particular attention to preparing for the Public Health Accreditation Board's accreditation program. Read more and access the document here.

Definitions of CHAs and CHIPs

Many definitions of CHAs and CHIPs exist in the field today. Click more to access a list of several of these definitions. More »

Overview and Comparison of Community Health Improvement Processes

This document provides an overview of community health assessment and improvement planning processes, describes common steps and elements, and compares six different frameworks or models (e.g., MAPP, Healthy Communities, etc.). More »

Additional Factors to Consider for CHAs and CHIPs

There are several additional factors that may be considered in the development of high quality CHAs and CHIPs, such as social determinants of health, health inequities and the use of quality improvement techniques. More »

Return to the Community Health Assessment and Improvement Planning Page