Through effective communications, local health departments can better position themselves as trusted community leaders who provide services that are relevant and uniquely able to meet community needs. While effective communications begins with planning, the resources that local health departments have available to develop, implement, and evaluate communications programs vary widely based on staffing, experience, and organizational priorities.
A new Communications Planning Guide for Local Health Departments has been designed for local health department staff who are tasked with communicating specific messages to the public or segments of the public. The guide provides a basic framework to use, including questions to consider when developing communications and evaluation strategies. It also includes considerations for how local health department professionals can incorporate health equity, social justice, and accessibility considerations, including health literacy, into their work.
This guide was developed by communications professionals from local health departments who are members of NACCHO’s Public Health Communications Workgroup (2023-2024).
