Resources on Promoting Health and Prosperity in West Virginia

PHI’s Build Healthy Places Network partnered with Wild, Wonderful & Healthy West Virginia to create these resources that support community health in West Virginia by offering guidance, best practices and policy examples. Explore the resources:

• Engaging Local Government to Promote Health and Prosperity in West Virginia
• Wild, Wonderful & Healthy West Virginia Policy Scan

Engaging Local Government to Promote Health and Prosperity in West Virginia

Building relationships between community organizations, community leaders, and local governments is a key role for community leaders, who often work at the local level to advocate for changes that improve communities.

This resource developed by PHI’s Build Healthy Places Network, with support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and in partnership with Wild, Wonderful & Healthy West Virginia, offers guidance and best practices on how to effectively engage with local governments in West Virginia. This guide is crafted with insights from an Advisory Council of national, regional, and local experts experienced in fostering rural government engagement to promote multisector collaborations and drive investments in community infrastructure for better health outcomes.

This actionable resource provides community leaders with the tools to:

• Understand the dynamics of local government
• Establish trust-based relationships
• Champion community-led solutions
• Bridge the divide between communities and local government

Wild, Wonderful & Healthy West Virginia Policy Scan

The scan, created by PHI’s Build Healthy Places Network and Wild, Wonderful & Healthy West Virginia is intended to support the efforts of West Virginia communities as they work through multisector collaborations to advance the health of residents by designing programs and policies that improve rural prosperity and equity. Policy plays a powerful role in reshaping how communities operate and how health happens through zoning laws, local investments, and other policy levers. This guide’s set of policy examples prioritizes building a shared future and creating equitable rural communities where all people and communities are treated fairly, regardless of their race or socioeconomic background.

This policy scan identifies these potential policies:

• Belonging and Civic Muscle
• Thriving and Natural World
• Basic Needs for Health and Safety
• Humane Housing
• Meaningful Work and Wealth
• Lifelong Learning
• Reliable Transportation