November 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 48

WELLNESS HUBS
Hubs. The toolkit provides a process
guide to creating a Community
Wellness Hub in alignment with
seven dimensions of well-being.
Process of Creating a
Community Wellness Hub
When creating a Community Wellness
Hub, there are four primary
phases to work through. In addition
to each phase, there are key
considerations that should be present
throughout the development
process. Before you begin working
through the components, consider
these key questions:
* Are there existing organizations,
coalitions or partners that are
already supporting community
health efforts? If so, can partnerships
be formed to leverage these
existing assets?
* Are there clear, unmet needs that
have been identified by the community?
How will your hub meet
these needs?
* Who is leading conversations
about the needs and priorities of
underrepresented and historically
disenfranchised groups in the
community? Equity is at the center
of this work, and all voices
should be heard in the planning
of your hub.
Answering
these
questions up
front will help determine next steps
and strategies related to creating a
hub, and what your agency's role
should be in advancing solutions to
health and social inequities within
your community. Once the questions
have been answered, agencies
can move into the development
phase of their hub model, which
is ideally planned in phases, with
each phase building on the previous
one (see graphic on p. 49).
We see these phases as cyclical,
and agencies are encouraged to
revisit them throughout the process,
rather than viewing them as a
checklist of to-do items. The needs
of your community will change as
your community grows, and your
hub framework should be revisited
often to ensure those needs are
heard and met, and reflective of
your current community.
Phase 1: Develop
Partnerships and Collect
Information
Building partnerships with likeminded
organizations, or organizations
working to advance similar
goals, is a key way to build
community-wide health and wellbeing.
Additionally, consider community
members as partners in this
work. Engaging with community
members, partners and organizations
to understand current needs, assets
and resources, and gathering information
and data from a variety of
diverse sources are a crucial part of
this phase. Conducting community
health needs assessments and creating
community asset maps can help
inform opportunities that exist across
the community from voices that will
be directly impacted by this work.
Phase 2: Engage Core
Stakeholder Group
To develop an overall vision, goals
and an action plan for your hub
model, you'll want to create a core
stakeholder or advisory group.
Examples of stakeholders include
community members; agency staff
of all levels; partners - such as
health departments, local government,
universities, nonprofits and
community-based
and many others.
organizations;
Stakeholders
should be engaged early in the process
to increase acceptance and
participation in the program and
to provide valuable feedback in the
planning process.
Phase 3: Identify Vision
and Objectives
During the next phase, you'll work
48 Parks & Recreation | NOVEMBER 2 0 22 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
November 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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