Approach

Ensuring Equity

Where we live, work, learn, and play determines nearly 80% percent of our health. While educating individuals is important, environmental, social, and economic factors largely determine the choices we have available. These factors are linked to social norms and systems that have left many people behind. Every Coloradan should have equitable access and opportunity to thrive regardless of who they are or where they live.

Comprehensive & SHARED Approach

The most effective approaches to prevention are comprehensive. Educating individuals, addressing concerns in the relationships of their lives, changing their communities where they live and access resources, and changing the policies and societal norms that influence behaviors are all critical to preventing unwanted health outcomes in a holistic way. Acknowledging how this work can be comprehensive across many spheres is working within the socio-ecological model (SEM). This branch prioritizes changing the context at the organizational, community, and societal levels to improve the environments where we live, work, learn, and play.

Shared Approach:

Applying a "shared approach" to address upstream factors that put someone at risk or protect them from an unhealthy outcome provides an opportunity to leverage resources and generate greater impact. Focusing and collaborating attention, money, resources, and energy on these upstream factors, communities can create a larger impact on multiple outcomes than if they separately addressed mitigating each outcome individually. Upstream factors are connected, and partners can work together and pool resources to change these environments that will impact all of their outcomes, including:

  • Suicide.

  • Older Adult Falls.

  • Opioid Overdoses.

  • Motor Vehicle Injuries and Fatalities.

  • Bullying.

  • Sexual Violence

  • Interpersonal Violence.

  • Child Maltreatment

  • Traumatic Brain Injury.

  • Substance Use/Misuse.

Example:

By building public support to change, enact, and enforce school- and community-wide policies that connect youth with caring adults, we know youth are more likely to ask for help in tough situations, follow restrictions in place for Graduated Drivers’ License laws, and steer clear of drugs and alcohol. Focusing on this one factor has an impact on many health outcomes including the prevention of suicide, substance abuse, violence, and motor vehicle crashes.