Projects

The Western MA Youth Behavioral Health Roadmap calls forth opportunities to lean into regional assets, augment areas where there is promising momentum, advocate for resources and policies for regional equity, and create collective action in Western MA to innovate community-clinical linkages.

Want support using Community Health Equity Initiative (CHEI) survey data for action? We are here to help!

The Data and Action Guide is meant to provide guidance to organizations, municipalities, and other stakeholders about effectively using data to improve health outcomes and equity.

Many communities across Western MA administer health surveys to better understand the experiences and behaviors of their youth.

PHIWM has led efforts to conduct youth health surveys with 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students enrolled in Springfield Public Schools biennially since 2015.

The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts is conducting a health impact assessment (HIA) to answer the question, “If housing providers changed policies and practices about criminal background checks, what affect would that have on health?”

The Public Health Institute of Western MA was the lead consultant working with Community Health Solutions and Pioneer Valley Planning Commision to implement Community Health Needs Assessments for the ten hospitals and insurer of the Coalition of Western Massachusetts Hospitals

The Public Health Institute of Western MA (PHIWM) is partnering with Baystate Medical Center’s Institute for Healthcare Delivery and Population Science(BMC IHDPS) to build capacity for community engaged research through Project ACCCES: A Collaboration to Develop Capacity to Conduct Community-Engaged Research in Springfield.

PHIWM has received one of only nine national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Policies for Action Grant to study Springfield's Complete Streets policy.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) enlisted the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) to evaluate a pilot project and perform an assessment of a community considered key to understanding and expanding their “CultureRx” initiative, one situated in Springfield and the other in the Berkshires.

Sexual Violence against Girls and Young Women in Hampden County: An Environmental Scan of Existing Data, Programs, and Policies

The Western Massachusetts Casino Health Impact Assessment, a project funded by the Health Impact Project, looked at the health impacts of a new casino to be located in Palmer, Springfield, or West Springfield.

Dashboard including data on youth mental health, prevention activities and other measures of youth mental health.