Overview

The Regional Community Health Team (RCHT) is a new initiative to provide training, technical assistance, and resource support to build capacity of community-based collaborators in identifying and responding to community-driven health priorities. Our goal is to advance community health and well-being through training, technical assistance, and capacity building for community members and organizations.

The RCHT provides technical assistance and capacity building to local and Tribal Health Departments, community-based organizations, and coalitions in support of community health assessment and planning processes, including:  

• Engaging the community in community health assessment, planning, and decision-making processes, such as deliberative inquiry and community conversations. 
• Supporting community health assessment activities, such as systems mapping, and developing/disseminating surveys.  
• Facilitating action planning, such as identifying evidence-based strategies and aligning community relationships.

The RCHT mobilizes the resources and expertise of the University of Wisconsin Extension’s Health and Well-Being Institute to facilitate education, training, and skill building to local and Tribal Health Departments, community-based organizations, and coalitions on topics in support of community health, including, but not limited to:  

Food and nutrition security, chronic disease prevention, environmental health, mental health promotion, social determinants of health, and substance use prevention, treatment and recovery.  

How It Works

Success & Impact

Bringing Community Members to the Table

Across Wisconsin, the people most affected by local health decisions often have little influence on how those decisions are made. The state’s 2023-2027 State Health Improvement Plan called for residents to have more influence over the decisions that affect their own health, and research shows communities with a strong voice in health planning see better outcomes. Local and Tribal health departments and community coalitions often lack the training and tools to engage community members in health assessment, planning, and decision-making.

Strengthening Community Health Across Wisconsin: The Regional Community Health Team

The Regional Community Health Team (RCHT) is an initiative of the Health & Well-Being Institute to provide training, technical assistance, and resources to strengthen community-based collaborators’ ability to address health priorities. Launched in Spring 2024, the RCHT expands HWB’s statewide reach and impact in advancing community health.