The Healthy Social Environments (HSE) Framework is a user-friendly, evidence-based, and expert informed tool that builds on recommendations offered in the Healthy Built Environment Linkages Toolkit. It describes the social and built environment as inextricably connected and mutually reinforcing.
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) partnered with BC Healthy Communities to create a series of guides (https://bchealthycommunities.ca/index.php/child-and-youth-mental-well-being-resources/) to help local governments understand how to promote the mental well-being of children and youth through existing roles and assets. The guides include research, examples and information sources to inform and inspire action on key protective factors that young people need…
Relationships are one of the strongest predictors of children’s well-being throughout life. Studies have also found that a strong sense of belonging is associated with high self-rated mental health, even when controlling for geography and socio-economic status. Local governments can strengthen social connectedness and belonging for young people through initiatives that enable neighbourhood social cohesion,…
Safety includes both actual and perceived physical, psychological, and social safety experienced at home, school, and in community. Local governments can work towards creating public areas that are safe for children and youth while also implementing policies that respond to larger societal threats like racism, discrimination, poverty, inequality, and climate change. This is the link…
Play is essential for child development. It promotes mental well-being through brain development, stress relief, physical activity, and time outdoors. Local governments can create and maintain spaces and provide opportunities for all kinds of play – and not just in typical designated play places and programs. This is the link for Protective Factor: Play. You…
When children are given opportunities to participate, they feel a sense of belonging and agency; and, that they are part of something bigger than themselves. They also gain skills that allow for more meaningful contributions to society. Local governments can create welcoming and inclusive environments that include children and youth in planning, decision-making, and governance,…
The introduction section in the guide gives a brief overview of how local governments influence the mental well-being of children and youth within their scope and existing mechanisms, how local governments benefit from this, the critical role of quality adults in young people’s lives and the importance of reducing disparities. Given that all local…
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) serves 25% of British Columbia’s population, or over 1 million people, across Greater Vancouver and the Coast Garibaldi area. Its coverage area spans urban settings like Vancouver and Richmond, as well as rural communities on the central coast like Bella Bella, and includes 14 Indigenous communities. Through its Collaboration Agreements, VCH…
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PlanH partnered with each health authority on a series of five forums taking place in each region to take stock of: the impacts of collaborative efforts between local governments, health authorities, and other community partners; the key factors that are enabling this success; and how we can grow this impact moving forward. Find stories, presentations from the…