Initiatives

CHIP Programs and Initiatives

CHIP achieves its mission and goals by working through initiatives, programs and affiliated programs. CHIP forms initiatives, coalitions or work teams on an ongoing basis based on the results of our triennial community needs assessment. These collaborative groups are made up representatives from public agencies, healthcare providers, community-based organization, institutes of higher learning, and businesses. CHIP works within these groups to help identify or implement strategies that address service gaps that affect public health. CHIP Programs are the resulting goal-oriented projects that derive from the planning and leadership of CHIP's many initiatives.

Similar to CHIP Initiatives, CHIP Affiliated programs also work in collaboration with public and private partners and address needs outlined in our triennial needs assessment. However, unlike CHIP Initiatives, Affiliate programs were initiated outside of CHIP, and for efficiency purposes, CHIP has been contracted to manage these work groups and programs.

Programs and Initiatives are governed by the Executive Partner Committee. 

CHIP Initiatives

Needs Assessment: The Needs Assessment provides a resource for individuals, agencies and institutions to identify community health needs and concerns. The triennial report outlines changes and trends in health issues in San Diego County and provides a basis upon which community health programs and interventions can be targeted, developed and evaluated.

Access to Care (ATC): The ATC work team corroboratively develops ways to reduce or eliminate barriers to care by addressing issues of the uninsured and increasing competency in health literacy, cultural and linguistic issues, transportation, and care coordination.

Safety Net Connect (SNC): The SNC project is developing a network and application that makes it possible for hospital emergency departments to schedule appointments at, and share information with, community clinics for patients without medical homes.

ICANATWORK: ICANATWORK is a free coalition of local business leaders, CEOs, human resource directors and wellness experts designed to help businesses of all sizes adopt effective wellness strategies.  Investing in health and wellness in the workplace can help you boost morale, build teamwork, increase productivity and curb rising healthcare costs. In order to achieve a healthier San Diego County, it is our mission to help employers understand health and wellness as an investment rather than as a line-item expense.

Behavioral Health (BHWT): BHWT contributes to the improvement of the mental / behavioral health of the public and the behavioral health services that serve them through augmenting existing and/or developing new programs that strive to make significant, measurable impacts to the community.

Suicide Prevention Action Plan Comittee (SPAP_C): On April 1, 2010, the County of San Diego awarded CHIP a contract to form an interagency Suicide Prevention Action Plan Committee (SPAPC) to create and introduce a Mental Health Services Suicide Prevention Action Plan for San Diego County.  The action plan will be the sole activity of SPAPC for the next 2.5 years.

Affiliated Programs

San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative (COI): The COI is a public-private partnership whose mission is to reduce and prevent childhood obesity in San Diego County by creating healthy environments for all children and families through advocacy, education, policy development, and environmental change.

Chula Vista Healthy Eating Active Communities (HEAC): Healthy Eating Active Communities is a multi-year program sponsored by The California Endowment. It aims to fight the growing childhood obesity epidemic in Chula Vista by developing policy changes, partnerships and programs that reduce the risk factors for diabetes and obesity.

CHIP Alumni Programs

As a neutral convener, CHIP has mastered the ability to call together community organizations with similar interests to address community health issues and reduce duplication of efforts through development of joint programs and projects. We value innovative and strategic initiatives and have earned a reputation of supporting projects and, when appropriate, helping projects grow to function independently.

Below is a list of programs in which CHIP has a role:

Diabetes Coalition (SDDC): The SDDC is a collaboration of over 100 health related organizations working together to improve the health and well-being of all San Diego residents at risk or living with diabetes which includes increasing access to care, advocating for effective policy and practice change, sharing best practices and promoting effective prevention strategies.

ICANSANDIEGO: Recognizing the significant impact obesity prevention can have on reducing the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, the San Diego Diabetes Coalition has brought together more than 50 organizations to create ICANSANDIEGO, a grassroots diabetes prevention campaign designed to empower at-risk populations to make healthy lifestyle changes.

Immunize San Diego (IZSD): IZSD is a collaboration aimed at protecting all adults in the San Diego Community from vaccine preventable diseases through best practices in: coordinated outreach, immunization delivery, comprehensive evaluation and effective advocacy and funding. In 2009, to avoid duplication of programs and services, IZSD partners integrated into the San Diego Immunization Coalition
(www.sdiz.org).

Project Dulce: Project Dulce is a self-sustaining program, initially developed by CHIP and currently managed by the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute in response to the devastating personal health and health system impacts of uncontrolled diabetes among San Diego's uninsured and underserved populations. This program proactively manages diabetes with the goal of improving the quality of life among low-income persons with diabetes. After a successful two-year pilot period, San Diego's County Medical Services (CMS) adopted Project Dulce as a model and it was expanded to all community clinics in San Diego County.

New Americans Health Advocacy Program: The New Americans Health Advocacy Program was developed by CHIP and has been implemented and managed by Project Concern International. The New Americans Program works to increase health education and access to health care for new Americans, specifically legal immigrants and refugees within African sub-communities. The program utilizes the Community Health Advocate Program model, which is training of concerned community members.

ME2 Program: A pilot project initiated by the BHWT to identify, assess and provide counseling services to students in the ALBA (Alternative Learning for Behavior and Attitude) community school located in Barrio Logan (operated by the San Diego City Schools). Specialty groups and referrals to additional services were also provided as needed. In 2002, San Diego City Schools successfully applied and received funding from Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) to independently continue the program.

2-1-1 San Diego: CHIP has always been a supporter of 211 San Diego and acted as fiscal sponsor for its first $2 million grant. By dialing 211, you are linked to a live highly-trained Information & Referral Specialist who will navigate you through your situation by assessing your needs and then matching you to the best resource in your community. Assistance is confidential and offered in more than 150 languages. In addition, 211 San Diego's online database of nearly 3,000 services enables anyone with internet access to find community resources and search by program or location.
(www.211SanDiego.org)