CHIP Committee
& Workgroups
CHIP Steering Committee
The Kent County CHIP is led by two co-chairs who support workgroup co-chairs through the action phase of implementing the identified strategies. Workgroup co-chairs and CHIP co-chairs meet monthly as a Steering Committee to share updates, address barriers to achieving goals, and discuss opportunities for alignment across workgroups.
2021-2024 CHIP Co-Chairs
- Wende Randall – Kent County Essential Needs Taskforce
- Brian Hartl – Kent County Health Department Center for Community Health Strategy
Workgroups
Community workgroups have been meeting consistently to develop goals and strategies to address the health priorities of access to health care, economic security and mental health. While a workgroup related to discrimination and racial inequity was not established, each of the priority workgroups developed goals and strategies using an equity lens.
The following is an overview of the strategies selected by each workgroup to implement during the 2021 – 2024 CHIP process:
Economic Security Co-Chairs
- Dallas Lenear – Project GREEN
- Michelle Bryk – Women’s Resource Center
Strategies
- Establish system for private landlords to report on-time rent payments to credit bureaus to improve the credit scores of tenants
- Work with local stakeholders in the childcare arena to increase awareness of subsidies available to families to support payment for childcare
- Increase utilization of public benefits that provide assistance with food access, utility payments and other essential needs.
Mental Health Co-Chairs
- Regina Salmi – Network 180
- Raymond Higbea – Grand Valley State University
Strategies
- Update the Kent County Mental Health Crisis Brochure on a quarterly basis and ensure that it is translated into the most common languages spoken in the County
- Develop culturally and linguistically appropriate behavioral health resource kits and distribute them to geographic areas and populations who have not historically been engaged through outreach activities
- Ensure social workers, nurses and nurse practitioners, psychologists, peer support specialists and other mid-level providers working with special populations in Kent County have knowledge and skills in trauma-informed care.
- Assist middle school, high school and college students in exploring a career in mental and behavioral health professions by engaging with organizations who have connections to students (e.g., Grand Rapids African American Health Institute’s Pathways program, Kent Intermediate School District, and local colleges/universities).
Access to Healthcare Chair
Strategy
Develop and distribute educational materials effort related to the understanding insurance, when and where to access care, different portals of care, and overcoming barriers to care
Get Involved
To get involved in the Kent County Community Health Needs Assessment or Community Health Improvement Plan, send an e-mail to CHNACHIP@kentcountymi.gov