Nearly 80 leaders came together on Wednesday, January 22 for Celebrating Caswell 2020, hosted by the Caswell Chapter of The Health Collaborative.

The event offered an opportunity for local leaders to learn more about progress being made in five core areas – Access to Healthcare; Healthy Eating, Healthy Spaces; Active Living; and, Leadership & Capacity Building.

Discussions throughout the day centered around:

• Community health workers
• Expanded behavioral health services through community-based Licensed Clinical Social Workers
• NC Care 360
• The Cancer Resource Fund
• PCC’s Center for Educational and Agricultural Development
• Strengthening the local food system
• The importance of our local food safety nets
• Piedmont Progressive Farmers’ Group
• Local trails work
• Streamlined screenings for Social Determinants of Health and Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Caswell’s Wellness Committee
• Caswell Schools’ Office of Student Support Services
• School based health centers
• Migrant farmworkers
• Planned growth and development
• Broadband infrastructure
• CoSquared coworking space
• Governmental Alliance on Race & Equity
• Renewed vision of the Chamber of Commerce
• Health in All Policies
• Caswell-specific “idea fest”
• Philanthropic funding trends
• Resources for nonprofits
• The importance of an accurate Census count

One key theme that dominated the discussions was the importance of partnerships and cross-sector approaches.

Another theme that continued to show up throughout the day was the importance of using a Community-Centered approach to improving the health and wellbeing of Caswell County. A community-centered health approach recognizes that members of a community are experts and, as such, need to be a part of planning and decision-making.

Whether discussing authentic community engagement or partnerships among traditional leaders and organizations – the importance of developing strong, trusting relationships continued to arise.

As we move through 2020 we will be asking ourselves:

• Are we hearing from everyone in our community? If not, why? How can we listen better? And how can we not just listen, but ensure that everyone is involved in decision-making?
• How do we show up in partnerships? How do we show up in community? Are we open to new ideas or different ways of thinking? Are we assuming good intent and willing to stand in discomfort as we learn from others?
• Are we consistently showing up, listening, and speaking out? Are we creating space for others to do the same?

Stay up-to-date on activity and conversations happening in Caswell County by signing up for the “News You Need” newsletter of the Caswell Chapter of The Health Collaborative HERE. Be sure to keep an eye on CaswellCares.com for community events and other initiatives. If you’d like to learn more about The Health Collaborative’s regional approach, please visit thehealthcollab.com. Hope Tyson with A Visual Approach LLC provided the graphic recording for the Celebrating Caswell 2020 event.

The Caswell Chapter of The Health Collaborative is funded through the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation’s Community-Centered Health Initiative.