All Children Thrive Long Beach

Making accountability a part of doing business so all children are healthy and have the opportunity to thrive.

PROBLEM: Limited Childhood Access to Preventive & Mental Health Care Lowers Health Outcomes

For many families living in Long Beach, the seventh largest city in California, and one of only a few with its own health department, insurmountable barriers reduce health outcomes for their children. Due to historic inequities in many neighborhoods, families are often left with limited access to preventive and mental health care, high exposure to violence and often harmful living conditions, which have led to low birth weights, shorter life expectancies and children who struggle to thrive.

To help turn the tide, the city’s leaders launched a new partnership set on confronting these longstanding drags on children’s health and community well-being.

SOLUTION: Building Networks to Change Lives

All Children Thrive Long Beach (ACT) is a bold collaboration between local nonprofits, schools, government and health care organizations that combines both the Accountable Communities for Health model and the All Children Thrive concept, bringing a focus on the overall health and well-being of children. It’s built on a foundational belief in the power of building networks of people who work together to identify and implement the policies and programs necessary for children to grow up into healthy, successful adults.

ACH IN ACTION: Targeting Coordinated Efforts Toward Healthy Environments & Social Supports

The collaboration, which consists of a steering committee and multiple work groups, is built around Long Beach Health and Human Services, its backbone organization. It has established four priorities: 1) to increase the health of children from birth until age 8; 2) to improve their ability to learn successfully; 3) to ensure children grow up in safe environments; and 4) to support the social, emotional and mental health needs of children and their families.

With COVID-19, the ACT ACH pivoted to create a new short-term portfolio of interventions to coordinate agencies and resources to respond to the pandemic. In partnership with schools, clinics, public health agencies and community organizations, ACT ACH launched pop-up, drive-thru clinics for immunization, family resources, school supplies and food boxes.

To do all this successfully, the ACT ACH has worked to bring parents and residents into the conversation, helping community leaders identify potentially successful strategies. They have also secured significant funding and are in the process of developing long-term financial sustainability measures that will fuel an ambitious portfolio of interventions featuring community-clinical linkages, much like the pop-up, drive-thru clinics.

SIGNS OF SUCCESS: Targeting Coordinated Efforts Toward Healthy Environments & Social Supports

ACT’s organizers are continuing to focus on efforts to reduce infant mortality and crime rates, boost Head Start enrollment, increase mental health access and further develop innovative solutions to prevent and address trauma.

Read Population Health Innovation Lab’s Spotlight on Community Engagement at bit.ly/actlongbeach.