Abstract
This Perspective Paper explores the challenges of implementing local initiatives guided by the tenets of the Collective Impact (CI) approach. As such, it draws implications of CI for integrated health and social care efforts to improve and sustain health and social outcomes within a community-wide context, based on our efforts to deploy a CI intervention in the regional town of Muswellbrook, New South Wales (NSW) Australia. A program of health and wellbeing activities providing mental health and wellness messages and activities was implemented in the township over 2 years by the Family Action Centre (FAC), University of Newcastle, Australia. A key takeaway was the importance of authentic community engagement and active involvement as opposed to mere consultation.
Highlights
The current pandemic highlights the prime importance of mobilising integrated and coordinated action to address a wickedly complex problem
These responses have been underpinned and framed by concerted scientific action to understand the problem, discover preventative solutions and advance innova tive treatment options. Whether it is at the global pandemic scale or at the local level, effective solutions to complex problems require collective action to achieve impact
Collective Impact (CI) seeks to engage and mobilise stakeholders in a community to address complex health, social and economic challenges by a) developing a common agenda to identify and prioritise the problem(s) to be addressed; b) agreeing on what success should look like and how it would be measured; c) ensuring that activities are mutually reinforcing; d) facilitating continuous communication; and most importantly e) creating a backbone structure to support project and data management responsibilities [1]. These are elements that resonate with the logic of integrated health and social care
Summary
There are parallels that can be drawn from the key elements of global responses to the current situation, which have incorporated public health campaigns to educate, engage and mobilise communities; preventative measures, including behaviour changes such as social distancing, improved hygiene, personal protective equipment use, including mask wearing; along with intervention approaches such as quarantine, selfisolation and intensive care. These responses have been underpinned and framed by concerted scientific action to understand the problem (i.e., the disease), discover preventative solutions (i.e., vaccines) and advance innova tive treatment options.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
