Health Justice Community of Practice (HJCoP)
What is the Health Justice Community of Practice?
What is the Health Justice Community of Practice?
The Health Justice Community of Practice (HJCoP) program supported organizations to use data as part of a strategic case that contributes to the long-term systems change needed to achieve health justice.
Throughout the program, three awardees received coaching from TheCaseMade consultancy on how to bridge diverse viewpoints and build collaboration to make a strategic case for building a shared vision for community thriving.
The Health Justice Community of Practice ran from late 2024 through the end of the summer of 2025.
The Program Design
A Case for Systems Change
The goal of the Health Justice Community of Practice was to develop a data-informed narrative change strategy to build understanding and broad public will to address barriers to thriving communities.
Three awardee organizations learned about how their communities can collect, work to understand, and purposefully share data that supports long-term systems change needed to achieve community aspirations.
All awardees had health equity projects in progress and a readiness to strengthen the skills and strategies needed to build public and political will for urgent community health goals.
They also shared challenges within their communities with political divisiveness based on mental models and political language that Strategic CaseMaking™ helped navigate.
DATA + CaseMaking
Data can be a crucial tool for narrative change, yet merely having data on health disparities, or using data to address social needs, will not necessarily change dominant narratives about why disparities or social needs exist, or provide direction on what to do about them.
Rather, community data must be collected, interpreted, and shared thoughtfully and purposefully—as part of a strategic case—to effectively build the broad coalitions of people, organizations, and institutions needed for the long haul to achieve health equity.
TheCaseMade
TheCaseMade is a coaching consultancy with a mission to transform communities by helping community leaders powerfully build the public’s will to solve the tough issues that determine our future, like climate change, health, and housing.
The Strategic CaseMaking approach, based on 30 years of social science and community movement building practice, strengthens organizations’ call-to-action, brings new champions forward, and aligns community and regional partners around systems change strategy.
Throughout the Health Justice Community of Practice program, awardees received coaching from TheCaseMade consultancy on how to bridge diverse viewpoints and build collaboration to make a strategic case for building a shared vision for community thriving.
As an outcome of this technical support, each awardee put the CaseMaking curriculum into practice and developed a Case Guide, a digital presentation deck they could use with decision-makers and other potential partners to engage them in their work.
Awardees
The HAND UP Project,
Tallahassee, LA
The HAND UP Project focuses on dismantling systemic barriers to equity by amplifying community voice, connecting residents to resources, and advancing policy solutions that create long-term change.
TheCaseMade coaching strengthened their ability to connect the lived experiences of marginalized communities to broader conversations about health equity while engaging partners across sectors.
United Way of the Lakelands,
Greenwood, SC
The United Way of the Lakelands (UWL) connects the people, resources, and organizations of Greenwood, Abbeville, McCormick, and Saluda counties in South Carolina to create lasting change and build a better future for all.
CaseMaking helped UWL develop a strong case for support around improving chronic illness outcomes in Greenwood’s Uptown neighborhoods. They achieved this by reframing health initiatives as essential components of workforce development, housing, and local business growth.
VIA LINK,
New Orleans, LA
VIA LINK serves as a trusted hub for information, crisis support, and coordinated service delivery in New Orleans, LA. CaseMaking helped the VIA LINK team reframe Louisiana’s nonprofit landscape from one of challenge to one of opportunity.
They applied their learnings to a video project that showcases nonprofit leaders, data stories, and community voices from across the region in an effort to increase collaboration between Louisiana’s siloed nonprofits.