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Brookline health department releases Community Health Improvement Plan and proposes human-services navigator role
Summary
The Department of Public Health and Human Services presented a two‑year Community Health Assessment and community-driven CHIP on March 5, and proposed a human‑services navigator role, expanded harm‑reduction distribution and continued food‑access efforts.
The Brookline Department of Public Health and Human Services on March 5 presented the final Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and proposed a new human‑services navigator position and program changes to improve access to services.
The department said the CHIP is the product of two years of community engagement and data work and lays out four priority areas for improving health outcomes in Brookline: financial security, access to social and health services, housing affordability, and mental and behavioral health. The report frames interventions across town departments and community partners rather than consolidating solutions solely inside the health department.
Nut graf: The CHIP identifies cross‑sector interventions and assigns responsibilities to town departments and community organizations. To improve access, the department recommended creating a human‑services navigator position that will coordinate referrals across mental-health, housing, childcare and food assistance and that will use an online referral platform to track intake and outcomes. The department also proposed continuing Project CAN harm‑reduction distribution and the Brookline Bounty healthy-food program.
Sagal Rees, director of public health and human services, said the navigator will help residents find services more quickly and that the online referral tool will generate data to measure demand and gaps. The department said Project CAN has distributed 524 harm‑reduction kits since July 2023; each kit includes naloxone (Narcan) doses, fentanyl test strips and treatment referrals. Brookline Bounty reached about 730 households over its three active years and distributed 235 turkeys and chickens at Thanksgiving in recent years.
The department also reported regional collaboration results: a regional epidemiologist is supporting data displays and analysis, and a regional tobacco enforcement grant will expand vendor compliance work across eight communities. On rodent control the department said enforcement activity has increased sharply because inspectional and enforcement staff now coordinate regularly with Public Works; the department reported 821 enforcement tickets in 2024 compared with 335 in 2023 and 287 in 2022.
Budget context and staffing: the department budget reflects a mix of sources, including opioid‑settlement funds received through a stabilization fund and remaining ARPA resources; staff said some programs depend on grants and that the department is monitoring changes in federal funding availability. The CHIP and navigator are slated to guide implementation over multiple years; the department requested the Select Board’s continued collaboration on housing, mental‑health and child‑care strategies.
Ending: The Select Board heard the plan and department proposals; no board vote was taken. Staff said they will return with more detailed implementation plans tied to the CHIP’s objectives and with data to measure program impact.
