Project Overview
The Local Policy & Recommendations Project’s purpose is to gather existing relevant policies related to the intersection of substance use, recovery, and regional and town planning frameworks. The work involved the development of a policy website for the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission, as well as a clearinghouse of frameworks and policy recommendations that have already been created in the neighboring Regional Planning Commission jurisdictions.
We have started this project with the goal of providing towns within our region and outside of it with a place to find policy related to the region, and see if there is a need for new policies to be created. Community organizations can use these resources to create a template and sample policy guideline for collaboration amongst local governments, prevention partners, and health experts to create and implement local health language in town plans or use regional health plans to guide work in other health-related areas. In towns that have upcoming plans, zoning, or other planning related updates, health policy is always considered. This creates a network of action-based policy recommendations for towns to use to build healthier and more equitable communities.
The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission’s Healthy Policy Clearinghouse provides policy examples in the following areas: Active Living & Transportation, Age-Friendly Communities, Alcohol, Cannabis, Childcare, Environmental, Healthy Food, Healthy Homes, Healthy Town Community/Culture, Planning Tools, Research, Restorative Practices, School, and Tobacco.
Partners
Green Peak Alliance Partners: Black River Area Community Coalition, Greater Falls Connections, Mount Ascutney Prevention Partnership, Mount Ascutney Regional Commission, Springfield School Districts, The Collaborative, Turning Point Recovery Center of Springfield, VT
Community Partners: Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission and the Town Governments of Town Governments of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Reading, Springfield, Weathersfield, West Windsor, Windsor
Timeline
2021 – Present
Project Resources
Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission’s Healthy Policy Clearinghouse
