We provided strategic facilitation, assessment, and planning support to the NC Public Health Region 1 to strengthen local public health capacity through workforce development and cross-county collaboration. We guided a year-long collaborative process to review current conditions, identify shared opportunities, and co-design early strategies for regional partnerships and shared resources. Our support included partnering with the Workforce Development Director to co-design and co-facilitate multiple sessions with the Health Directors; reviewing and synthesizing existing data and plans; developing draft and final strategic plans; and coordinating with design professionals to produce polished reports. This work laid the groundwork for action plans and sustainable cross-county strategies, while giving Health Directors dedicated time and space to learn together and focus on timely issues.

We supported Mitchell and Yancey County Governments in a community learning process to better understand local substance misuse and guide decisions about opioid settlement funding. Co-designed and implemented by a WNCHN-hosted team of consultants and more than 27 local leaders, the 10-month initiative used Participatory Narrative Inquiry and community organizing models to engage over 130 community members in sharing stories, learning together, and identifying actionable insights for county decision making. The work also strengthened local partners’ capacity to continue narrative-based data collection and sensemaking over time.

We co-designed and facilitated a one-day strategy session with MAHEC and Impact Health to support their partnership through the WNC Healthy Opportunities Pilot. The session helped both teams assess their current context, revisit their shared vision, clarify needs, opportunities, roles, and communication processes, and strengthen working relationships. We also produced a high-level summary of areas of alignment and divergence, key decisions, and next steps.