One of the MHERC’s most impactful approaches has been the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Coalition model. This model of community engagement brings together neighborhood stakeholders, community leaders, and grassroots groups to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate community-focused, community-driven initiatives to address social determinants and improve community health. The BHC model ensures that the efforts of MHERC and its supported projects are responsive to community desires, strengths, and needs.

In the original BHC model, nearly 150 coalition members participated across 5 distinct BHC Coalitions, helping to build community capacity to support health-related initiatives. However, BHC model is flexible and adaptable, allowing us to do what works for the communities we serve to ensure meaningful and active engagement and collaboration. 

 
In communities with existing community infrastructure such as neighborhood associations or active community improvement programs, the BHC model can be integrated into these organizations to reduce the burden on community leaders and residents.

For example, in the Birmingham area, the BHC approach has been integrated into existing neighborhood association meetings, reducing the number of meetings neighborhood representatives have to attend and broadening neighborhood engagement in the planning of activities.

In communities without existing infrastructure (including areas in Jefferson and Dallas Counties in Alabama), the BHC model continues to function as a separate entity, allowing neighborhood organizations and residents the opportunity to be active partners in planning and implementing initiatives to improve community health.