Quick Guide
Lassen County
As a rural, frontier county, Lassen residents are faced with a lack of access to a diverse array of services that meet their specific needs. Most remote populations similar to Lassen County live in food deserts, lack reliable digital communication, and drive over an hour to receive essential county services.
To address these challenges, Lassen County Public Health partnered with Lassen County Behavioral Health to enhance services at three rural wellness centers. Each came with their own set of challenges, so Public Health reached out to the community members in the service areas to hear what they identified as their needs rather than what services Public Health thinks they need.
Following town hall meetings and participation in local community events, Lassen County was able to collect information about health equity and meaningful services specific to each rural community. They are currently in the process of evaluating the data which will contribute to their overall health equity plan.
One of the examples that the organization gleaned from the data is the need for fresh vegetables. In response, Lassen County has partnered with farming experts and interested community members to explore the option of offering classes on food gardening and erecting community greenhouses at wellness centers. This will give residents a venue to learn how to prepare their soil, grow their food, and harvest and preserve their yields.
We continue to explore innovative ways to bridge the health equity gap among the county’s most vulnerable populations.
To learn more about Lassen County’s work, please contact Nicole Lamica, Equity Coordinator (NLamica@co.lassen.ca.us).
To address these challenges, Lassen County Public Health partnered with Lassen County Behavioral Health to enhance services at three rural wellness centers. Each came with their own set of challenges, so Public Health reached out to the community members in the service areas to hear what they identified as their needs rather than what services Public Health thinks they need.
Following town hall meetings and participation in local community events, Lassen County was able to collect information about health equity and meaningful services specific to each rural community. They are currently in the process of evaluating the data which will contribute to their overall health equity plan.
One of the examples that the organization gleaned from the data is the need for fresh vegetables. In response, Lassen County has partnered with farming experts and interested community members to explore the option of offering classes on food gardening and erecting community greenhouses at wellness centers. This will give residents a venue to learn how to prepare their soil, grow their food, and harvest and preserve their yields.
We continue to explore innovative ways to bridge the health equity gap among the county’s most vulnerable populations.
To learn more about Lassen County’s work, please contact Nicole Lamica, Equity Coordinator (NLamica@co.lassen.ca.us).