This study, funded as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Systems for Action research program, evaluates the feasibility of the Youth Wellness Hub as a hyper-local community governance model for integrating delivery and financing systems for youth behavioral health and wellness services. The Youth Wellness Hub combines three social policy tools that are separately promising or well-supported in the research literature: community governance; public health education campaigns; and service network coordination through fiscal blending. The study uses a mixed-methods approach to assess feasibility of the model as tested in Tacoma, Washington, including surveys and interviews with community organizations together with a network analysis of these organizations. The study is conducted by the University of Washington in collaboration with the Excelsior Center for Health and Wellness, the Safe Streets Coalition, and other community partners.

Principal Investigator: 
Sarah Walker, PhD
Associate Professor of Research, University of Washington
Director, CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy

Co-Investigators: 
Maggie Fenwood Hughes, MS, MSW
Research Manager, CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy

Pamela Collins, MD
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Global Health, University of Washington

Matthew Kelley, PhD
Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Urban Studies

Project Details:

Year: 2023
Funding Amount: $100,000
Status: Active