Development of Wellness Coalitions in
Rural South Dakota Communities
An Experience for Health Professions Students (REHPS)
SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK (SEM)
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines states that a coordinated system-wide approach is needed to reverse the
current national environment that promotes caloric overconsumption, discourages physical activity, and
includes concurrent dramatic increases in the rates of overweight and obesity and poor health
outcomes. The Social-Ecological Model (SEM) illustrates how all sectors of society, including individuals
and families, educators, communities and organizations, health professionals, small and large businesses,
and policymakers combine to shape an individual’s food and physical activity choices, and ultimately
one’s calorie balance and chronic disease risk. Based on the SEM, wellness services are suggested to be
offered through the following three approaches:
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Individual and group-based activities;
Multi-level interventions; and
Community and public health approaches.
REHPS Wellness Coalition Experience 1
Community and public health approaches are efforts that affect a large segment of the population
rather than targeting the individual or a small group. Example activities under this heading include:
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Collaborating with community groups and other organizations to improve the food and nutrition
environment in low-income areas;
Providing consultation to retailers on stocking healthier food options;
Participating in civic work groups that provide input on changing the physical environment to
facilitate safe physical activity opportunities; and
Facilitating the reporting of statewide surveillance and survey data on nutrition and physical
activity indicators.
The purpose of this experience is to focus on a community health approach through the implementation
of community wellness coalitions as a model to prevent obesity.
WHAT IS A WELLNESS COALITION?
As outlined in the attached white paper titled Best Practices in the Formation, Implementation and
Sustainability of Wellness Coalitions, a wellness coalition is defined as:
Several diverse community-based organizations working together to meet community needs and resolve
issues. Organizations within a community may be working on various health and wellness issues, but
may lack collaboration or central leadership, indicating the need for a coalition.
The white paper also explains that wellness coalitions are becoming a popular tool to use, especially to
engage the community level of the SEM in a multi-faceted approach, in dealing with nutrition and
physical activity decisions, and changing the environment. Furthermore, the white paper addresses how
to identify and work with the fundamental components of a wellness coalition, such as membership,
conflict, vision, documentation, and community engagement.
In preparation for your experience, we ask that you read through the entire white paper.
DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIENCE
There are a number of tasks that go into the development of creating a sustainable and meaningful
community-based wellness coalition. While you will only be able to accomplish one of the many tasks
that go into this development, your assignment is critical as it will create the foundation for future
REHPS student experiences within these same communities for years to come.
In order to create a wellness coalition foundation in the community you have been selected to serve,
you will work with South Dakota State University students and faculty & South Dakota State University
Extension staff to complete the following experiences:
1. Meet with Suzanne Stluka, Food & Families Program Director for SDSU Extension to discuss the
white paper and vision for SDSU Extension to establish wellness coalitions in rural communities
throughout South Dakota.
REHPS Wellness Coalition Experience 2
2. Work with Suzanne to establish a timeline to conduct the following in your community:
a. Conduct key informative interviews with 5 public entities, agencies or key stakeholders
who you feel may hold a stake in wellness in the community.
b. Background information to be gathered from these interviews may include:
i. information on past projects;
ii. existence (if any) of wellness coalitions or groups currently present in the
community;
iii. wellness successes in the community;
iv. wellness barriers in the community; and
v. names of individuals within the community they believe would have a vested
interested in serving on and/or leading a wellness coalition (utilize the SD Good
& Healthy website template regarding who should be part of a wellness
coalition to fill in the template with names and contact information).
3. Submit a 4-5 page synopsis outlining the information you gathered from the key informative
interviews. Meet with Suzanne to discuss your synopsis so that she can distribute the
foundation information that you have collected to be utilized by future students.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Suzanne Stluka, MS, RDN, LN
Food & Families Program Director
EFNEP/SNAP-Ed Coordinator
[email protected]
SWG 435, Box 2275A, SDSU
Brookings, SD 57007
Office: 605.688.4038
www.iGrow.org
South Dakota State University, South Dakota counties, and USDA cooperating. South Dakota State
University adheres to AA/EEO guidelines in offering educational programs and services.
REHPS Wellness Coalition Experience 3