The Oak Park and River Forest Community Health Stakeholder Team conducted a series of meetings in May and June to address future community health priorities.
The Oak Park Department of Public Health assesses the Oak Park and River Forest communities’ public health every five years.
The stakeholder team is part of the Community Health Needs Assessment Project. This year the needs assessment was a collaboration of the Oak Park Health Department, the Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township, River Forest Township Mental Health Services, and the Rotary Club of Oak Park-River Forest.
Carla Sloan, River Forest Township Supervisor
The assessment included meetings with stakeholders, such as hospitals, fire and police departments and senior administrators of the villages of Oak Park and River Forest.
The meetings addressed a five-year overall community plan, two smaller community plans, and a behavioral health and developmental disabilities plan.
In addition to the meetings, a community health needs assessment survey was conducted last March and April, according to the Oak Park website. Residents who live, work or attend school in Oak Park and River Forest were invited to take the online survey.
Carla Sloan, supervisor of River Forest Township, wrote in her online newsletter that the survey results “will provide valuable input to mental health and other community health-related decisions and funding over the next several years.”
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