Policy and Systems Change

Policies set standards and play a large role in shaping the conditions that determine if communities are healthy and safe. Advocating for policies that optimize community ‘systems’ — economic, educational, social, and the built environment — is central to upstream prevention. The following resources are intended to assist public health professionals in leading effective policy advocacy campaigns.

For information on receiving training and technical assistance from IPS to support your policy advocacy efforts, please contact us.

Webinars / Tools / Hot Topics

Webinars

IPS’ free webinar series provides learned insights into how to effectively lead upstream prevention campaigns, of which policy advocacy is an integral part.

Upstream Prevention Demystified

The term “upstream prevention” – like “population-level prevention” and “systems change” – has become ubiquitous in public health. Yet, its true meaning can remain elusive. In this webinar, we explore the nuanced dimensions of upstream prevention and the important role policy advocacy plays in it.

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ACTing for Equity: A Real-World Primer for Advancing Equity in Communities

Socioeconomic, cultural, and racial inequities are at the root of most disparities in health, wealth, and opportunity. In this webinar, we introduce IPS’s Approach to Community Transformation (ACT) Model as a framework for integrating equity into programs and look at real-world case studies where projects successfully advocated for more equitable policies.

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Tools

IPS’ policy advocacy tools are designed to assist providers in the field with planning for and implementing policy campaigns. For more of IPS’ policy advocacy and systems change tools, please contact us.

Advocacy vs. Lobbying Primer

A guide to delineating between lobbying and advocacy in your programmatic work.
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Upstream Prevention Planning Template

A framework for implementing an upstream, policy-oriented campaign using IPS’ ACT Model.
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Issue Briefing Example

A sample issue briefing making the case for placing limitations on expanded outdoor dining footprints. Issue briefings are important tools in outreach to decision makers.
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Strategy Chart (Midwest Academy)

A strategic framework for planning a policy campaign, identifying important considerations including goals, targets, constituents, and tactics.
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Hot Topics

These IPS-authored Hot Topics explore how policy is shaping public health.

A Perfect Storm: When Climate Change, Racial Justice, and Mental Health Collide

April is a busy month for mental health awareness: National Minority Health Month, Alcohol Awareness Month, and Stress Awareness Month…
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As 2024 Ushers in a New Silent Opioid Epidemic, Securing LGBTQ+ Spaces is the Answer

In the shadows of the ongoing opioid crisis that continues to grip our nation, a new silent epidemic has emerged that has gone virtually unnoticed…
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Taxing Alcohol to Protect Public Health and Safety Is a Good Thing

Most people cringe at the idea of paying more taxes, including on alcoholic products. But when weighed against the cost that alcohol puts on communities, healthcare, and society, a strong case exists…
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How the “Housing Theory of Everything” Can Help Explain Alcohol and Other Drug Problems

Up until the 1980s, common knowledge held that preventing addiction to substances, be they narcotic drugs, tobacco, or alcohol, were issues to be dealt with at the individual level through education…
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Creating a Prevention Campaign That Works

In 1880, James Albert Bonsack filed a patent on an invention that would eventually pit industrial growth against public health…
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California’s New Composting Law Takes on Climate Change

It’s no secret that the first to be impacted by the devastating effects of climate change are those who are already the most vulnerable. The startling and unprecedented changes to the natural world…
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This Election Cycle, Vote with Redistricting in Mind

California received a facelift this year in the form of a dramatic new redistricting plan that leaves the state’s political landscape barely recognizable, yet full of opportunities for new representatives to lead their regions…
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Tackling the Alcohol Culture on College Campuses: Do Late Night Programming Alternatives Work?

Imagine thousands of college students, gathered in a carnival atmosphere, some playing inflatable games, others climbing a rock wall, many dancing under the moonlight to a live band…
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Alcohol is Hurting Women

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During this time dedicated to women’s health, it would be remiss not to reflect on a dramatic truth – women are drinking more than ever, and unfortunately, alcohol use is…
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Up in Smoke: Marijuana is Erasing Decades of Progress Toward Smoke-Free Environments

A recent Los Angeles countywide survey of 13,500 residents revealed pervasive public exposure to marijuana* smoke in parks, schools, apartment buildings, business complexes and outdoor spaces. Completed in 2019 by the LA County Prevention Provider Network, the survey found…
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Substance Abuse Is A Public Health Issue, Yet Sketchy Policies Have Ruined Many POC Lives

The United States passed its first substance abuse policy 100 years ago, the Harrison Act. It regulated opiates and cocaine. Prior to that time, drugs had been considered a public health problem to be dealt with…
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