Understanding Policy, Systems and Environmental Change

Policy, Systems and Environmental change (PSE) strategies address the systems and structures of the communities in which we live, learn, work and play. In every community, aspects of daily life account for 70 percent of our health. Approaches to PSE change help stakeholders consider how their communities function, including how resources are allocated and how services are delivered, and the influence of those systems and structures on community health prior to the onset of illness.

These approaches help build healthier communities by supporting individual behavior change–what the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation refers to as “making the healthy choice the easy choice.” While New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI) does not adhere to one particular definition, the majority of the community coalitions that NJHI supports are working toward implementing policy, systems and environmental change strategies that will lead to long-term, sustainable community change.

• Download The Food Trust’s guide to policy, systems and environmental change
• View the webinar recording and access the slide deck of “PSE 101: Building Healthy Communities Through Policy, Systems and Environmental (PSE) Change” presented by ChangeLab Solutions in partnership with the Network for a Healthy California
• The Georgia Health Policy Center offers a resource to support rural communities in its presentation “The Path from Program to Policy, Systems and Environmental Change: From Conceptual Model to Real Life Application.” View the presentation slides