CHAPS 2.0
All local public health agencies in Colorado are required to create a public health improvement plan every five years. These plans are reviewed and approved by each agency's local board of health and then submitted to the Office of Public Health Practice, Planning, and Local Partnerships (OPHP) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The Colorado Health Assessment and Planning System (CHAPS) provides guidance for local and state public health agencies to carry out community health assessments and public health improvement plans activities. Following CHAPS will help ensure that all agencies meet the requirements of the Colorado Public Health Act and are prepared to provide Core Public Health Services. When you are ready to submit your plan to OPHP, you can do so using this online form.
Guidance and resources were originally created in 2010 and updated in 2019. Updates were based on feedback from local public health agencies (LPHAs) and other end users. The new guidance integrates best practices in health equity, community engagement, and communication to help improve the ways that LPHAs and their partners address complex priority health needs.
CHAPS training materials
- Introduction to the Colorado Health Assessment and Planning System (CHAPS) (Video training, 4 minutes)
- Getting Started in your Planner Role (Brief interactive training)
Submitting your assessment and plan
When you are ready to submit your Community Health Assessment (CHA) or Public Health Improvement Plan (PHIP) to the Office of Public Health Practice, Planning and Local Partnerships, click here to access the Google Form upload. The plan will need to be reviewed and approved by your local board of health prior to submission. If you are submitting a plan as a partnership, the local board of health for each LPHA in the partnership will need to approve the plan individually.
If you have any questions about submitting your plan online or about required local board of health approval, contact us at ophp@state.co.us
Feedback for continuous improvement
CHAPS is co-created by state and local public health practitioners and is continually improved by feedback from LPHAs and other end users. Please feel free to share your suggestions for improvement or new resources by contacting us at ophp@state.co.us.
Acknowledgements
To keep pace with the evolution of assessment, planning and partnership building in Colorado, we used a collection of resources, local public health agency input and guidance experiences to inform the steps of each phase and recommended resources. We would like to acknowledge and thank the following: local public health agency staff; CDPHE; Office of Planning, Partnership and Improvement; Office of Health Equity; Maternal and Child Health unit; Oral Health Unit; Communities That Care program; the Center for Health and Environmental Data; County Health Rankings and Roadmaps; Center for Disease Control; Health Impact Partners, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO); Public Health Accreditation Board; Frameworks Institute; and The Community Toolbox.
Thank you to local and state public health agency staff for your contributions to CHAPS!
Background
Learn about the Colorado Public Health Act of 2008, the development of our Office and of the CHAPS process, and learn how CHAPS aligns with National Public Health Accreditation.
Phases of CHAPS
Access a guide to carry out a collaborative, community-based process that identifies priority public health and environmental health needs and assets to determine how to act on them while addressing inequities and root causes.
Local Assessment and Planning
Use the map to see where LPHAs and partnerships are in the CHAPS process across the state. Access current and past local Public Health Improvement Plans.