This session will articulate the case for investments and policies that lead to well-being for people throughout society. By focusing on the Vital Conditions, we can see how individuals’ needs form an interconnected web that influences how people and places thrive collectively. When a vital condition goes unfulfilled, it can compound other existing conditions, including outcomes in individual health and well-being.
The Federal Plan for Equitable Long-Term Recovery and Resilience (Federal Plan for ELTRR) leverages the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being (Vital Conditions). The Vital Conditions identify the factors people depend on to reach their full potential, organized into seven categories:
- Meaningful work and wealth
- Reliable transportation
- Lifelong learning
- Belonging and civic muscle
- Humane housing
- Basic needs for health and safety
- A thriving natural world
Identifying the Vital Conditions was an intentional shift to organize resources to address the needs for long-term recovery and enhancing resilience. It is an actionable approach to improving Social Determinants of Health and addressing inequities. The framework fosters a principle that places the needs of communities at the center of policies, programs, and resource allocation. The framework identifies levers for community change and improvement and shows how the needs of individuals and communities define systemic approaches to foster well-being. It defines the interplay of one’s life circumstances, choices, and resilience — and that of their community.
We know that social determinants of health — or the conditions and environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age — are not equally weighted and are not equitably supportive of greater resilience.
- What are the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being?
- How does equitable access to the Vital Conditions improve well-being for all?
- How do we get more people to be part of the solution and believe in the purpose?