Website:

http://www.livewelllakecountyil.org

Lake County, IL's largest collective impact initiative to advance health equity

Welcome to Your March 2026 Network News!
In this edition:

MAPP Update & Network Meeting Date
Training Opportunities
Network Partner Updates
Upcoming Meetings

The Live Well Lake County Network newsletter is a helpful resource to access the latest Network information, CHIP planning updates and more. As we continue to build out our Network communication, we would love your input on what information, stories or tools would be most helpful!

Please email Angela Baran at angela.baran@hfnlc.org with any content suggestions.

MAPP Update & Network Meeting Date

We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we work as quickly as possible to obtain the Metopio platform! Metopio will provide us with immediate access to the data we need and will assist in quickly analyzing the data we have collected through community input. The platform also and includes a library of proven community health improvement strategies for us to choose from while developing our action plan. Finally, Metopio will streamline the development of the CHA and CHIP documents. Please see below for an updated timeline with key milestones.

For questions about Metopio or the CHA and CHIP planning process, please contact Christina Hayes, Strategic Planning & Quality Improvement Manager, at chayes2@lakecountyil.gov.

In light of the special training opportunity on Talking Health that's included below, our next Network meeting will be held on Friday, May 29. Additional details will be shared closer to the date.

Training Opportunities

Special Invitation!
Talking Health Training on 4/17/26

The Lake County Health Department and the de Beaumont Foundation are pleased to offer all Live Well Lake County Network members a FREE day-long communications training on Friday, April 17, 2026.

Inspired by the book Talking Health: A New Way to Communicate about Public Health, the de Beaumont Foundation’s in-person health communications workshop offers participants space for collaborative learning, group discussionand practice.

Attendees will learn to:

Apply framing, storytelling and messaging tools to communicate and tailor messages for diverse audiences.
Explain how the broad missions of public health and health communications intersect with their professional responsibilities and goals.
Analyze a public health communications challenge relevant to their professional role by identifying its purpose, context and audience.

Ideal audiences include:

Community partners who communicate about public health to the general public and other sectors
Partners across sectors involved in public health work wanting to talk about public health clearly

Training modules will include many of the topics below:

Keynote on the value and importance of public health communications
Communicating with multi-sector partners to establish strong collaborations
Developing effective messaging, compelling metaphors, and powerful storytelling
Understanding infodemiology: communicating through mis- and dis-information
Using data and storytelling tools to create compelling public health narratives
Communicating about public health in polarized environments to help make the case for the value of public health

Please watch your email for additional details!

Training Opportunities from the Illinois Department of Human Rights

The Illinois Department of Human Rights Institute for Training and Development offers a variety of trainings related to the Illinois Human Rights Act on a monthly basis. Topics range from harm prevention and change management to leadership development and creative problem solving.

Click on the calendar to access their March offerings.

TANF Forum - Employment in Focus:
A Panel Discussion on Work Requirements, Programs & Services

TANF service providers are invited to join the DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform or an engaging and informative panel discussion focused on employment, work requirements, and the programs and services available to support individuals and families.

This forum will feature panelists from a range of employment-related fields, along with an administrator from the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), who will respond directly to participant questions. The focus of this session is to create space for clarification, practical guidance, and real-time dialogue around work requirements, workforce programs, and available support services.

Participants will hear directly from professionals working across the employment and human services landscape and will have the opportunity to ask questions during a dedicated Q&A session with IDHS and field experts.

This webinar is ideal for TANF service providers, case managers, workforce development partners, and community-based organizations seeking direct answers and practical insight from field experts and IDHS leadership.

Date: Wednesday, March 11th

Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Location: Virtual via Zoom (link provided upon registration)

Network Partner Updates

"HUSH"
A Documentary on Black Mental Health

NAMI Lake County and the Legacy Reentry Foundation invite you to attend a FREE screening of the documentary "HUSH" followed by a panel discussion of local community experts. This is an opportunity to join a movement to destigmatize seeking help for mental health.

Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Sign of the Dove Church (424 10th Street in Waukegan)

American Heart Association
Lunch & Learn on Women's Health

Join the American Heart Association on March 18^th from 1 pm – 2 pm for a virtual ‘lunch and learn’ on women’s heart health! This webinar will educate attendees on a range of topics from basic anatomy of the heart to the unique life stages women experience and how it affects their cardiovascular health.

This lunch and learn will be led by Emily Burton, RN, Chronic Disease Nurse at Lawndale Christian Health Center (learn more about Emily below). Following the webinar, we will host a short fireside chat between VP of Community Impact, Lyzeth Mondragon, from the American Heart Association. We will also be hosting a brief Q&A at the end. All questions are welcomed!

Upcoming Meetings

Live Well Lake County (LWLC) Network Quarterly Meeting

Our next quarterly network meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 29, 2026 from 11:45 AM - 1:30 PM. Additional details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Please see below for a list of our current quarterly Network meeting dates.

Future Meetings:

July 17, 2026 from 11:45 AM - 1:30 PM
October 9, 2026 from 11:45 AM - 1:30 PM

Is your organization interested in hosting one of our quarterly Network meetings? Please contact Jon Ashworth at JAshworth@lakecountyil.gov to discuss details.

Housing Action Team

Housing Action Team meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month from 10:00 - 11:30 AM

Please contact Liz Nelson or Joel Williams for any questions and a link to join the meeting.

Storytelling Working Group Storytelling Working Group meetings are held on the last Friday of each month at 2:00 PM via Zoom.

Please contact Shonta Coleman or Idriss Joseph for any questions or a link to join the meeting.