This guide is for how a location (health system, doctors office, community health center, etc) can identify social prescriptions based in their city/county/region. This is the first step to establishing a social prescribing system.

What is Social Prescribing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9azfXNcqD8&t=5s

Steps to Create Your List of Local Social Prescriptions:

1. How to find local PUBLIC communities:

Public communities are those that can be accessed online and are accessible to everyone.

There are some entry ways to identify things (see below)

Collecting your local list: We recommend downloading this spreadsheet template to log your list of local prescriptions. You can use this list when talking with patients. Your list will help you customize the social prescription to patient interest, lifestyle, and preferences

Search tips:

  1. Use our 🌟 template spreadsheet mentioned above. It already seeded ideas for prescriptions.
  2. Search online to see if you have a local for your "economic development corporation" "center of commerce" "community develop group". These organizations may already have a list of available prescriptions. Here is a template email you can send them to ask.
  3. Search online for a city official who might be able to help you identify a list. Relevant stakeholders may be "[city name] department of health" "[city name] Director of Health Promotion" "[county name] Supervisor of health promotion" "[county name] Health Officer"
  4. Additional:
    1. Parks and Recreation departments may have free or low cost exercise classes
    2. Animal shelters may have in person volunteer groups (lots of running or animal socializing)
    3. Boys and Girls clubs, YMCA, or other city resources

2. How to find PRIVATE communities:

Sometimes, patients need more social time or creative outlets to enrich their mental health.

Private communities are those that require you to be of a particular identity or illness.

Search Tips: