Sustainable Solutions for People & Places, Inc. is a public health nonprofit dedicated to improving health outcomes for marginalized communities (especially Indigenous communities) using the best science, education, culturally-relevant approaches, community engagement, and cultural preservation.
Our mission is building healthy, sustainable development using the best science, education, community, and culture. Our vision is a world where the underserved can thrive with a good mind, body, and spirit.
We embody eight values in every activity we engage with at Sustainable Solutions:
1) Community Empowerment: We believe in empowering communities to participate actively in shaping their own health and well-being.
2) Cultural Sensitivity: We respect and honor the diverse cultures and traditions of the communities we serve, ensuring that our programs are culturally relevant and responsive.
3) Collaboration and Partnership: We foster collaboration and partnerships with communities, organizations, governmental entities, and other stakeholders to maximize our impact and leverage resources effectively.
4) Civil Rights: To uphold the civil rights of people and organizations that have been marginalized.
5) Sustainability: We are committed to promoting sustainable practices and solutions that address the long-term health and well-being of people, animals and Mother Earth.
6) Indigenous Ways of Knowing: We honor the teachings, customs and traditions of Indigenous ways of knowing in every project we undertake.
7) Evidence-Based Practice: We ground our work in evidence-based practices and research, ensuring that our programs are effective, impactful, and equitable.
8) Accountability and Transparency: We maintain the highest standards of accountability and transparency in all our operations, ensuring we are responsible stewards of our resources and trusted by our stakeholders.
Given our focus and capacity, Sustainable Solutions prioritizes the following activities in our scope of services:
Community Engagement, Cultural Promotion, Health Education and Planning: Develop and deliver culturally sensitive health education programs focused on infectious diseases, chronic disease prevention, mental health, substance abuse, health equity, and other health disparities affecting disenfranchised populations. We collaborate with community-based organizations, universities, and government agencies to design, implement, and evaluate public health programming to ensure they target the needs identified by the community themselves.
Public Health Research: Conduct community-based participatory research to identify and address health inequities experienced by disenfranchised communities.
Advocacy and Policy: Advocate for policies that promote health and wellness at the community, Tribal, regional, and national levels.
Youth Wellness Initiatives: Design programs to target inequities among Indigenous youth to promote Intergenerational Healing of Indigenous communities. Our work centers the "Seventh Generation Principle" which states each decision made should lead to sustainable relationships for the next seven generations to come and always take the future well-being of Indigenous youth into consideration. Our activities, such as creating a public health resource hub for Indigenous youth and supporting pathways for Indigenous youth into healthcare professions, are examples that demostrate this principle in our collective work.
Capacity Building: Provide training and technical assistance to strengthen capacity to address public health challenges.
Direct Services: Offer culturally appropriate health services, such as health screenings, counseling, and referrals to individuals and families
Urban and Regional Planning- through comprehensive planning techniques, community participatory planning methods; we strive to develop sustainable healthy, vibrant communities where residents can safely live, work and play.