Long Beach DHHS, Healthy Aging Center

Organization Description

The Long Beach Health and Human Services Department (Health Department) has been improving the health of the Long Beach community for over a century. We strive to create a safe and healthy community for all to live, work, and play.

The Health Department has 340 employees located in nine sites around the City. It operates with a $120 million annual budget, 99% of which comes from Federal, State, County, and private funds. Long Beach is one of only three city-run health departments in California, allowing for better engagement with its people, neighborhoods, businesses, and community partners, and a greater understanding of the City's strengths and needs. This local focus allows the Department to coordinate resources from all sources to best meet the needs of our City.

This is an exciting time to be working in Public Health and Human Services. We continue to focus on the core work of Public Health but the conversations and planning have expanded to include the "social determinants of health." These are the pieces of a person's life that impact their health, including poverty, safety, education, and employment. These impacts span generations. It's so important that we are working to address them now. The other conversations are around the "built environment" which include sidewalks, streets, and other infrastructure that provide opportunities for safe and healthy behaviors like walking, biking and social engagement. The greatest predictor of a person's health is where they live.

The Health and Human Services Department, alone, cannot address all of these areas. We must work closely with our many partners at all levels of government, schools, existing collaboratives, non-profit agencies, communities, business and individuals. To reach our vision of a healthy Long Beach, all of us must work collectively, establishing goals and working collaboratively to achieve them.

Every year the Department provides over 350,000 public health visits, 16,000 immunizations, 300,000 food nutrition vouchers, 7,800 food facility inspections, 5,400 miles of spraying for mosquitoes, 2,700 public health nurse visits and 780 recreational water tests. Over 7,000 homeless individuals are assisted with housing and other services.

Our Strategic Plan and the Community Health Improvement Plan outline the health-related goals for our Department and the community.

It is a pleasure to work with my talented staff and our many amazing partners. We look forward to working with you on our journey toward a healthier Long Beach.

All the best,

Kelly Colopy, Director of Health & Human Services

Program Information

The Healthy Aging Center launched in May 2018, is co-located at the 4th Street Senior Center in Room 111 at 1150 E 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90802 and coordinates closely with the Parks, Recreation & Marine Information and Referral services. 

The goal of the Healthy Aging Center is to build a coordinated system of services so that older adults can live healthy and fulfilling lives, and they are recognized for their integral role in our community. 

FOCUS AND WORK OF THE HEALTHY AGING CENTER

  • Collaborate across the City departments and with community organizations to support the development and implementation of an Age-friendly Strategic Plan that optimizes opportunities for health, social engagement, and security to enhance quality of life as people age.

  • Convene and find solutions for coordinating older adult services offered by the City and other agencies to identify gaps in services and leverage opportunities for increasing access to supports.

  • Provide intensive case management for adults age 55+ requiring special assistance through the Senior Links public health nurse and social worker program to maximize health and wellbeing.

Health & Safety
Address 
1150 E 4th Street
Room 111
Long Beach, CA 90802
United States
General Phone 
(562) 570-3529
Website:
https://www.longbeach.gov/health/healthy-living/individual/healthy-aging-center/
Student Contact 
Name
Janine O' Hara
Job Title
(empty)
Phone
(562) 570-3557
Email
janine.ohara@longbeach.gov
Program(s) 
CHHS - Health Science Internships
Organization type 
Human, Social, or Employment Services (Government)
Focus Population(s)
Non-specific/any population
Focus Area(s)
Advocacy and Human Rights, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Justice, Education, Food & Housing Security, Health & Medicine, Natural Resources, the Environment, and Ecosystems, Research and Development