About
The Community Impact team addresses problems by analyzing their conditions and pursuing projects that improve the quality of life for the region’s residents. These projects can include:
- Compiling regional data
- Front-line research
- Strategic planning
- Program evaluation
- Grant writing
Region 1 Planning Council’s Community Impact staff has a diverse background in public health, community engagement, and data services. Informed by this varied expertise, staff projects address community conditions aiding social innovation. Services include specialized data analytics and funding. The team manages the day-to-day operations of the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board, which distributes funding to mental health and substance use programs in the region.
Our team produced an in-depth regional community needs assessment as part of the Healthy Community Study, which has been referenced in multiple regional healthcare access initiatives. Community Impact also coordinated the Ready to Learn Report, compiling data about the experiences of families with young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. In another project, the Listening Sessions Report, the team’s data analysts utilized language models and machine learning to examine verbal conversations and identify common barriers to regional mental healthcare access for children and families.
Staff Liaison
Jason Holcomb
Director of Community Impact
Email: jholcomb@r1planning.org
Phone: (815) 277-1022
Community Impact in Action
Staff Liaison: Jason Holcomb Jholcomb@r1planning.org I 815-277-1022