Community Health Alliances
Connecting safety departments, health systems, and community partners to improve health, safety, and stability.
No two communities are alike. Each has its own strengths, challenges, and needs — its own unique fingerprint.
That’s why our community Health Alliances are individually built to reflect that uniqueness. Care Resource Connection works alongside safety departments, health systems, and community partners to align resources and focus collective action. Rather than working in silos, partners collaborate across sectors and levels of government to respond to local priorities.
By strengthening coordination and targeting risk before crises escalate, Community Health Alliances advance meaningful community risk reduction — improving safety, stability, and health outcomes for residents.
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The Community Health Alliance is Care Resource Connection’s collaborative model for reducing community risk and improving outcomes through coordinated, cross-sector partnerships.
At the center of each alliance is Care Resource Connection — serving as the connector between fire departments, healthcare providers, housing organizations, social services, and local leaders. Together, these partners identify shared challenges, align resources, and implement solutions that support residents before emergencies become the default response.
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George lives alone and calls the fire department multiple times a month for lift assistance after falling. Each time, firefighters respond, help him up, and ask if he would like to be transported to the hospital. Each time, George declines.
The immediate need is resolved — but the underlying issues remain.
Repeated lift assists use valuable emergency resources while George continues to struggle with medication management, food access, and home safety.
Through the Community Health Alliance, the fire department refers George to Care Resource Connection.
CRC conducts a follow-up assessment and coordinates support beyond the lift assist — connecting him to medication management support, food resources, and other services that address the root causes of his falls.
Instead of responding to the same crisis again and again, the system works together to reduce risk and improve George’s stability and safety.
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It starts with trust.
Referrals come from fire department responders — trusted professionals who are already inside the home and understand the situation.
It removes barriers.
Residents are not charged for the support they receive through the alliance.
It uses existing resources more effectively.
The model aligns services that already exist in the community, ensuring they are fully utilized and coordinated rather than fragmented.
It addresses root causes, not just symptoms.
By identifying and responding to broader needs, the alliance reduces repeat emergency calls and strengthens long-term outcomes.
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1. Identify Community Risk
Fire departments and community partners identify patterns and unmet needs — such as frequent non-emergency 911 calls, fall risk, or housing instability.2. Coordinate Partners
Care Resource Connection convenes the right partners and facilitates collaboration across sectors that don’t typically work together in a structured way.3. Implement Programs
Alliances deploy evidence-informed, community-centered programs tailored to local needs and capacity.4. Measure & Improve
Data, partner feedback, and lived experience inform continuous improvement and long-term sustainability.
What is a Community Health Alliance?
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Journey Home supports safe transitions from hospital or medical facilities back into the community.
The period immediately following discharge is one of the highest-risk times for repeat emergency calls. Too often, individuals return home without clear guidance, adequate support, or a full understanding of their medication and care plan.
Journey Home bridges that gap.
Supporting Safe Transitions
Through referral and follow-up, Journey Home:
Connects with residents after they return home from a medical facility
Ensures they understand their discharge instructions and medication regimen
Assesses immediate needs such as food access, mobility safety, and home environment risks
Coordinates referrals to community-based services for longer-term stability
Supporting Fire Departments
Journey Home also helps fire departments understand and anticipate high-risk transition periods.
By educating first responders about discharge-related vulnerabilities and establishing referral pathways, the program reduces repeat emergency calls and supports more effective community care.
Why It Matters
A hospital discharge is not the end of care — it is a critical transition point. Journey Home ensures residents are supported during this vulnerable window, improving outcomes while reducing preventable strain on emergency services.
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Fire Is Everyone’s Fight, a program from the United States Fire Administration, is a community-wide approach to fire prevention and recovery that strengthens coordination before, during, and after a fire.
Care Resource Connection is a proud partner organization, helping to bring Fire Is Everyone’s Fight to fire departments and community partners to move beyond reactive response toward a culture of shared responsibility and risk reduction.
Proactive Prevention
Fire Is Everyone’s Fight supports fire departments in proactively reducing risk by:
Providing community education in neighborhoods, senior housing, and other high-risk settings
Helping communities create localized fire risk reduction plans
Identifying vulnerable residents before emergencies occur
Immediate & Post-Fire Coordination
When a fire does occur, timing matters.
The program helps ensure families are quickly connected to support by:
Training fire departments on how and where to connect residents in the immediate aftermath of a fire
Encouraging timely submission of fire reports to the American Red Cross so families can access emergency assistance within required timeframes
Coordinating referrals for short-term housing (such as hotel stays) and other urgent needs
Connecting residents to longer-term recovery resources beyond initial response
Why It Matters
Fire response does not end when the flames are out. By strengthening prevention and improving post-fire navigation, Fire Is Everyone’s Fight ensures that residents receive coordinated, timely support — while allowing fire departments to focus on their critical emergency role.
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Care Resource Connection is leading a domain work group as part of Minnesota’s Blueprint on Aging.
We connect and facilitate leaders from across the state as, together, we develop tools and strategies to connect communities with information, resources, and tools in times of crisis.