National agenda: local impact.

Eight years ago a park and recreation district with pioneering spirit characteristic of the West embarked upon a repositioning process for their agency. This department chose to reposition itself as an agency responsible for facilitating the wellness of its residents. By doing so, the Foothills Park and Recreation District, serving the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado, blazed a new trail for their district, local residents, and possibly, a new direction for parks and recreation in the United States.

In 1987, the Foothills Park and Recreation District decided to incorporate a wellness concept into its overall mission. Today, with the recent emphasis upon fitness, nutrition, active living, and healthy lifestyles, such a choice might seem very natural. However, at the time Foothills and a number of other pioneering departments nationwide began to develop a novel approach for envisioning a new role for parks and recreation.

While wellness was a primary and highly visible focus of their repositioning approach, this trailblazing district also incorporated community collaboration, an additional component, into the process. Recognizing the magnitude and challenge of promoting wellness and the wealth of existing resources within the community, the idea of collaborating with other community agencies was woven into the repositioning plan from the very start. A Wellness Advisory Board was established to identify resources that would support the process.

Overall Goal to Create

Opportunities

With much energy and staff support, Foothills began this process by developing a business plan for implementing the wellness focus into their mission and programs. Extensive marketing, networking, and program development were undertaken. The overall goal was to provide a well-rounded and affordable wellness program that created opportunities for residents to enhance all areas of their health and well being.

The Foothills philosophy of wellness encompasses the belief that true wellness is not just an absence of illness, but a process toward health. This wellness process incorporates the concept of continually striving to achieve the most of what people are capable of - a personal best, so to speak. This holistic approach consists of individuals taking responsibility for the "whole person" and concentrates on the prevention of illness. Further, the "whole person" agenda embodies a continuum of illness/wellness by incorporating all the dimensions of one's life - social, physical, emotional, career, intellectual, environmental, and spiritual aspects of living.

One initial challenge of this approach was helping people understand wellness and the role it could subsequently play in their lives. At that time, the term "wellness" had a medical connotation that conjured up clinical or rehabilitative interventions, but Foothills was not deterred., They embarked upon an enthusiastic marketing program designed to spread the word. Some of the initial offerings such as smoking cessation, stress and grief management and financial wellness received limited interest, but these initial efforts have resulted in a comprehensive approach to the concept of wellness for their residents.

Staff spread the wellness message in a variety of ways. Seasonal program brochures feature a special section devoted to fitness and healthy lifestyles. Moreover, wellness messages are carefully woven into class and program descriptions in brochures to act as constant reminders of healthy images.

In addition, the department secured a number of special grants devoted to targeting and reaching specific population groups who have unique needs. The district developed a Well Kids program to assist youth in making healthy lifestyle choices through facilitated discussion on topics such as nutrition, drugs, stress management, and conflict resolution. Foothills is currently in the process of designing and developing a similar program for Well Teens and just this year a Well Elder program was put into place to help seniors "ease into" a healthier lifestyle.

Videos have become an additional avenue pursued for communicating the wellness message. Foothills created several videos to promote their wellness programs that are mailed to potential participants. One such video, Access for All promotes exercise for physically-challenged adults and was circulated among area physical therapy clinics and local hospitals.

While Foothills has a number of reasons to take pride in their programs, services and accomplishments, two such accomplishments merit special attention. Early in the repositioning process, a nearby building was left vacant by a local business. The staff pursued the 7,000 square-foot building as a donation and created a 501(c)3 foundation to accept the donation. The building was acquired in 1989 and plans were developed to renovate and equip the facility through grants. That same year, Foothills received a $50,000 grant from the Coors Foundation, the plan was put into motion. Foothills soon opened a Community Wellness Center containing strength machines, cardiovascular machines, wheelchair accessible equipment, massage areas, an aerobics room, and a health classroom.

With the pursuit of wellness underway in their district, Foothills can also take pride in the depth and extent of their community collaborations. They no longer offer some of the programs and services initially part of the wellness campaign. However, these services are still part of the Foothills program due to a community collaboration referral service where interested patrons are referred to outside agencies, businesses, medical professionals, hospitals, and the county health department.

In addition to program and service referrals, the district continues to expand the number and diversity of wellness program offerings through cooperative efforts with their vast network of community partners. Through collaboration, the public benefits from the expanded informational and educational efforts, that compliment direct services provided by Foothills.

Pioneers in any project often leave tracks or steps behind that may be helpful to those pursuing similar goals. The Foothills Park and Recreation District willingly shared some of those steps with us. They suggest that departments considering a similar repositioning effort spend time assessing their public's interest and priorities through community surveys, meetings or focus groups.

They also recommend conducting an internal inventory to identify existing personnel resources within the organization. Other signals for success relate to strengthening program offerings through collaborative opportunities and maximizing use of external resources to hold down marketing costs.

Ongoing initiatives to secure outside funding, like the establishment of the Foothills Foundation and pursuing grants, continue to serve as cornerstones of success.

Active living and healthy lifestyles are worthwhile goals to pursue for the quality of life in any community. Re Foothills Park and Recreation District knows this and has made it a part of who they are. Let Foothills and other departments with similar pursuits for success help lead the way in the repositioning efforts of parks and recreation.

FOOTHILLS COLLABORATIVE AGENCIES

Jefferson County Department of Health

to actually provide services and teach about healthy hearts

City of Lakewood Community Resources Jefferson County R-1 Schools

to reach children with Well-Kids and work with teachers

Senior Resource Center

to provide services about health and wellness for an aging population

American Heart Association 

to provide information about the heart disease and prevention

Medical advice and consultation on an individual basis Many local physicians, physical therapists, nutritionists, athletic trainers, nurses and program users

Colorado Department of Health Cardiovascular Disease Control Program to help develop curriculum, especially for Well-Kids

Colorado Lottery 

to help promote and provide wellness festivals in our area parks sites

Spalding Rehabilitation Center Swedish Medical Center Craig Hospital 

to promote our services to the physically challenged after their physical therapy treatment ends or to seniors who have just transitioned back into their homes