1. Certified Healthy Congregations
[Insert Presenter Name Here]
-Thank you for your interest in Certified Healthy Oklahoma. Today I hope to give you some exciting information specifically about Certified Healthy Congregations.
-There are two goals for the overall Certified Healthy Oklahoma Initiative, to:
- encourage better health for all Oklahomans where they live, work, pray, learn and play and;
- Recognize businesses, campuses, communities, congregations, early childhood programs, restaurants, and schools across the state who encourage healthy environments.
-It is going to take all of us working together to create a culture of health with our state.
[Insert Presentation Date Here]

2. Objectives Explain the Certified Healthy Congregation Program
Identify the content areas
Describe the certification levels
Our objectives… At the end of this presentation each of you should be able to explain the Certified Healthy Congregation Program, identify the content areas, and describe the certification levels.

3. What is Certified Healthy Congregations?
Launched in 2014, eleven years after Certified Healthy Oklahoma (CHO)began
Complements six other CHO programs
business, campus, community, early childhood, restaurants, and schools
Recognizes congregations annually for promoting health
Looks at the level of health promotions activities
Certified Healthy Oklahoma launched in 2003 as a collaborative initiative with four founding partners – the Oklahoma Turning Point Council. The Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, the Oklahoma State Chamber, and the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The Certified Healthy Congregations program launched in 2014 and we are in the third year congregations have been certified.
The Congregation program complements the six other certified healthy Oklahoma programs (businesses, campuses, communities, early childhood, restaurants, and schools). It recognizes congregations annually for promoting health.. And it also allows congregations an opportunity to look at their health promotion activities and determine what is and what is not being offered to congregants.

4. Why Congregations? System in place
Reaches all sectors and is place-based
Religious leaders are major influencers
Large numbers
Why are Certified Healthy Congregations important?
Congregations have a natural system in place to promote health with members. All sectors can be found in congregations, you have students, teachers, business owners, daycare owners, city/county employees, college students, parents, grandparents etc… And it’s place-based meaning the services can be provided where groups naturally gather.
Religious leaders are major influencers and are important partners in improving health outcomes in communities.
There are over 6000 congregations statewide which could equal a huge health impact in Oklahoma.

5. Eligibility Any congregation in Oklahoma All faiths and sizes
At a minimum, must be smokefree inside
Submit a tobacco-free policy to be considered for the highest level of certification
Any congregation located within the state of Oklahoma may participate. We encourage all faiths and sizes to apply. At a minimum, congregations must be smokefree inside.. This is an automatic yes, because in Oklahoma all congregations are smokefree inside.
In order to be considered for the highest level of certification, congregations must submit a tobacco free policy their application. They can submit a photo of a tobacco free property signage posted at their location, pages of the congregation’s handbook that address the property being tobacco free, a written policy, or minutes from leadership meeting that states the congregation will have a tobacco free property and the effective date.
We’ll discuss scoring later.

6. Development of Criteria
Developed in partnership with local faith leaders
Based on proven practices to improve health
The criteria contains criterion based on proven practices to improve health. It was developed in partnership with local faith leaders and will be revisited early 2017 for updates..

7. Content Areas Health services and screenings Health education
Physical activity
Tobacco use prevention
Nutrition
Safe and healthy environment
Leadership in the community
Behavioral health
NOTE: Give each participant a copy of the application. This can be found at then look under the helpful documents section and click print a PDF version…
There are eight content areas for Certified Congregations.
NOTE: Review the application with participants… You may also want to have the resource guide available in case you are asked about resources to meet criterion. The resource guide is located in the resources section.

8. Scoring
NOTE: keep the printed copy of the application handy (and refer participants to it) while discussing scoring.
Applicants select criterion from each of the content areas. They are scored according to the number of criterion checked and each is worth one point.
Certification level is based on number of criterion checked.
NOTE: read the scoring matrix on the slide
There are three certification levels; basic, merit, and excellence.. For basic congregations must check 30% of the criteria and have a smokefree policy (inside), Merit requires 45% of the criteria checked and a smokefree policy… In order to achieve excellence, congregations must select 65% of the criteria, select at least one criterion from each of the eight content areas, and upload a tobacco-free property policy with their application when they apply.

9. Benefits
Recognition as a congregation, which in turns recognizes your members for their hard work
The opportunity to serve as a testimony to others
Build awareness of and understanding health promotion
Congregations may increase collaborations and be part of its community’s efforts to improve health
Read the slide

10. Overall Certifications
We had 1701 entities across the state receive certification in 2015

11. Let’s Increase Certifications
As you can see here, we had 44 certified congregations. We want to increase this number in 2016 and we need your help to do it. Remember, when you are promoting the other certified healthy programs ask your contact person if they belong to a congregation and if so, suggest that they have their congregation also apply for certification.
It takes all of us working together to improve health!

12. Certification Process
All applications and criteria may be found at
3 certification levels
Application period: Aug. 1st thru Nov 1st (at 11:59 pm)
Certification announcements after Dec. 1st
Awards event March 1, 2017
Applications and resource materials may be found at Remember, there are 3 certification levels.. Applications are accepted from August 1st through November 1st at 11:59 pm. Certifications will be announced after December 1st and the awards event is scheduled for March 1, 2017 at the Embassy Suites in Norman, Oklahoma.

13. Thank You! Local contact [insert name of local contact here]
[insert local contact phone #]
[insert local contact ]
State level contact
Latricia Morgan, M.Ed., MPH, CPH
More Information
My name is ___________ and I am your local contact regarding certified healthy congregations. If you have questions later, you may contact me via phone or . The state level contact at the Center for the Advancement of Wellness is Latricia Morgan and here’s her contact information.
Remember to visit, for additional information.
Thank you so much for your time… We appreciate your dedication to advancing the health and wellness of Oklahomans.