Community and Online Resources

Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the economic and social conditions that impact health.¹ They include the environment in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and are shaped by wealth distribution, power and resources at global, national, and local levels.² They generally refer to health determinants outside of health care and an individual’s control.^3,4

SDOH encompass a wide range of factors (i.e. Housing instability/homelessness, food insecurity, transportation, education, utility needs, interpersonal violence, family and social supports, employment and income, etc…).⁵

See below for many local, regional and national community resources.

Behavioral health job openings are available

Due to workforce development challenges caused by the pandemic, there are currently job opportunities available in behavioral health. These opportunities include entry level roles, administrative roles, nursing jobs, director roles, and more. To find helpful job links and to learn more about the benefits of working in behavioral health, we encourage you to watch this short video.

1.  Raphael D. Introduction to the social determinants of health. In: Raphael D, editor. Social determinants of health: Canadian perspectives. Toronto: Canadian Scholar’s Press; 2004.
2.  World Health Organization, “What Are the Social Determinants of Health?,” accessed September 07 2016, available at http://www.who.int/social_determinants/sdh_definition/en
3. “Health Policy Brief: The Relative Contribution of Multiple Determinants to Health Outcomes,” Health Affairs, 21 August 2014, available at http://healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief_pdfs/healthpolicybrief_123.pdf
4.  Paula Braveman, Susan Egerter, and David R. Williams, “The Social Determinants of Health: Coming of Age,” Annual Review of Public Health 32, no. 1 (2011): 381–98.
5. “Social Determinants of Health” presentation by the PA Department of Human Services during the Magellan Health Conference in Lancaster, PA on Sept. 6, 2018.

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