Building Coalitions across Texas (BCaT)
Coalitions are instrumental in promoting and raising immunization rates at the local level, which helps keep all of Texas protected from outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. TIP’s Building Coalitions across Texas (BCaT) project fosters the incubation, growth, and development of coalitions to improve immunization policies and services at local and statewide levels.
TIP provides technical assistance and consultation services for 10 immunization coalitions in the following cities and counties: Andrews County, Gregg County, El Paso, Houston, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland, San Antonio, Smith County, Tarrant County, and Tyler.
The BCaT Network is an online community for Texas immunization coalitions to network and share coalition resources.
The BCaT Network features resources from TIP, Texas Department of State Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coalition Works, and many others.
Immunization coalitions will have the opportunity to learn from other members through discussion board posts and shared resources. Additionally, each coalition will have their own page within the BCaT Network to interact with their members.
TIP Staff created a BCaT Network User Guide as a resource to learn the features of the Network.
TIP developed helpful guides and toolkits for coalition growth and sustainability available for free download.
Over the last few years TIP’s coalition capacity building efforts have included:
- Conducting strategic planning workshops for the Vaccine Awareness Coalition in Gregg County and Andrews County Immunization Coalition in Andrews County to help each coalition establish an action plan with goals and objectives.
- Aided the Immunization Coalition of Greater Houston write a communications plan and conduct their first Legislative Luncheon with about 60 attendees.
- Helped the El Paso Immunization Coalition conducted their first Immunization Conference in 2018.
- Presented at the 2017 Texas Immunization Conference with the chair of the Vaccine Awareness Coalition on Immunization Coalition Capacity Building.
- Collaborated with six immunization coalitions across the state to provide a SWOT analysis assessment, coalition-capacity workshops and webinars, and updated toolkits.
- Distributed the Event Planning Guide which assists new and emerging immunization coalitions in building their capacity to improve and sustain high immunization rates through hosting community events.
- Distributed the Communications which addresses strategies on how to interact with traditional media and tips on engaging the community through social media.
If you have any questions about the BCaT Network or Coalitions, please email Katy Gore at kgore@immunizeUSA.org.