From Health to Wealth: SWACH Training Helps Partners Prepare for What’s Ahead

SWACH’s Equity and Collaborative Impact team recently hosted a special education training focused on helping partners better understand upcoming policy and systems changes that may affect community health, financial stability, and access to resources.

The training, titled “From Health to Wealth,” was led by Heather Sheppard, SWACH’s Equity and Collaborative Impact Manager. It was offered in two formats: a virtual session on July 7 and an in-person session at the SWACH office on August 4.

The goal of the training was to bring together policy experts from different sectors to share timely information, answer questions, and help community partners prepare for what’s changing in 2027.

“There are a lot of changes and urgent things happening that people need to be aware of,” Sheppard said. “They don’t necessarily already have access to the information, or it might be overwhelming or complicated. Having that information easy to access from the people who are physically doing the work makes it a lot easier to prepare and spread the word.”

Sheppard said the timing matters because some changes are already underway, while others are quickly approaching. For example, she noted that the opportunity to claim certain Working Families Tax Credit dollars ends Dec. 31, creating a clear deadline for eligible people who have not yet claimed the credit. She also pointed to rapid changes related to Medicaid benefits that many people may not yet know about.

“There are many changes that have already happened and people don’t know about them,” Sheppard said. “People don’t know that they have these deadlines and expectations to meet, or that these changes are happening.”

The training covered several topics connected to health, financial stability, benefits access, digital equity, and legal system changes. Featured speakers included:

• Svetlana Walden, Department of Revenue, who shared information about the Working Families Tax Credit

• Michelle Ahmed, SWACH, who discussed Medicaid and SNAP re-enrollment requirements

• Megan Kuntz, Community Health Plan of Washington, who focused on digital access and preparation for HR-1

• Carol Flynn, ESD112, who provided updates related to the Washington Supreme Court

Together, the speakers helped participants better understand how policy changes can affect individuals, families, service providers, and community-based organizations.

For many community partners, staying informed about benefits, eligibility, digital access, and legal updates is an important part of supporting people through change. These systems can be difficult to navigate, especially when requirements shift or when community members face barriers related to technology, transportation, language, income, or access to care.

Sheppard said those changes have direct effects on people’s day-to-day lives.

“This is access to health care that they could be losing, that their families could be losing,” Sheppard said. “This is access to food. This is access to money through tax revenue. These are impacts that people will have that will affect their day-to-day lives and their well-being.”

The “From Health to Wealth” training reflected SWACH’s broader role as a convener and connector across Southwest Washington. By creating space for shared learning, SWACH helps partners build knowledge, ask questions, and prepare to support community members with clear and timely information.

Sheppard said SWACH and partners have been discussing these changes frequently in advocacy spaces, especially because many of the updates are complex and difficult to track.

“It’s confusing,” Sheppard said. “There’s a lack of knowledge. Even hospital staff and Sea Mar staff don’t necessarily know the changes that are coming. And that is very scary. How would they know? Everything is so complicated.”

The training also recognized that health and financial well-being are deeply connected. Access to benefits, stable income, health coverage, technology, and legal protections can all shape a person’s ability to stay healthy and meet their needs.

“People want to know how to support the community, how to support themselves and their own families, and they want to be able to share information with each other,” Sheppard said. “This is a small thing we can do to help promote these things.”

Through both the virtual and in-person sessions, participants had an opportunity to hear directly from subject matter experts and better understand what may be ahead in 2027. The training was designed not only to share information, but also to strengthen the network of partners working to support individuals and families across the region.

Sheppard said the training helped connect people with experts and resources they can continue to turn to as questions come up.

“I think this is a perfect introduction to getting people into the same room and sharing information,” Sheppard said. “People now know they can reach out to Megan, or they can reach out to Lana for support. They are all doing their respective work, so it’s widening the network.”

As SWACH continues its equity-centered work, trainings like “From Health to Wealth” help ensure partners have access to information that can support stronger, more responsive systems of care.

Sheppard said more learning opportunities will likely be needed as changes continue to unfold.

“Absolutely,” Sheppard said. “We’re going to have to. I think this is just a segue into something more substantial from an agency standpoint. We’re going to react on a much larger scale regarding the same stuff.”

For community members and partners trying to understand what comes next, Sheppard encouraged people to stay connected and ask for help when they need it.

“It’s important to keep a pulse on what’s coming,” Sheppard said. “If people don’t know how to do that, reach out to their case managers, reach out to a community partner, a CHW, or anyone who can help. Everyone’s going to need help with this, including us.”

By bringing partners together around timely issues, SWACH continues to support shared learning, community-informed action, and more equitable access to health and opportunity across Southwest Washington.