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Twenty-three state oral health coalitions are participating in ANOHC’s new Peer Support Program, a 12-month initiative designed to help coalition leaders learn from one another, strengthen their organizations and build relationships across the national network. For ANOHC, the program takes one of the network’s greatest strengths, the collective experience of its members, and creates a more intentional way to put that knowledge to work.
The program runs on two tracks. Mentorship pairs newer coalition leaders with experienced ANOHC members who can offer guidance, perspective and practical advice. Peer Support connects members with colleagues who bring different skills or expertise so they can problem-solve together. Members can participate in one or both, and the distinction matters: leadership development doesn’t always mean learning from someone who’s been doing the work longer. Sometimes the most useful resource is a peer who has faced the same challenge recently or built exactly the kind of expertise another coalition is trying to develop.
ANOHC connects 40 state and territorial coalitions working to advance policy, expand access to care and promote prevention nationwide, and sharing knowledge has long been central to that network. Members already connect through an annual meeting, webinars, round table discussions, a listserv and online resources. The Peer Support Program builds on those efforts by offering a confidential, one-to-one relationship where conversations can move from broad ideas to specific, practical questions, like how to strengthen a board, navigate organizational growth, or launch a new initiative, with input from a colleague who has already been through it.
The program’s goals reach beyond any single conversation. ANOHC designed it to advance members’ leadership and operational skills, build coalitions’ capacity to respond to emerging needs, create real opportunities to exchange tools and lessons learned, deepen relationships across the network, and cultivate ANOHC’s next generation of leaders. That’s a direct extension of ANOHC’s broader mission: strong coalitions need more than good ideas, they need effective leaders, sustainable organizations and trusted relationships that can adapt as community needs, policy and funding shift.
State coalitions operate in different environments, with different funding, policy landscapes and community needs. But many of the challenges their leaders face are shared, and ANOHC was created in part to give coalitions a reliable place to ask questions and exchange information. The Peer Support Program takes that idea a step further, turning the network’s collective expertise into direct relationships between leaders. As those relationships strengthen this year’s 23 participating coalitions, they strengthen the national network working to advance oral health for everyone.
FAQ
What is the ANOHC Peer Support Program?
It’s a 12-month leadership and capacity-building initiative that connects ANOHC members through mentorship and peer-to-peer learning, giving coalition leaders a confidential, one-on-one way to exchange guidance and lessons learned.
How many coalitions are participating?
Twenty-three of ANOHC’s 40 state and territorial member coalitions are taking part in the program’s inaugural cohort.
What’s the difference between the program’s two components?
Mentorship pairs newer coalition leaders with experienced ANOHC members for guidance and perspective. Peer Support connects members with colleagues who bring different skills or expertise for shared problem-solving. Members can join one or both.
Do participating coalitions receive financial support?
Yes. ANOHC provides stipends to recognize participants’ time: $10,000 for a mentor and $5,000 for a mentee or Peer Support participant.
Learn more about ANOHC and its national network of state oral health coalitions working to strengthen policy, prevention and access to oral health care across the country.
