This is the first in CHFA's new interview series, "Housing and...", exploring how housing connects with and influences various aspects of our communities, such as health, education, economic opportunity, and beyond. Each installment will feature insights from thought leaders and practitioners in their respective fields, helping to highlight the critical role housing plays in shaping broader societal outcomes.
Dr. Dworkin serves as Executive Vice President for Community Child Health at Connecticut Children’s Office for Community Child Health and is the Founding Director of the Help Me Grow National Center. He is also professor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. For 15 years, Dr. Dworkin previously served as physician-in-chief at Connecticut Children’s and chair of pediatrics at UCONN.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Marcus Smith: You’ve had an impressive career focused on pediatric and community child health. Could you share how your own journey led you to recognize the importance of housing in shaping a child’s health and well-being? Was there a specific moment or experience that brought this issue to the forefront for you?
Paul Dworkin: I’ve usually characterized my career as the relentless pursuit of an answer to the question, “How do we best strengthen child health services to promote children’s optimal health, development, and well-being?” This was a logical starting point for me as a pediatrician, and my colleagues were primarily pediatricians too. This goes back many decades.
With the new millennium, we began to understand more about “the biology of adversity,” which encompasses adverse childhood experiences, toxic stress, and social drivers of health. This brought a new appreciation for the overwhelming impact of social, environmental, behavioral, and epigenetic drivers of health and development, like housing. The question became, “How do we best strengthen families and communities to promote children’s optimal health, development, and well-being?” This shift is significant. It’s what drives programs like Healthy Homes.
MS: You’ve been a strong advocate for an “all sectors in” approach to addressing community health challenges. Could you explain what this approach entails, and how you see housing professionals playing a crucial role in improving child and community health?