Social Prescribing USA

10/09/2026

Tomorrow, October 10th is World Mental Health Day! Social prescribing and mental health are deeply connected, of course. To help honor the day, we asked Lennie Knowlton, our Community of Practice Lead and the head of Salt Lake City-based Project Connection, to reflect on an expanded view of therapy and mental health treatment that includes integrating relational social prescribing that emphasizes connection to relationships, roles and community. Read more below:

On World Mental Health, the head of Project Connection discusses the importance of relational social prescribing

10/02/2026

BIG NEWS: Along with our partners at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Prescribing, we have released the official Call for Presentations for the Inaugural U.S. Social Prescribing Conference in Ann Arbor on March 24-26th, 2027!. See link below:

Interested in presenting at this high-profile event or know someone who might be? Please review the information at the link below, and submit your proposal by Monday, October 26th, 2026 at 11:59PM PT. Submissions will be accepted starting on October 13, 2026.

More information at the this link:

Inaugural Social Prescribing Conference

09/30/2026

Important new data on social connection last week shows we have a lot more work to do and why social prescribing----and engaging the health care system in promoting social connection through referrals to community resources in the arts, nature, civic affairs and other activities---is so critical! The new data finds that social connection remains weak nationwide and indicates the need for systemwide interventions in addition to shifts in individual behavior. Read more at the link below from our friends at Social Connection in America.

Social Connection in America™ is a landmark initiative based on a new, nationally representative survey that measures social connection in the United States across 25 years.

09/19/2026

Today is the start of an incredible week of activities in New York City for those that care about arts and health (that's us!). Some of our most cherished partners and friends, led by the great team at the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), are leading another UNGA Healing Arts Week, which brings the arts into dialogue with public health during the annual United Nations General Assembly. Events include performances, panels, workshops, and community events across all five boroughs of New York City. Learn more at the link below:

Held annually on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, UNGA Healing Arts Week is a dynamic program of events celebrating innovative approaches to…

09/18/2026

For all of our friends and colleagues in the San Francisco Bay Area (or friends and colleagues who will be in town!), please join us for a fun reception on October 8th!

We are pleased to join with several organizations, including Social Connection Collective, Zero Empty Spaces, Front Porch Communities & Services, and the NorCal Coalition for Social Connection at UCSF for

▪️ Prescribing Connection: Clinicians, Artists & Community in Dialogue

Join us on Thursday, October 8 (6:00–8:30 PM) at Zero Empty Spaces in downtown Berkeley, CA for an evening of real conversation, live art, music, and community connection, exploring how social prescribing is bringing clinicians, artists, and neighbors together across the Bay Area.

▪️ Thanks to Workday for generously sponsoring food & beverage for the evening!

RSVP link in comments:

08/27/2026

BIG ANNOUCEMENT: We are pleased to join with the University of Michigan and its new Institute for Social Prescribing to announce Connected for Health: The Inaugural U.S. Social Prescribing Conference. Please join us in Ann Arbor, MI next March 24-26th, 2027 for the very first public conference dedicated to social prescribing in U.S. history!

We and our partners will have much more to say about the conference in September, but we wanted to get out a Save the Date because we couldn't contain our excitement any longer! Stay tuned for MUCH more to come on this.

08/13/2026

We are excited to see this very new research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine focused on how prescribing small social connection activities can help prevent significant cognitive decline in those with early signs of dementia. This is an exciting development in the field and helps build the case for social prescribing within medical care. As the lead researcher, Dr. Cynthia Felix, notes,

“By linking measurable social behaviors to specific brain systems and long-term cognitive health, this work provides a biological foundation for social prescribing."

Read more at the link below:

Caption: Cynthia Felix, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. By Phoebe Ingraham Renda As the number of people living with dementia continues to rise to an estimated 78 million worldwide by 2030, identifying practical and accessible w...

08/08/2026

Are you a health professional who wants to learn more about ?

Our next Health Professional champions Gathering is THIS MONDAY! Please join us on August 10th at 5PM PST to hear from Grace Parker from the great organization, Prescribe Outside Philly.

This group meets the second Monday of each month. Hope to see you for our August meeting this Monday!

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88571176593?pwd=MNLKFwMA5YXC1LugFlWidJueUrazMW.1

08/06/2026

Another great milestone, this one a great segment on PBS NewsHour on arts prescribing and social prescribing in North Carolina! This terrific piece focuses on the growing body of evidence behind prescribing arts to combat loneliness. A new program in Charlotte, North Carolina, is using the arts to tackle loneliness and social isolation. Watch more below:

A new program in Charlotte, North Carolina, is using the arts to tackle loneliness and social isolation. Paul Solman reports on prescriptions for art instead of medicine for our series at the intersection of art and health, part of our CANVAS coverage.

07/26/2026

It's the middle of the Summer and we know it's a popular time to tend to gardens, whether on a windowsill or backyard. Of course, people have tended to gardens for thousands of years across cultures. Not surprisingly, a growing body of research shows that gardening is good for your health! This new piece in National Geographic discusses the evidence, trends in social prescribing here in the U.S. and abroad and what it means for...healthy gardening!

Even a few sessions a week can provide moderate exercise, sensory stimulation, stress relief, and a stronger sense of purpose.