Back to Basics: SMS for Health Promotion for Youth
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
1 like•313 views
Learn about ZeroDivide recent project explore key issues in the design, funding, deployment and evaluation of nonprofit and public sector mobile tech projects in underserved and vulnerable communities.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to Back to Basics: SMS for Health Promotion for Youth
Similar to Back to Basics: SMS for Health Promotion for Youth (20)
More from YTH
More from YTH (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Back to Basics: SMS for Health Promotion for Youth
- 1. Back to Basics: SMS for Health Promotion for Youth Vanessa Mason, Senior eHealth Manager ZeroDivide April 26-28, 2015 San Francisco, CA #YTHLive
- 2. 1 About ZeroDivide a non-profit consulting organization focused on the design, development and implementation of technology solutions to increase digital equity and accelerate social change in underserved and vulnerable communities www.zerodivide.org @zerodivideorg
- 3. 1 SMS4Impact Geo4Impact Apps4Impact Support for the Mobile4Impact Series provided by The Vodafone Americas Foundation and Sierra Health Foundation mobile4impact.org #mobile4impact
- 4. 1 From the Field “…is accessible, it’s inexpensive and it’s always with you...” “For your solution to be effective, it needs be aware of what the problem actually is….” “…we believe youth-service organizations should consider changing their patterns of outreach and service provisions in order to remain “connected”…”
- 5. 1 Quick Facts Nearly 75% of teens have or have access to a smartphone 90% of teens with mobile phones use them to text A typical teen sends and receives 30 texts/day
- 6. 1 Findings • … holds great promise to address key social determinants of health • … an important tool for achieving not only health equity, but economic development, education and civic engagement in vulnerable communities • … has emerged as a critical asset in public health efforts
- 8. 1 Recommendations Recomme ndations • Tech Sector: public- private partnerships • Nonprofits: planning and fundraising • Funders: convening and funding pilots across sectors Planning and Fundraising Public-Private Partnerships Convening and Funding
- 9. 1 Use Cases: Stress Less About Sex
- 10. Background
- 11. 1. Increase knowledge and awareness of sexual and reproductive health resources and services 1. Offer sexual and reproductive health resources and services in the Tenderloin that are youth-friendly and culturally competent. Program objectives
- 12. Youth objectives “A lot of the questions I have are why people judge before they understand?”
- 13. 1 Results • 167% increase in self-reported access to sexual and reproductive health services in the last 6 months from baseline • 100% increase in self-reported knowledge of birth control
Editor's Notes
- Other panelists on the Couch Convo named "mHealth: Reaching Youth through Our Devices": Rebecca Braun, iPas, titled "In Our Hands: How Mobile Technology is Revolutionizing Abortion Access for Youth Around the Globe" and Deborah Levine, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, titled "Reaching LGBTQ youth where they are: On their phones"
- ZeroDivide Background ZeroDivide is a non-profit consulting organization focused on the design, development and implementation of technology solutions to increase digital equity and accelerate social change in underserved and vulnerable communities. ZeroDivide possesses 15 years of design, implementation and advocacy of technology solutions for underserved and vulnerable communities. Our work involves diverse and dynamic partnerships with thought leaders, decision-makers, practioners and community members. ZeroDivide’s principal methods include innovative field practice and field building activities in the areas economic opportunity, civic engagement and health. Tech Capacity Building – Delivering knowledge, skills and new capabilities in technology to increased social impact, sustainability and resiliency. Research and Dissemination - Generating, developing, and communicating new ideas and approaches to achieve digital equity and social impact. Convening and Brokering – Establishing new and reinforcing existing networks of stakeholders focused on technology’s role in accelerating social change.
- Funding Mobile Strategies for Social Impact Amplifying Social Impact in a Connected Age Exploring key issues in the design, deployment and evaluation of mobile technology in underserved & vulnerable communities Mobile 4 Impact Series In 2011 ZeroDivide conducted research that explored the ways in which funders can support their grantees in implementing mobile projects in order to achieve greater social impact. The full research report, Funding Mobile Strategies for Social Impact can be downloaded at bit.ly/1rsUpNY. The Mobile4Impact Series builds upon our previous research and captures new insights from the field and ZeroDivide’s ongoing work to leverages mobile interventions in underserved and vulnerable communities. The Series explores key issues in the design, funding, deployment and evaluation of nonprofit and public sector projects and focuses on three promising mobile technology areas for these communities: SMS (Short Message Services), Geo-location and Mobile App Development. The Series also highlights how these mobile technologies are being deployed to address one of the most critical issues in underserved and vulnerable communities – health and wellness. SMS 4 Impact is current available through a micro site… use twitter to engage with us and others as new info is added and the conversation grows…
- “Text messaging offers an innovative, cost effective method for community mobilization that can improve engagement within underserved populations. How can nonprofits utilize this chanel to connect their communities? During our recent session at the 2015 Nonprofit Technology Conference hosted by tech org NTEN we presented “Text2Change: How to Leverage Text Messaging for Communication”, during this session we shared key considerations for the design and implementation of text messaging program. Read on for a few guidelines to consider! Why text messaging? Underserved or vulnerable communities have historically seen poor social and economic mobility as a result of both concentrated poverty and isolation from knowledge and resources. The evidence clearly shows that there are distinct opportunities for mobile phones and SMS to have unprecedented impact on interactive sharing, learning and engagement, providing unprecedented connections that would not otherwise exist. Although SMS is not a panacea, text messaging is valuable for social impact for many reasons: Accessible: 98% of text messages are opened within 4 minutes compared to 22% of emails in the first few hours. Inexpensive: Thanks to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s Lifeline program or “Obama phone program” as it’s known colloquially, low-income consumers can obtain free and discounted mobile handsets and pre-paid wireless plans. Convenient: The portability of mobile phones means each individual has access to real-time communication wherever they go, regardless if they are a 14 year teen in school or a 45 year old adult who is homeless. Research in teen communication shows us that troubled youth and youth in search of help for difficult situations are more prone to access electronic information and help than direct intervention. … we believe youth-service organizations should consider changing their patterns of outreach and service provisions in order to remain “connected” with this population. Laurie Jackson, President/CEO of National Safe Place Network. “Text messaging is accessible, it’s inexpensive and it’s always with you...” Vanessa Mason, Senior Program Manager for eHealth, ZeroDivide For your solution to be effective, it needs be aware of what the problem actually is. Stephanie Shih, founder of Occupy SMS
- Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015 from Pew Internet
- Key Takeaways for SMS SMS technology offers great potential to address key social determinants of health, barriers to access and to effectively disseminate interventions. The ever-increasing adoption of mobile phones (smartphone) as a critical access point to the Internet, essential resources, services and social networks, positions SMS an important tool for achieving not only health equity, but economic, education and civic engagement in vulnerable communities. It is becoming increasingly common for public health professionals who work with youth and adults to use new mobile technologies to educate, raise awareness, increase knowledge and encourage people to pursue healthy behaviors. SMS programs has emerged a critical asset in these public health efforts.
- Text messaging, like any other technology, is not without its obstacles. One common concern involves the relatively high rate of turnover for phone numbers. Within vulnerable communities, phone numbers may change over time as a result of lost or stolen handsets or changing pay-as-you-go cell phone plans. Google Voice is a great tool to use to ensure that you keep in contact with your constituents. Once your constituent secures a Google Voice number, any phone that he or she uses can be linked to the Google Voice number to receive calls and texts. Another frequently asked question involves privacy and security issues. While ZeroDivide can provide general guidance, it’s helpful to turn to the experts in your particular sector for specific advice. In general, it’s best to not share sensitive or very personal information via text messaging as transmission is not secure. Additionally, mobile phones can be picked up and viewed by almost anyone at any time even with passcodes. Other recommendations are: Advise constituents on how delete messages for especially sensitive issues (ie. rescue from human trafficking). Implement two-step authentication via the Web site or app connected to SMS to ensure the right person sees the correct information at the right time.
- To encourage adoption and engagement leveraging SMS, ZeroDivide advocates/recommends the following: -Continued development of private public partners to help bridge tech solutions to underserved and vulnerable communities -Nonprofit increasing capabilities to plan for use/leveraging of text messaging and to effectively partner and fundraise -Not unlike our first report in 2011, foundation continue to use their convening power to bring folks to the table to focus on tech in communities, and funding. Tech Sector: public- private partnerships Nonprofits: planning and fundraising Funders: convening and funding pilots across sectors
- Given the direct and indirect negative impacts of poor health on outcomes ranging from economic opportunity to educational attainment, ZeroDivide has focused on text messaging as an essential tool to achieve health equity by addressing the social determinants of health for greatest social impact. One of our eHealth text messaging programs includes: Stress Less About Sex. You can also learn more about this program at the peer education panel on April 28. ZeroDivide, in partnership with the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center (API Wellness) in San Francisco with support from the Google Bay Area Impact Challenge, developed Stress Less About Sex, a text messaging intervention for high school youth (ages 14-18) living in the Tenderloin to increase knowledge and awareness about sexual and reproductive health needs and to increase utilization of family planning services at API Wellness offered through the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) program.
- 26% of youth indicate being sexually active 4% indicate sexual intercourse for the first time before age 13 7% indicate sexual intercourse with four or more person in their lifetime 21% indicate no education about HIV/AIDS (CDC 2013) HIV, Other STD, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention among San Francisco Students
- Driven by API Wellness new certification to offer free family planning services through California's Family PACT program Focused on the Tenderloin because of location; highest incidence of teenage pregnancy in the city Similar to Text 4 Wellness and Mobilize 4 Fitness, Stress Less About Sex leverages peer leaders to drive recruitment and participation
- So that's what we care about. What do youth care about in their own words? “I was 15 years old and my grandma told me, I would be pregnant at 15. Like randomly, like I was messing around with anything that moves. My Mom and sister were 15 and pregnant and she thought I was going to follow down their footsteps. Like, don’t put that in a child’s head, it will get to them.” I already knew what my sexuality was before I learned about sexuality, when I came out, I felt like a lot of people didn’t understand it so they were mean…. I feel like when people are confused, they don’t have a good understanding of it, they just want to judge it. A lot of the questions I have are why people judge before they understand? … I was like, ‘Babe, I’m scared’ and he was like, ‘don’t be scared’… And the lady was all nice and stuff and she gave me the paper to fill out and I was like, ‘what’s all the paper work for!?’ and she said, ‘just so that if you come back, we have you in the system if you want to continue with us’ and I’m like, okay. I was scared! But since my boyfriend was out there, I was fine. As long as I have someone with me, I’m fine… As long as you explain the situation.
- Next steps: Leveraging youth-generated social media to encourage dialogue and continued usage of preventive health services Additional youth groups to better understand how to increase male participation in the program