The document summarizes several community health programs implemented by The Community Health Center, Inc. including: 1) Healthy Tomorrows, a program for teens focusing on nutrition, fitness, and community service. 2) Photovoice, a strategy engaging teens and families to assess community health through photography and promote policy changes. 3) FoodSmart and Fit, an obesity prevention program for young women utilizing goal setting and community resources. 4) Living Smart, Living Fit, a program increasing access to healthy eating, activity, and mental health services for pregnant and post-partum women. 5) Additional programs like the Family Wellness Center, Vinnie's Jump and Jive dance

1. Building Healthy Communities
at The Community Health
Center, Inc.
6/10/2010

2. Robert Dudley
Dad and Doc
6/10/2010

3. • Emphasize assets
• Youth as leaders
Youth
Development
Theory
• Youth as co-researchers
• Service as knowledge contribution
Community Based
Participatory
Research
• Focus groups as planning & intervention
tool
• Expanding the HT portfolio
Methodology
Healthy Tomorrows for Teens/Key Elements:
Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good!
6/10/2010 Healthy Tomorrows

4. Nutritional
counseling
YWCA Fitness
Activities
Wesleyan mentors
Community
Service
Special Events What’s next?
Healthy Tomorrows Expanding Portfolio
6/10/2010 Healthy Tomorrows

5. • Teen Leadership
• Focus Groups
• Community Partnerships
Impact/Lessons Learned
6/10/2010 Healthy Tomorrows

6. • Salud America- RWJF network of
researchers seeking to prevent obesity
among Latino children through
environmental and policy solutions
• Mid-course evaluation of HT: July 2009
– June 2011
• Structured as a series of focus groups
with Latina teens, parents and HT
participant exit interviews.
Healthy Tomorrows: Sustainability
03/20106/10/2010
Family Wellness Center

7. Jayme Hannay
Environmental Advocate, MPH, and Mom
6/10/2010

8. • Enables people to assess their community
• Fosters dialogue and group bonding
• Reaches policy makers with agenda for change
What is it?
• Supports core components of HT
• Promotes community partnerships
• Complements traditional focus groups
Why did we
use it?
• Framing questions
• Individual reflections
• Group story, action agenda and presentations
What are key
elements?
Photovoice: What is it?
Photovoice6/10/2010

9. 07/09-08/09
5 Latina teens in
9th – 10 grade at
New Britain High
SYELP
12/09-04/10
4 parent
daughter teams
Spanish
Speaking Ctr
03/10-05/10
YWCA/OIC/ CHC
10 middle & 10
high school
mentors
Transition to HS
Photovoice: Key Elements
6/10/2010 Photovoice

10. 6/10/2010 Family Wellness Center
Reflection:
We walk to exercise our
bodies, but I would like that
there weren’t any gangs to
mess our community.
Reflection:
Our community has been damaged by
dirty things
People need to recycle. . .
We should have trash cans that are for
recycling , not like they do in school.
They have recycling bins but they don’t
really recycle.
Photovoice: Key Elements

11. PHOTOVOICE: LESSONS LEARNED
1. An effective strategy to engage teens
2. Feasible, cost-effective, culturally relevant and fun
3. An opportunity for adults to engage teens in an ongoing
dialogue
4. A way to complement and enrich
5. A catalyst for new partnerships
6. Easily disseminated in a variety of settings.
6/10/2010 Photovoice

12. Individual
• Empowerment
• I feel so
accomplished!
Program
• Planning
• Training
•Spread
Policy
• Advocacy
• School /public
Transportation
Photovoice: Value/Sustainability
6/10/2010 Photovoice

13. 6/10/2010
Paula Leibovitz, RD
Dietitian, Motivator, Lover of Food!
.
Family Wellness Center

14. 6/10/2010
FoodSmart and Fit: What is it?
Population Served
• High risk young women who are obese or
overweight
Program Vision
• Utilizing evidence-based principals of
self-management goal setting provide
education and support for positive
behavior change through collaboration
with a network of community resources.
FoodSmart and Fit

15. 6/10/2010
FoodSmart and Fit: Why Did We Do This?
Young women who
are
overweight/obese
are at risk for
developing chronic
disease and have a
significant influence
on family food
choices.
FoodSmart and Fit

16. 6/10/2010
FoodSmart and Fit: Key Elements
Six Educational Sessions & Graduation
• Interactive & participatory Education
• Fun physical activity component
• Goal setting/action plan
• Self-report action plan/problem solving
• Food sampling
Session Elements:
Three Maintenance Sessions
FoodSmart and Fit

17. 6/10/2010
• Everyone loves food….and it provides “teachable
moments. ”
• Action plans and self-management
• Foster retention
• Participatory approach.
• Appreciate the cultural norms.
FoodSmart and Fit: Lessons Learned
FoodSmart and Fit

18. 6/10/2010
FoodSmart and Fit: Value/Sustainability
Participants are decision makers.
•Leader is a coach not a king!
Staff time needed for group AND
MAINTAINING CONTACT BETWEEN SESSIONS.
FoodSmart and Fit

19. 6/10/2010
Living Smart, Living Fit
Innovative Approaches to a
Healthy Weight and Mental
Wellness in Pregnant and
Post-Partum Women
Living Smart, Living Fit

20. 6/10/2010
Living Smart, Living Fit: What is it?
• Increase access to a portfolio of healthy
eating, physical activity, and stress
reduction/mental health services to address
the risks of overweight/obesity and
depression
Program
Goal:
• Pregnant and post-partum women with
untreated depression and
overweight/obesity are at risk for poor
pregnancy outcomes and serious health
and psychological consequences for
themselves and their children.
Needs to be
addressed
by services:
• Builds upon existing successful agency
programs.Result:
Living Smart, Living Fit

21. 6/10/2010
• Offer a “portfolio” of programs/services.
• Address barriers
• Motivational interviewing
• Maintain regular contact
LSLF: Key Elements
Living Smart, Living Fit

22. 6/10/2010
• A variety of tactics to
strengthen linkages between
CHC sites and programs
• The Clinical Care
Coordinator is key to success.
• On-going contact is a
challenge but critical to
facilitate engagement
• Communication and
consensus is essential
LSLF: Lessons Learned
Living Smart, Living Fit

23. 6/10/2010
LSLF: Value/Sustainability
Participant
Options
Improved
quality of life
Navigator and
ally
Better
utilization of
services
Living Smart, Living Fit

24. 6/10/2010
Julie Deak, CHC Program
Coordinator, Mom
Family Wellness Center

25. 6/10/2010 Family Wellness Center
Family Wellness Center
Program Description

26. To support the broader definition of
the health and well-being of families
To promote and support best
practices in raising healthy children
To provide opportunities for shared
family activities
To create and strengthen community
around parents
6/10/2010
Family Wellness Center
Why did we do this?
Family Wellness Center

27. 6/10/2010
Family Wellness Center
Key Elements
Eating --- Moving
Programs designed around Best Practices
Family Wellness Center

28. Keep the messages simple.
Small changes add up.
It needs to be fun.
It’s easier together.
6/10/2010
Family Wellness Center
Lessons Learned
Family Wellness Center

29. Start small with volunteers
Parents, providers and the community love it!
Community “Help” Center
6/10/2010
Family Wellness Center
Value & Sustainability
Family Wellness Center

30. 6/10/2010
Vinnie’s Jump and Jive
Mary Farnsworth, Dancer

31. •Community Dance
Hall
•“All kinds of dance.
All kinds of people.”
•Classes and social
events
Vinnie’s Jump and Jive: What is it?
6/10/2010 Vinnie’s Jump and Jive

32. •Supports local arts
community
•Brings community
together through
social and healthy
activity
•Revitalize Main Street
(Middletown)
Vinnie’s Jump and Jive: Why Did We Do
This?
6/10/2010 Vinnie’s Jump and Jive

33. •Dance Classes
•Social Events
•Community
Programs
Vinnie’s Jump and Jive: Key Elements
6/10/2010 Vinnie’s Jump and Jive

34. •Dance builds long
lasting and healthy
social communities
•Art venue draws
entrepreneurs
Vinnie’s Jump and Jive: Lessons
Learned
6/10/2010
Vinnie’s Jump and Jive

35. •Sustained by
entrepreneurial energy
•Support from business
community
Vinnie’s Jump and Jive:
Value/Sustainability
6/10/2010
Vinnie’s Jump and Jive

36. An In-School
dance and
movement
program of
the
Community
Health
Center
Recess Rocks: What is it?
6/10/2010 Recess Rocks

37. To help schools
provide more
movement during the
day
To introduce kids to a
fun, social, and
healthy practice for
life
Recess Rocks: Why Did We Do This?
6/10/2010 Recess Rocks

38. Winter Recess Dance /Movement Classes
Teacher training on incorporate movement and
music into daily classroom routines
Curricular Tie-In lessons
Social and Family Events
Recess Rocks: Key Elements
6/10/2010 Recess Rocks

39. - Local resources used for healthy programs.
- Arts and Healthy Living make good long term
partnerships
- Schools welcome programs that are easy to
implement
Recess Rocks: Lessons Learned
6/10/2010 Recess Rocks

40. •Supports local arts
community
•Meets needs of
overtaxed, underfunded
school districts
Recess Rocks: Value/Sustainability
6/10/2010 Recess Rocks