During the late 60's and all of the 70's I worked as a community organizer
in public housing. My defining experience with community health promotion
was a project done in collaboration with Planned Parenthood of Springfield,
Massachusetts. At the time, the engagement of 'para-professionals' , largely
residents, in the delivery of outreach and direct services was a novel idea.

Planned Parenthood trained and funded approximately six tenant leaders to go
door to door throughout several public housing projects to discuss family
planning and sexual health. The tenant organizations recommended
participants and co-sponsored the initiative. The program was deliberately
structured so that the single parent participants did not lose welfare
benefits, could do this work on a part time basis and had support from both
Planned Parenthood and the nascent community health centre.

Bilingual (Spanish and English) materials in novella - photo story - format
were left after the home visit.

Results were dramatic. The health centre reported very large increases in
utilization. On one occasion, came to a home in which someone had a recent,
unsupervised, abortion that was threatening her life.

That combination of building on the natural networks that exist is every
community, recognizing their value in real dollars, and providing solid
training and support is the distilled best practice.

__________________________________
A. Simon Mielniczuk - Strategy and Systems Consulting
416.828.2118 - [log in to unmask]


...

On Sun, 28 Sep 2003 15:16:54 +1000 Jacq Mckenzie <[log in to unmask]>
writes:
> Hello all
>
> I am seeking Click 4HP members advice on health promotion activities
> in public housing. I have recently commenced a position as a Health
> Promotion
> Officer working with communities from inner city Melbourne public
> housing
> estates. I am particularly interested in best practice health
> promotion
> strategies working with residents of public housing that have and
> continue
> to demonstrate sustainabality.
>
> Any relevant resources/advice from members (both nationally and
> internationally) would be very welcomed.
>
> Kind Regards
>
> Jacqui Mckenzie
> Health Promotion in Public Housing
> North Yarra Community Health
> [log in to unmask]
>

>
>

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