Plain Talk in Local Health Departments

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Plain Talk in Local Health Departments

• Tasha Toby, MPH
• National Association of County and City Health
  Officials (NACCHO)
• CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership Conference
• August 28, 2007

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NACCHO Mission

• NACCHO is the national organization representing
  local health departments. NACCHO works to support
  efforts that protect and improve the health of
  all people and all communities by promoting
  national policy, developing resources and
  programs, seeking health equity and supporting
  effective local public health practice and
  systems.

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Presentation Summary

• Role of Local Health Departments in Teen
  Pregnancy and STI/HIV Prevention
• NACCHO Teen Pregnancy and HIV/STI Prevention
  Initiative Promotion of Plain Talk
• Local Health Department Plain Talk Sites
• Additional NACCHO Activities

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Role of Local Health Departments at the Community
Level

• Unique role of local health departments (LHDs)
  within the community 1
• Engaging community to address health issues
• Preventing, minimizing and containing adverse
  health effects
• Implementing health promotion programs
• Addressing health disparities
• Providing science-based, timely and culturally
  competent health information

1 National Association of County and City
Health Officials. Operational Definition of
Functional Local Health Department. (2005). Also
available at www.naccho.org
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Role of Local Health Departments in Teen
Pregnancy and HIV/STI Prevention

• Regularly engage in direct service or assurance
  activities serving youth at high risk for teen
  pregnancy and/or HIV/STI infection
• Approx. 50 of LHDs provide primary prevention
  services for unintended pregnancy 1
• 62 provide of LHDs provide HIV/AIDS screening 1
• 64 of LHDs provide STD screening 1
• 61 have teen pregnancy and STI/HIV prevention
  programs 2

1 National Association of County and City
Health Officials.  (2006)  2005 National Profile
of Local Health Departments.  Washington, DC 
NACCHO.  2 National Association of County and
City Health Officials. (2007) Teen Pregnancy
Prevention and Teen HIV/STI Prevention Activities
of Local Health Departments Preliminary Survey
Results
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NACCHO Teen Pregnancy and HIV/STI Prevention
Initiative

• 2007-2008 Funding from the Annie E. Casey
  Foundation
• Goal Assist LHDs in improving their teen
  pregnancy and HIV/STI prevention programs through
  promotion of Plain Talk
• Assess existing teen pregnancy and STI/HIV
  prevention activities and knowledge of Plain Talk
  among members
• Disseminate information about Plain Talk
• Highlight and promote existing LHD Plain Talk
  activities

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LHD Teen Pregnancy HIV/STI Prevention
Activities Preliminary Survey Findings

• Current Activities 1
• Surveillance/Data Collection Teen Pregnancy
  (60), HIV/STI (77)
• Health education Teen Pregnancy prevention
  (60), HIV/STI prevention (81)
• Linkage to clinical services 86
• Social marketing campaigns targeting youth 33
• Professional training 42
• Community needs assessment 63

1 National Association of County and City
Health Officials. (2007) Teen Pregnancy
Prevention and Teen HIV/STI Prevention Activities
of Local Health Departments Preliminary Survey
Results
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LHD Teen Pregnancy HIV/STI Prevention
Activities Preliminary Survey Findings

• Plain Talk Level of Knowledge and Interest 1
• 78 unfamiliar with program
• 59 interested in learning more about program
• Barriers to implementing new teen pregnancy and
  HIV/STI prevention initiatives at local level 1
• Limited staff resources
• Limited funding

1 National Association of County and City
Health Officials. (2007) Teen Pregnancy
Prevention and Teen HIV/STI Prevention Activities
of Local Health Departments Preliminary Survey
Results
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Plain Talk Roles of Local Health Departments

• Funding agency LHDs have partnered with Plain
  Talks implementation agencies and contributed to
  the initiatives implementation budget.
• Information and services resource LHDs have
  created formal referral networks to assure that
  the Walkers Talkers are armed with the
  information required to link families to
  available support services.
• Implementation partner In some Plain Talk sites
  the LHD has taken a more hands-on approach in
  implementing the program.

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Local Health Department Plain Talk Sites

• Toledo-Lucas County Health Department Toledo, OH
• South Valley Health Department Albuquerque, NM
• City of Milwaukee Health Department (WI)
• 2002 Second highest percentage of births to
  mothers lt20 years old among 50 largest US cities
• Collaboration between Milwaukee Health Department
  and local CBOs
• Lead partnering agency New Concept Self
  Development Center, Inc.
• Initiated in Milwaukees Midtown neighborhood

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Milwaukee Plain Talk Initiative

• Community mapping phase
• Conducted by adults and teens
• Over 30 hours of extensive training from P/PV
• Surveyed 334 adults and approx. 300 teens
• 170 teens adults signed up to participate
• Youth secret shopping trips
• Currently planning home health parties
• Culturally appropriate methods for African
  American male and Hmong communities in Midtown

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Additional NACCHO Activities

• Key Informant Interviews of LHDs regarding Plain
  Talk and current teen pregnancy and HIV/STI
  prevention initiatives
• NACCHO Issue Brief highlighting current LHD Plain
  Talk sites
• Compendium of LHD evidence-based teen pregnancy
  and HIV/STI prevention programs
• Webpage highlighting activities of LHDs
  implementing Plain Talk
• Series of 3 Plain Talk Webcasts for LHD audiences

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Contact Information

• Tasha Toby, MPH
• Senior Analyst- Adolescent Health
• ttoby_at_naccho.org