The city of Springfield, Massachusetts has the highest rates of STD, especially among teens, in the state. Recognition of this led to development of a coalition of community organizations, State and Local health departments, area medical providers, and a school of public health. The coalition was named the Springfield Adolescent Health Project (SAHP). It was agreed that teen peer education would be the hallmark of this collaboration and that teens would lead all activities of the SAHP.
Teens were recruited through various community-based organizations. The adults from the participating organizations provided training in outreach and educational modalities, leadership skills, communication skills, culture of the workplace, STDs, HIV, reproductive health, drugs, survey design, and computer skills. Through an initial KABB, the teens determined the target groups of the Project. The teens then used their own experience and knowledge of their communities to design and conduct educational and evaluation activities. Adults served only as advisors through a Steering Committee composed of all stakeholders, which meets monthly.
The results of interest in this aspect of the SAHP is how community groups became active partners in and the leaders of the intervention activities, rather than have the interventions designed and introduced into the disproportionately affected communities by "outside" groups.
The advantages of and obstacles to community ownership and leadership will be highlighted and discussed.
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will recognize the importance of having a variety of skills, backgrounds and viewpoints involved in creating a preventive health intervention. 2. Participants will recognize the importance of community ownership of the problem and the solution if there is to be one
Keywords: Community Collaboration,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.