Health promoters are emerging as local leaders for sustained public health improvements. This session will describe a model that builds upon the underutilized skills and capabilities of community residents and local institutions to promote health and wellness in South Central Los Angeles. The Esperanza Community Housing Corporation designed CHPP as a three-phase model involving an intensive 6-month training, paid internships with local health agencies, and direct community involvement. While ECHC maintains on-going relationships with the health promoters, the promoters undertake the last two phases under the auspices of partner agencies and programs. These partners play a unique role within the model and help promoters develop their own methods for addressing targeted health issues. Since 1996, ECHC has trained 107 local residents as health promoters. Over 60% are actively promoting health and health access. They have educated nearly 35,000 community residents on Medi-Cal/Managed Care, asthma, lead poisoning prevention, immunizations, domestic violence and other locally relevant health issues. The direct impact health promoters have in general and on specific health issues will be described. Community residents are uniquely invested in the neighborhood through family, friends, schools, and parishes, thus they are most motivated and likely to stay and apply their training to benefit the community over the long term. CHPP and its partners cultivate and nurture these qualities and develop new ones that enable residents to initiate change, attain self-sufficiency, and impact community well being.
Learning Objectives: 1. At the end of this session, the participant should be able to describe how to use a comprehensive health promoter model to promote health and health access among low-income and medically underserved communities. In addition, the participant will be able to list the key steps for forming a viable community training program
Keywords: Community Health Promoters, Training
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.