The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #40771

E. Joan Henkle, DNS¹, Jeffrey R. Scott², Stephen J. Jay, MD¹, Anne S. Belcher, DNS³, Leslie Ballenger¹, and Anne M. Goodman¹. (1) School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Indiana University, Regenstrief Health Center, 1050 Wishard Blvd., Room 4168, Indianapolis, IN 46202-2872, (2) Office of Medical Service Learning - ASAP, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Bryce B2007 Wishard Memorial Hospital, 1001 West 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, (3) Environments for Health, Indiana University School of Nursing, 1111 Middle Dr, Room NU 465, Indianapolis, IN 46202

A collaboration among four health professions (public health, medicine, nursing, and dentistry), Clarian Health Partners, Inc., and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) was formed to provide a substance abuse prevention program for children and adolescents. The substance abuse program called the Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) program was originally developed by the medical students at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. The ASAP program complements the existing program in the local school system and is a vehicle for teaching the adolescents about substance abuse as well as providing a service learning opportunity for health professions students. Collaborative interdisciplinary partnerships between academic health institutions and community organizations are critical for the development of solutions to the complex problems in the communities, such as substance abuse. Student health teams, consisting of members of each of the health professions (public health, medical, nursing, and dentistry) present a dynamic hands-on program, which highlights the relationship among organ physiology, a healthy body and harmful substances. This collaborative program is designed to: 1) Impact the knowledge and attitudes of children toward tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs so that they may make informed choices about drug use. 2) Provide service learning experiences for health professions students, enhancing their skills and preparedness as future health professionals. 3) Develop a student health professions-Clarian Health Partners, Inc.-community collaboration so that students may gain valuable experience in the collaborative problem solving skills necessary to effect significant change in the health of the students and the communities in which they live.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the steps in forming a collaboration of faculty and students from several health professional schools, a large hospital, and a local community agency.
• Identify key elements of a service learning exprience.
• Discuss how students in different health professions (public health, medicine, nursing, dentistry) can impact the knowledge and attitudes of children toward tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs so that they may make informed choices about drug use.

Keywords: Collaboration, Students

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.