The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63297

Chinyere Persina Madawaki, MPH¹, Whitney L. Dotson, MPH², Roxeanne Carrillo, MSW¹, Henry Clark, PhD³, and Johnny White⁴. (1) Contra Costa Health Services Department, North Richmond Center For Health, 1501 3rd Street, Richmond, CA 94801, 510-374-7344, cmadawak@hsd.co.contra-costa.ca.us, (2) Neighborhood House of North Richmond, 305 Chesley Street, Richmond, CA 94801, (3) West County Toxics Coalition, 1233 Battery Street, Ricjmond, CA 94801, (4) West County Community Health Intiative, 2422 Road 20 Apt #305A, San Pablo, CA 94806

Workshop Description

This workshop describes how a local health department and a collaborative of community residents and grassroots organizations partnered to identify and respond to pressing community health concerns. Community Health Initiative (CHI) and Contra Costa Health Services (CCHD) will present a case study describing their three-year effort to improve community health in the Western region of this Bay Area county. West County is the most ethnically and economically diverse region in Contra Costa, and is comprised primarily of African American, Latino and Southeast Asian populations. It has one of the highest concentrations of petrochemical industry in California.

This case study presents our approach to incorporate a meaningful community voice in assessing, planning and implementing solutions to resident-defined priorities. We will focus on efforts to: 1) make the health care delivery system more responsive to this culturally diverse community; and 2) advocate for an environmental justice approach to local environmental health policies. CCHS and CHI will outline our activities to increase resident understanding of the systems that govern these arenas, provide training to build resident skills to be effective advocates around policy development, and craft mobilizing strategies that have led to significant policy change.

The California Endowment funds this project as part of its statewide Partnership for Public’s Health initiative. The purpose of PPH is to help redesign local and state-level infrastructures to ensure that public health efforts reflect community-based priorities and needs.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, articipants will be able to:
• Describe specific strategies for mutual engagement between public health departments and community residents, leaders and groups to identify and address key community health concerns, particularly among low income, ethnically diverse populations.
• Describe challenges to expect and lessons learned in developing partnerships between local government and community collaboratives, across disciplines.

Keywords: Community Collaboration,

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.