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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Philip R. Curd, MD, MSPH, Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Kentucky, 121 Washington Ave, Suite 220, Lexington, KY 40536-0003, 859 257 5678 x82100, prcurd@prtcnet.org and Sandra J. Winter, Research Asst, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, K302 Kentucky Clinic, Lexington, KY 40536-028.

The Roederer Therapeutic Community (RTC) is a corrections-associated residential community of 200 adult male offenders and 12 staff members, where an innovative wellness program has been established. One third of the residents of this all male adult facility are African American; most residents are poor. Using a community-based approach and input from researchers at the University of Kentucky, a wellness committee has been formed, an evidence-based wellness strategic plan has been adopted and an Evaluation Advisory Panel of residents has assisted with developing process and outcome measurement tools.

While still in the early phases of its development, RTC's “Wellness Works” has already produced some encouraging results, and several lessons have been learned about how to maintain and improve the program. Successes: 1) eighty percent participation in the health risk assessments; 2) strong interest and participation in programs aimed at decreasing tobacco use; 3) increased participation in physical exercise activities; 4) enthusiasm for a community garden that is combined with a nutrition class; 5) increased wellness content in the program's curriculum; and 6) broad participation in gathering and interpreting evaluative data. Lessons learned: 1) sources of financial support should be clearly identified up front; 2) involvement of academic partners should not diminish the sense of ownership of the community residents; 3) special effort is needed to obtain and maintain offenders as full partners in the wellness effort due to their tight schedules and rotation out of the program after 7-12 months of participation.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session the learner will be able to

• Describe the process of involving the community in the early planning of the wellness plan.
• List at least 2 ways that the design of evaluation instruments was changed because of involvement of residents in the design process.
• Discuss the initial successes and lessons learned from the first year of Wellness Works.

Keywords: Community Preventive Services, Correctional Institutions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.pdf format, 1138.7 kb)