Expanding community leadership beyond borders: The LAAMPP model for health leadership and advocacy for priority populations

Diverse priority populations face health disparities when it comes to healthy lifestyle, for example, tobacco, nutrition and physical activity. However, priority populations face additional disparities in funding, health promotion resources and support for building community capacity and leadership. For this reason, the innovative Leadership and Advocacy Institute to Advance Minnesota's Parity for Priority Populations (LAAMPP Institute) was created to address not only the impact of tobacco but more widely health promotion and community-wide issues for priority populations. The goal of LAAMPP was to build the capacity of the African, African American, American Indian, Asian American, Chicano/Latino and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities in Minnesota through culturally tailored training, capacity building and leadership and advocacy skills development. This presentation will provide the background and context for leadership and parity in these communities. A total of 36 community members were recruited for this program with 32 LAAMPP fellows completing an 18-month long program. An extensive evaluation, consisting primarily of surveys and key informant interviews, showed the impact and challenges of implementing a comprehensive culturally tailored leadership program for Minnesota's priority populations. Fellows highlighted the skills they received in five core competency areas including collaboration, advocacy, facilitation, tobacco control and community competency. Many fellows felt that the skills and opportunities for cross cultural collaboration were particularly significant. This session will also briefly discuss the impact of LAAMPP on developing effective tobacco control strategies, programs and even a movement for priority populations.