"Resident Health Advocates, Knowledge to Action: Enhancing workforce opportunities, increasing Resident participation in health-promoting activities and creating partnerships"

The mission of the Partners in Health and Housing Prevention Research Center (PPH-PRC) at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) is to improve the health and well-being of public housing residents. To accomplish this mission, BUSPH has collaborated with the Boston Housing Authority, the Boston Public Health Commission and the Community committee. It is well documented that individuals living in Boston's public housing are of lower socio economic status are less likely to be insured or have a primary care provider and have an increased health burden with regards to health disparities in Diabetes, Hypertension and Obesity. To address these health issues among this at risk population the (PHH-PRC) developed and implemented the Resident Health Advocate (RHA) Training Program. Applicants to the programs were recruited from the twenty-six public housing developments in the greater Boston area. Twelve applicants are chosen to participate in the three-month training program. Upon graduation, the RHAs act as sources of health information and information regarding access to health care resources for the residents in their respective developments. The outreach approach is based on the assumption that the public housing residents are more willing to utilize the RHAs than they would someone from outside the development.This presentation will describe in detail the program model and curriculum and present the findings of the process and outcomes evaluation.