223090 A retrospective analysis of a peer education model used to teach a general women's health program in a large prison system

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 1:30 PM - 1:50 PM

Charlotte Gish, RN , MSN Womens Health Coordinator, Office on Women's Health, Dallas, TX
Since 2002, the Office on Women's Health has been active in supporting peer education in the women's facilities of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. During this 8-year period, OWH has developed a culturally competent, health literacy curriculum called Woman to Woman: Inside and Out, a general women's health peer education train-the-trainer curriculum, and a peer-delivered Women's General Population Prison Entry Orientation. Several hundred women have participated as peer educators, and thousands have benefited by attending the trainings. Evaluation findings included:

• Offender peer educators provide vital linkages to health care for inmates; • Peer educators are well-liked and respected by other offenders; • Peer educators are highly motivated to continue their work as educators even after their release. The project was supported by a collaborative partnership among: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Women's Health, Sage Associates, and Center for Health Training. A retrospective review of the program and outcomes informs lessons learned for similar peer-led programs throughout the country such as dissemination through teachable moments, use of preventive health messages, using peer educators as mentors and models for behavior change, and using peer educators to disseminate information to the general population. The presentation also explores the value of a community-based collaborative in sustaining the peer education efforts over time.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Program planning
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
List components of a successful community-based disease prevention intervention in women's prisons. List challenges and barriers to program delivery. Name lessons learned during this retrospective review. Assess next steps in developing a similar program.

Keywords: Incarceration, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the project officer for this initiative since its inception.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.