141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

288046
Hand me my glasses, I can't see: Creating transparency, building community partnerships with research and governmental organizations; Sharing power, decision making and resources equitably

Monday, November 4, 2013

Janette Robinson Flint , Black Women for Wellness, Los Angeles, CA
Nourbese Flint , Black Women for Wellness, Los Angeles, CA
Onyenma Obiekea , Black Women for Wellness, Los Angeles, CA
In response to the epidemic sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates that has plagued Los Angeles for years, Los Angeles community members, Los Angeles County Division of HIV and STD Programs (DHSP) and local community based organizations engaged in an innovative effort to address STIs in communities of color. Lead by Black Women for Wellness (BWW), in collaboration with Second District Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas' Office, Los Angeles County DHSP, Sentient Research and California Family Health Council, an innovative approach to facilitate community engagement around STD Prevention and Control in South Los Angeles, which comprises of 40% of all Los Angeles County gonorrhea (GC) cases was implemented. BWW organized bimonthly Community Stakeholder Group meetings over a year (2012) that engaged second district community members around novel strategies to address STIs in South Los Angeles. An evaluation was conducted after each meeting to receive feedback from the community and identify recurring themes. Two other entities evaluated the CSG and provided useful feedback. This workshop will review trends in evaluations submitted over the past year, discuss approaches to mobilizing community, working with community partners around STI Prevention, identifying nontraditional partners, and building capacity within the community to enhance STD prevention and control. In addition, discuss strategies to address challenges and barriers to working in community based participatory research.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control

Learning Objectives:
Identify three unique approaches to enhance community participation. Discuss challenges and barriers to working with non-traditional partners. Describe multidisciplinary approaches to STD prevention and control. Identify and analyze potential barriers to equitable partnerships with community based organizations. Define and create common language to interpret evaluations from community and research perspectives with 3rd party evaluators.

Keywords: Health Disparities, STD

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: The executive director of Black Women for Wellness, a grassroots health and wellness advocacy and educational organization, I am committed to the health and well being of Black women and girls. I am qualified to be an abstract author on the content I am responsible for as I have worked with STIs, Sexuality education, youth and prevention for decades. My organization was commissioned to lead the community engagement component of the project discussed in Abstract.
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.