308814
Where the streets have no name: Evaluating implementation of a local health department's youth violence prevention efforts and approaches
Monterey County Health Department (MCHD) received a CDC “Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere (STRYVE) Through Local Health Leadership” cooperative agreement in 2011 to expand youth violence prevention (YVP) public health leadership and enhance capacity of the coalition dedicated to reducing violence in Salinas, California. Grant components included an implementation evaluation and a plan to sustain YVP efforts by MCHD and community partners.
Methods
The evaluation tracks and measures the implementation of YVP approaches by MCHD and enhancements to the locally-developed comprehensive YVP plan through secondary data analyses, surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews. Efforts also involve using components of the voluntary national public health accreditation process and aspects of a “Health in All Policies” approach to assure YVP sustainability.
Results/Outcomes
Outcomes achieved in the first three years include determining MCHD and partner capacities, developing outcome indicators and data tracking, integrating primary prevention into the coalition’s comprehensive plan, enhancing MCHD’s leadership role in implementing evidence-based YVP strategies, and citing STRYVE processes in accreditation documentation. Lessons learned include leveraging essential public health functions to achieve sustainability and incorporating efforts in strategic plans and city and county-wide initiatives.
Conclusions
Evaluation of the local STRYVE process measured organizational capacity, demonstrated the value of the public health approach among multi-sector partners by making essential contributions to the coalition’s strategic planning process, and provided MCHD with the impetus to institutionalize and sustain effective YVP. This model could be used by other local health departments to develop and support YVP goals.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health educationSystems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the benefits of conducting an implementation evaluation as part of a local STRYVE project.
Explain the opportunities, including documentation for public health accreditation and incorporation into policy efforts, to increase a local health department’s capacity to support youth violence prevention strategies.
Keyword(s): Violence & Injury Prevention, Community-Based Partnership & Collaboration
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a public health epidemiology and evaluation project team member, supervisor, and manager for thirteen years. Projects have included youth violence prevention and chronic disease. Evaluation interests include understanding factors that contribute to successful program and policy implementation.
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.