Essential Service 3 - Inform, Educate, Empower

Community Health Institute/JSI • 501 South Street, 2nd Floor • Bow, NH 03304 • P:603-573-3300 • F:603-573-3301
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Essential Service 3 - Inform, Educate, Empower

Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues

Public Information for Keeping Safe in an Emergency

The Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) developed a brochure entitled Preparing for an Emergency: The Smart Thing to Do in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, New Hampshire Department of Safety and Capital Area Public Health Network. The brochure provides helpful guidance to the public about how to keep safe in an emergency. It includes instructions for making an emergency kit, family communications plan, family evacuation plan and a plan for people with in-home care needs. The brochure has been widely disseminated throughout the state.

Try-To-Stop Tobacco Resource Center Management

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) manages an integrated and comprehensive Multi-state tobacco control effort for the Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire Public Health Departments. Serving the general public, tobacco control professionals, educators, and health care providers, the Resource Center is home to four interconnected services: The Tobacco-Free Helpline provides health education information, free telephone based counseling services and referral to local Tobacco Treatment programs; Tobacco Education Clearinghouse (MTEC) provides low-cost tobacco education materials to tobacco control programs, technical assistance on tobacco education and education material development; Trytostop.org, the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program's website, provides tobacco information, quit-smoking assistance and related links. The website features the Quit Wizard, a self paced, interactive program that guides the user through the entire quitting process; the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Health Plan Tobacco Treatment Partnership provides telephone-based tobacco treatment to all patients enrolled in Massachusetts health care plans who are referred by their primary care provider.

New Hampshire Abstinence Education

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) developed an abstinence education program for New Hampshire schools for the New Hampshire Office of Community and Public Health. Under direction from an advisory committee composed of pro− and anti-choice advocates, CHI/JSI’s role was to find common ground between two groups who may agree on the ultimate goal −reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and STDs among New Hampshire's youth− but disagreed strongly on the approach for achieving the goal. In support of the ultimate goal to reduce unintended pregnancies and STDs, CHI/JSI conducted a national assessment of strategies being used in other states. Based on this information, New Hampshire implemented a statewide Abstinence Education Media Campaign targeting 10−14 year olds. This campaign consisted of television, radio, and movie screen advertising and other abstinence education materials. A second component consisted of a community-based grant program for communities to implement their own abstinence education program.

Firearm Safety for Children Educational Video

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) partnered with the Firearm Safety Coalition, a broad-based coalition of individuals with diverse views on firearm ownership, to develop a video on firearm safety to be used as part of a safety curriculum in New Hampshire schools. The Coalition successfully produced an educational video, which has the strong support of both the public health and pro gun communities and has been widely distributed in New Hampshire and the nation.

Tobacco Prevention and Control Technical Assistance

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) has stood shoulder to shoulder with the New Hampshire (NH) Tobacco Prevention & Control Program building multifaceted strategies to reach NH tobacco users and those impacted by tobacco use. At the hub of these strategies is the NH Try-to-STOP TOBACCO Resource Center which is coordinated by CHI/JSI staff and includes responsibility for the day-to-day operations of providing low-cost tobacco education materials to community groups; free and private telephone-based counseling and information through the NH Smokers’ Helpline; a consumer website offering tobacco information/cessation resources at www.trytostopnh.org; and a website for health care providers with resources to link their patients to cessation services at www.quitworksnh.org. CHI/JSI has provided technical assistance to local tobacco coalitions, training to health care professionals, created and implemented social marketing campaigns, and coordinated multiple statewide tobacco conferences.

Tobacco and Literacy Education

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) collaborated with adult education programs in New Hampshire to develop and field test a series of tobacco education lessons for adult learners in ABE and GED programs. The goal to bring accurate and compelling information on tobacco use health effects and smoking cessation resources to a young adult population with both high rates of tobacco use and low levels of tobacco knowledge, through a channel not traditionally utilized by tobacco educators was achieved through lessons that convey important information about the health hazards of tobacco use and secondhand smoke, while building basic reading, math and research skills.

Logistics Conference on Aging

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) handled the logistical tasks for the New Hampshire Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services (BEAS) annual Conference on Aging for the fifth consecutive year. The goal of the conference is to provide information, education and training for older adults—promoting awareness, self-determination, advocacy, collaboration and independence. This year there were 675 participants and 80 exhibits. Working with a planning committee that provides guidance, CHI/JSI handled the administrative tasks which include graphic design, marketing, speaker contracts, registration, data base management, participant transportation and reporting.

Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) Teen Conferences Planning and Logistics

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) planned and implemented the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and the New Hampshire Teen Voices Youth Advisory Board (YAB) annual interactive and educational conferences. The conferences focus on the unique issues and challenges facing New Hampshire foster care youth while living in care, and their transition out of state care into adulthood. Youth were engaged in a participatory process to plan the workshop topics and conference materials including a youth designed conference logo. CHI/JSI staff coordinated all the conference logistics ensuring that the DCYF/YAB mission and goals were met or exceeded.

Abstinence Education Media Campaign

Community Health Institute/JSI (CHI/JSI) was contracted by the Manchester, New Hampshire Health Department to develop an abstinence education media plan for the city of Manchester, New Hampshire. The project included radio, television and movie screen advertising based on an abstinence education program entitled, Not Me, Not Now. CHI/JSI created a comprehensive media plan that targeted Manchester's ten to fourteen year-olds with the message that it is okay to delay sexual activity.