Background: There are many fears and misunderstandings about the child health insurance program among immigrants, and children of immigrant parents have lagged behind others in obtaining insurance. Objectives: Develop a community-based promotora network to link recent immigrants to facilitated enrollers. Method: The Alianza “promotora” uses participant-to-participant outreach, using immigrant women who obtained insurance for their children. 20 promotoras were trained in basic outreach techniques using our jointly developed Outreach and Enrollment Training Program. Each promotora was assigned to talk to parents of young children in her own neighborhood, at schools, centers, and “gathering areas”. When a parent is located who needs insurance, the promotora completes a referral form for the parent to the community-based facilitated enrollment program. The promotora or an enroller calls the parent within 24 hours to invite the parent to come to the center to start the insurance application. We tracked contacts, referral forms, phone calls, and completed insurance applications associated with the promotora efforts. Results: Promotoras and enrollers made 4259 calls to families between April and October 2000, and they reached 2519 families through these calls. 1988 families came in for help with insurance or services, and 1298 enrollments resulted from these visits. Half of all phone contacts resulted in a visit to the center, and 30% of all contacts resulted in an enrollment. Promotoras were responsible for 43% of all families enrolled in 2000 at Alianza, indicating the success of this strategy.
Learning Objectives: To describe an effective strategy for involving program participants in doing outreach
Keywords: Child Health, Outreach Programs
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.