The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43187

Cheryl A. Barrit, MPIA, Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, 2525 Grand Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90815, 562-570-4312, chcontr@ci.long-beach.ca.us, Karen Michail, BA, Community Partners Council, 1021 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90813, CA, Abhishek Tiwari, MPH, Long Beach Community Health Council, Long Beach Community Health Council, 3761 Stocker Street Suite 201, Los Angeles, CA 90008, Nettie DeAugustine, BA, The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, 2525 Grand Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90815, and Ron Arias, MPA, City of Long Beach, Department of Health & Human Services, 2525 Grand Ave, Long Beach, CA 90815.

A local health jurisdiction's Partnership for the Public Health is a community-based learning laboratory with the primary goal of increasing resident's understanding of public health and developing local health leaders. The Partnership for the Public's Health is resident-driven process where program and policy development is determined by the changing needs of a diverse community of Latinos, African-Americans and Cambodians. The local Partnership for the Public's Health employs a multi-faceted approach in engaging local residents in public health. The partnership's core approaches are internal capacity building for community based organizations and the local health department, partnership development, community health improvement, and policy and systems change. In order to sustain community involvement in public health, local residents from two specific geographic areas are engaged in a year-long health leadership training program which provides residents an opportunity to partake in participatory strategic planning, community outreach and health education on environmental heath issues, and learn advocacy skills to promote health among local politicians and stakeholders. The Partnership for the Public's Health demonstrates how residents can shape and improve the business of public health in a particular community.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, participants

• Describe how a local health department initiates a participatory strategic planning process with residents from a socio-economically depressed area.
• Apply a public health awareness training program in their respective communities
• Describe successful partnership development strategies involving a local health department and a diverse target population.

Keywords: Community Participation, Partnerships

Related Web page: www.partnershipph.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Community Partners Council, Long Beach Community Health Council, Inc., The Children's Clinic
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.