The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69175

Kim Ammann Howard, PhD, Strategic Assessment, Planning and Research, 1563 Solano Ave. #317, Berkeley, CA 94707, 510-559-9939, kimahoward@aol.com

Purpose: This evaluation identified “lessons learned” from the ten-year implementation of a leadership program to increase the number of health professionals who incorporate violence prevention into their ongoing work; a special emphasis was placed on recruiting women and ethnic minorities who remain underrepresented in most health professions. This program, the Academic Fellowship Program, is part of The California Wellness Foundation’s Violence Prevention Initiative, a multi-faceted effort, to reduce violence experienced by youth in California. Methods: This evaluation is based on a review of program documents and previous evaluations; interviews with the funders, fellowship program coordinators, and site level coordinators at each institution; and surveys and interviews with previous fellows (response rates: 86% and 97%, respectively). Findings: The fellowship program influenced fellows (e.g., increased confidence), their fellowship sites (e.g., leveraged program for other violence prevention resources) and their individual specialties (e.g., greater involvement of underrepresented groups) in multiple ways. Since their fellowship has ended, two-thirds of the fellows continue to incorporate violence prevention into their work. Recruitment, mentoring, networks, diversity (e.g., class, gender, degrees, disciplines, and within the broader Initiative), and sustainability were common themes that impacted the fellowship program. Successes, challenges, and recommendations related to these themes will be presented. Conclusions: Efforts are needed to develop and sustain the next generation of leaders in injury control. Lessons from this program can be applied to the development and implementation of formal leadership programs and more informal efforts in violence prevention as well as the broader area of injury control.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the participant will be able to describe:
• The components of one leadership development program
• Two ways that leadership development programs can support individuals in their violence prevention efforts
• Three "lessons learned" that can be applied to other leadership programs

Keywords: Injury Control, Leadership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.