Amy M. Carroll, MPH, Peggy Toy, MA, Mercedes Perez, BA, Steven P. Wallace, PHD, and Roberta Wyn, PhD. Center for Health Policy Research - Health DATA Program, UCLA School of Public Health, 10911 Weyburn Avenue, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90024, 310-794-0950, amycarr@ucla.edu

The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research's Health DATA Program is a public service program which aims to build the capacity of advocates, organizations, and coalitions to use health research data to address public health policy issues important to the communities they serve. Health DATA was funded by The California Endowment to expand its existing Community Assessment training curriculum and implement a Train the Trainer project for key health-related community-based leaders, networks, coalitions, and nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. The goals of the Train-the-Trainer project are to: 1) expand the knowledge and skills of these community-based organizations to train key leaders and constituents to perform a community assessment in underserved communities; and 2) build the organizational and operational capacity of emerging health-focused coalitions, networks, and organizations to use data for program planning, community mobilization, policy advocacy, and financial sustainability. Health DATA implements this project in partnership with a community advisory group representing the underserved populations for which the program is intended. This presentation will discuss illustrative case studies and evaluation results to highlight lessons learned from the implementation of the Train-the-Trainer Project, including: 1) developing the curriculum and companion Trainer’s Guide in English and Spanish; 2) recruiting community leaders and community-based organization staff to become Trainers; 3) providing materials, stipends and other resources for Trainers’ subsequent training of volunteers in their own communities; 4) reconvening Trainers to discuss their training experiences; and 5) disseminating the curriculum and training materials for broader community audiences.

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