2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

332511
Navigating a multidisciplinary field: Integrating social work practices within public health nutrition programs


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Carolina Barahona, MPH, MSW, CHES, Senderos, Para Los Ninos, Los Angeles, CA
Sheena Nahm, PhD, MPH, Senderos, Para Los Ninos, Los Angeles, CA
  
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
The role of the Public Health Social Worker (PHSW) is to bridge the gap between community and public health services.  In the process of planning and implementing a nutrition program, there are specific strategies and methods that are required to gain community acceptance and participation. The PHSW should develop a plan to assess contributing factors to the program’s success. Examples include researching the history of a community, connecting with local government staff, participating in local community events, and analyzing current trends in public policy.  It is fundamental that PHSWs are able to assess the multiple factors contributing to the community’s environment in order to gain a wider lens of the community’s ecology. The ecological model can be used as a guiding tool for the PHSW to develop his or her role at both the micro and macro level. Integrating this model with practical strategies that foster trust will allow the PHSW to be more effective in connecting individuals and communities to key resources.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Diversity and culture
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
List four key methods of planning and implementing a public health nutrition program within low-income communities. Assess the strengths and needs of a community through relationship-building practices. Discuss the evolving role of the Public Health Social Work and lessons learned in integrating social work and public health competencies in the work place.

Keyword(s): Social Work, Community Health Programs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have graduate degrees in social work and public health, as well as a CHES certification. I have over three years of experience working with vulnerable populations. Among my interests has been the intersection of social work, mental health, public health, and policy.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3077.0: Public Health Social Work Community Engagement Initiatives