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<br />care, age-appropriate immunizations and nutrition; child safety resources, health insurance options and age-
<br />appropriate screenings for nutrition, vision, hearing, dental health, and social and developmental milestones. A
<br />mechanism to record the number of children taking part in screenings and other health promotion activities will
<br />track important demographic characteristics, such as ethnicity, usual source of health care and those who are
<br />cared for in familial or non-registered settings.
<br />The Orange County Community Health Awareness Project endorses the understanding that prevention of
<br />illnesses and accidents is more humane and cost-effective than the provision of curative and rehabilitative
<br />services. The lead agency, the Orange County Health Department, will begin recruitingrnterviewingfnr the
<br />bilingual health educatoNpubiic relations position to begin employment on approximately October I, 1999.
<br />During the orientatioNstart up phase (Oct-Dec, 1999), the coordinator will reach out to community agencies and
<br />existing coalitions and set the calendar of events for the'remaining fiscal year. Anticipated activities for this
<br />project include:
<br />1. Utilize a calendar of annual community events to coordinate invohvement of appropriate
<br />agencies/volunteers to participate, and provide promotional materials/activitiesthat would draw families
<br />of young children to the information and/or services provided by the community agencies;
<br />2. Promote the use of OCPYC's web site of community events and other health education links for
<br />agencies and interested community members;
<br />3. Identify (or develop) and Utilize effective promotional strategies to reach targeted populations (including
<br />direct interfacing with Spanish-speaking community leaders);
<br />4. Collaborate with existing agencies in community education and public heaRh awareness activities to
<br />"get the word out", about the importance of and resources for routine well-child care and immunizations,
<br />developmental, dental, vision and hearing screenings, social and mental health resources;
<br />5. Provide (very) enticing promotional efforts and incentives to draw and hold targeted families so that they
<br />have access to and take advantage of the health promotion activities and services offered at these
<br />events;
<br />6. Organize a comprehensive health promotioNscreening event to take place targeting either Hispanic
<br />families and !or families in Northern Orange County;
<br />7. Joint planning with OCPYC and OCPIC will take place regularly to coordinate publicity and agency
<br />partiapation (including the follow up of positive findings) and evaluation measures;
<br />8. Work with official and agencies sponsoring community-wide celebratory events to measure/document
<br />promotional efforts and historical attendance of targeted populations;
<br />9. Develop mechanisms to record and measure changes in referrals and utilization of services based upon
<br />project efforts with at least four key agencies/programs (such as Child Service Coordination,
<br />Developmental Evaluation Center, Orange-Person-Chatham Area Programs, Family Resource Centers,
<br />local school systems, Early Head Start or Head Start).
<br />Collaboration: The following agencies have agreed to collaborate and work closely with this project: Orange
<br />County Preschool Interagency Council, Orange County Partnership for Young Children, Hope for Kids, Orange
<br />County Health Department (Personal Health Services including Health Check and Dental Divisions),
<br />Developmental Evaluation Center, Piedmont Health Services, Orange County Cooperative Extension, Orange
<br />Person Chatham Area Program (Early Intervention and Family Services).
<br />Programs to be contacted/enlisted as the project is developed include (at least): Orange Congregations in
<br />Mission, Inter-Faith Council, Family Resource Centers, Women Infants and Children (V1I1C) Program, Health
<br />Choice Coalition, UNC Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC),,Family Support Network, Prevent Blindness,
<br />Orange County Department of Social Services, Horizons, Project Homestart, Ronald MacDonald House, UNC
<br />Division of Speech and Hearing, Orange County Early Head Start, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Head Start, Cedar
<br />Grove Head Start, Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools, Orange County Schools, Kiwanis, Sertoma, Dons Club, Delta
<br />Sigma Theta Sorority, UNC School of Public Health and UNC Hospitals.
<br />Outputs: Anticipated outputs for this project include:
<br />1. The Public Relations professional will establish effective working relationships with contact persons in at
<br />least 80% of the above mentioned agencieslprograms;
<br />2. Coordinate inter-agency participation to reach at least 100 families with preschoolers in one community-
<br />wide celebratory events (such as Apple Chili or Hog Day);
<br />3. One mass carnass/outreach event will reach at least 900 children through Hope for lCds' Annual Big
<br />Event in year one;
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