Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
14 <br />V. Ability of Health Department to Implement Program <br />1) Past Experience in Community -Based Programs: <br />The Orange County Health Department is currently <br />implementing three community -based programs and about to <br />embark on a fourth. <br />The "In the Know" program is a Minority Aids Education <br />Program which targets minority teens for Aids risk <br />reduction strategies. The program operates through the <br />"Natural Helper" or "Lay Advisor" model utilizing a <br />corps .of- mi -nority--t- eenager -s- -from both -- northern- -and <br />southern Orange County as peer advisors. The program <br />has been awarded funding from the State. Department of <br />Environment, Health, and Natural Resources for four <br />consecutive years, and we are currently completing the <br />proposal for a fifth year of funding. The program has <br />developed linkages with the two high schools in the <br />County which feed peer advisors into the program. <br />Students are given release time from school to <br />participate in required training and other meetings. An <br />advisory board oversees the program. Members of the <br />advisory board represent local schools, recreation <br />programs and other community organizations, as well as, <br />informal community leaders. <br />The Buckle Up Baby + program is funded by an injury <br />prevention mini -grant for the current fiscal year. The <br />goal of this program is to reduce the risks to infants <br />and children of injury or death from motor vehicle <br />accidents by providing education to parents of children <br />in day care and those seen in health department clinics <br />on the importance of using child safety restraints. Day <br />care operators and their workers in several day care <br />centers in the County are also targeted for educational <br />efforts. In addition, funding is available for the <br />purchase of convertible infant /toddler safety seats to <br />be made available to parents at a reduced.cost. The <br />health department has collaborated with participating <br />day care centers in implementing this project. More <br />safety seats will be purchased with proceeds gained from <br />the sale of seats. <br />Project Poison Patrol is another program funded by an <br />injury prevention mini -grant this year. The goal of <br />this program is to prevent accidental poisonings of <br />children by educating parents of children in day care <br />and those seen in health department clinics. Information <br />on sources of poisonings and ways to prevent children's <br />exposure -to these sources is given through the use of <br />pre- tests, discussion of the pre- tests, and post - tests. <br />A packet containing syrup of ipecac and poison <br />8 <br />