Community Health

One of the key lessons learned in the last few decades of public health research is the importance of understanding the subtle, unique characteristics of the communities in which people live and work. Prevention strategies that work well in one community may fail in other communities because they fail to address the needs of that population. We collaborate with local leaders and organizations, who work with us to shape programs and interventions to fit the needs of their communities—including schools, rural villages, urban neighborhoods, and college campuses.

Enhancing Services for College Students: Using BASICS for High-Risk Drinkers

CCHS will provide consultation and training to build the capacity of the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus and community to implement effective early intervention strategies to reduce high-risk alcohol use by students. The purpose of project activities is to build a widening “net”—to design and implement a campus wide infrastructure, linked with community services—to increase the opportunities to identify, screen, and refer students in need of an intervention.

Tackling Underage Drinking Town Hall Meeting

NECAPT, part of The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), hosted a regional workshop regarding Town Hall Meetings on Underage Drinking on January 18, 2006. Participants in the January 18th workshop gained skills in how to run town hall meetings and how to use AD council public service announcements. This workshop prepared states for the Town Hall Meetings on Underage Drinking held in March 2006.

Process Evaluation of the Intensive Wellness Program

The Intensive Wellness Program (IWP) is an enhanced primary care program designed specifically to serve Medicaid patients who are at the greatest risk of repetitive, high cost utilization of medical care. In addition to primary care and behavioral health services, the IWP provides: (1) comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment; (2) community outreach; and (3) intensive patient tracking and case management. EDC will carry out a process evaluation to describe the core elements of the IWP and patient perceptions about the program.

Staying Safe in the City

A video shown in clinic waiting rooms resulted in a reduction in STDs among patients who viewed it.

An EDC video shown in clinic waiting rooms resulted in a reduction in STDs among patients who viewed it.

The Heart of the Matter

EDC’s Tribal Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center is a federally funded agency that works across the self-governing American Indian communities throughout the United States to improve juvenile justice systems and health programming for youth.

Healthy Weight for Kids

EDC is evaluating a new initiative that employs a holistic approach in five community health centers to keep young people healthy.

Child Rear Seating Among the Hard-to-Reach

EDC is launching a new initiative with the goal of increasing child rear seating in a low-income, ethnically diverse community (Brockton, Mass.) with a substantial Cape Verdean population. The project, a community-based intervention and evaluation, builds on EDC’s successful community-based Niños Atrás program.

Implementation Experiences of School and Community Violence Prevention Grantees

The purpose of this project is to identify and document implementation issues experienced by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration community and school grantees who received support to implement and evaluate youth violence prevention efforts.

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning

This national project was designed to strengthen the capacity of child care programs and Head Start to promote the social and emotional development of young children. CC&F/EDC worked on identifying the needs of direct-service staff to better support children’s social and emotional development. Working with partners in universities and national organizations, CC&F/EDC developed and disseminated training materials through national and local networks.

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Collaboration Project

CC&F/EDC led a collaborative effort with federal and state agencies and key associations to improve services for young children whose families are migrant or seasonal farmworkers. CC&F/EDC analyzed policies and services and facilitated cooperative agreements between and among states and federal agencies to improve educational and health outcomes for children.