ENGAGING TARGET
POPULATIONS TO MAKE
EFFECTIVE, SUSTAINABLE,
POLICY, SYSTEM AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
Chera Sevcik, MS
Jessica Seide
Sandy Lorenz, MA
STATEWIDE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM (SHIP)
 Passed by the 2008 legislature as part of Minnesota
Health Reform.
 Minnesota Department of Health awarded funds that
covered all Community Health Boards and 7 of 9
tribal governments.
 Uses sustainable Policy -System-Environmental (PSE)
approach to improving health.
 Targets four sectors: Community, School, Worksite,
Health Care Organization
FARIBAULT, MARTIN & WATONWAN
COUNTIES SHIP BACKGROUND
 Faribault, Martin &
Watonwan (FMW)
Counties received a
SHIP grant to work in
schools, worksites,
health care
organizations and
communities
UTILIZING COMMUNIT Y LEADERS
 FMW SHIP established an active Community
Leadership Team to guide and oversee SHIP efforts.
 County-level steering committees were started to
provide input and recommendations to the CLT
 Grassroots, innovation and sustainability were the
primary goals of our project – resulting in providing
mini-grant awards to communities, schools,
worksites and health care organizations to help
implement SHIP work.
DETERMINING STRATEGIES
 Fall 2009- FMW SHIP conducted a comprehensive
community assessment which included:
 Community Surveys
 7 Focus Groups
 Key Informant Interviews
 Community Mapping
 Reviewing Existing Data
 Assessment data combined with Steering Committee
recommendations allowed FMW CLT to select 6
strategies
 Community Nutrition, Community Physical Activity, School
Nutrition, School Physical Activity, Worksite Wellness and
Health Care Referral
DECIDING ON MINI-GRANTS
 Mini-grants allowed for innovation, community control and grassroots implementation of SHIP
efforts
 Allowed community champions to take ideas and
“run”
 FMW SHIP awarded 23 mini-grants impacting
over 30 sites
This is a story about a few of those projects….
WATONWAN COUNTY
LATINO WELLNESS
COUNCIL
ABOUT WATONWAN COUNT Y
Population of
11,211
Highest Per-Capita
Latino Population in
the State of MN at
21%
11% of population
living below poverty
CULTURAL BARRIERS
 Language
 County of Origin (Not all are Hispanic!)
 Cultural Values
 Emphasis on Family & Community
 Cultural Celebrations
 Cultural differences with
lifestyles
 Foods, Exercise/Physical Activity
 Obtaining Medical Care
 Understanding the need for Prevention
 Levels of understanding with PSE change
OVERCOMING BARRIERS
1. Identifying a champion(s) in the community!
2. Brainstorming possible ways to work on PSE
changes that fits Latino values, culture and beliefs.
3. Thinking outside of the box – trying things we had
not tried before.
4. Developing a relationship with the community
5. Go where they already are (workplaces, schools,
churches)
6. Work schedule can be prohibitive
OUR IDEA: LATINO WELLNESS COUNCIL
FMW SHIP awarded a mini-grant to form a
Latino Wellness Council
Our goals:
 Engaging Latinos in a community assessment
process to better understand their wants and needs
in terms of nutrition, physical activity, health care
and worksite health;
 Implementing policy, systems and environmental
changes as well as health programming to improve
the health of the population;
LATINO WELLNESS COUNCIL
 Goals Cont’d
 Identifying external grant opportunities to increase
funding for these initiatives;
 Introducing American culture to Latino immigrants;
and
 Identifying ways to engage the Latino population to
participate in health initiatives.
A SLOW START
 Recruitment was slow, but eventually we found the
right people
 Ellen utilized her connections with Tony Downs Foods
(70% of the employees are Latino) and found Latinos
interested and committed
 First Latino Council Meeting
 Held Fall 2010 at local Hotel
 10 Latinos came – we provided dinner from local
Mexican Restaurant
 Subsequent Meetings
 Latinos brought food to share
 Met at local church
DEFINING PRIORITIES
The Latino Wellness Council members
prioritized three key issues to address as a
Council:
 The City of Madelia does not have a public space to
play soccer, a culturally important sport in Latino
cultures;
 There are several barriers in place that prevent
residents from accessing local food shelves; and
 Latino Wellness Council members do not consider
certain Madelia City streets to be safe for walking –
for themselves and especially for their children.
A PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE
 Latino Council tackled first priority - Community
Soccer Field
 Meeting with City Administrator to identify public
property large enough
 Proposal drafted & set date to present to city
council.
 Proposal overviewed to City Council by
Chera Sevcik and Latino Wellness Council.
A PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE
City Council voted
unanimously to
approve proposal
which included city
commitment to
maintain field.
The field was
prepared and ready
for use in Summer
2011.
OTHER STRATEGIES
 Community Nutrition
 Latino Wellness Council is working with:
 Plaza Morena Mexican Restaurant to label healthier
items on the menu
 With local food shelf directors to increase access to
healthier and more culturally appropriate foods.
 Community Physical Activity
 Engaging Community Leaders/Decision-makers in a
Walkability Assessment and encouraging safer
walking conditions to schools, stores and churches
from Latino neighborhoods
LESSONS LEARNED
 It takes time to build a council.
 Make participation convenient and comfortable.
 Focus efforts on what moves the community.
 Choose a facilitator that can bridge between Latino
and mainstream culture.
 Take time to understand cultural perspectives on
prevention.
 Capitalize on opportunities for change.
 Staff support is critical to moving forward.
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
 Continue to build the council – focusing on continued
recruitment, which may change with priority areas.
 Continue to meet, ensure value to council and
provide them with ways to improve their community
AND the entire community.
 Continue defining priorities and working towards
culturally appropriate solutions.
LATINO COUNCIL CASE STUDY
Faribault, Martin, and Watonwan Counties Latino
Council Case Study report can be found at
http://tinyurl.com/3o6zn5v
MARTIN COUNTY
SENIOR VOICES
ABOUT MARTIN COUNT Y
Population of
21,000
Over 20% of Martin
County’s are over
the age of 65
compared to 12%
statewide
THE BEGINNING…
Fairmont Community Education and
Recreation (CER) received a SHIP grant help
refer seniors to resources for physical activity,
nutrition, volunteer opportunities and health
care.
In Fall, 2010 Martin County Senior Voices
Coalition was formed and began meeting.
MISSION AND VISION
Mission:
“To identify and promote resources which
enhance, empower and enrich seniors to be healthy,
safe, and engaged citizens”
Vision:
“To help seniors live healthy and purposeful
lives through education and engagement in
community activities and services”
ASSESSMENT
 Understanding the perceived needs among
Seniors
 Completed assessment to identify and gather
information related to:
 Health Care
 Housing
 Nutrition Opportunities
 Transportation
 Opportunities for Exercise
GOALS
1. Create a system of resource and referral for
information dissemination among senior citizens.
2. Develop key relationships and contract person in
all Martin County communities.
3. Identify needs in activities, programs and services
for aging and/or retired persons
4. Promote these services and activities to seniors
5. Engage seniors in voicing concerns about
walkability and accessibility.
PRIORITIES
 Partner with Fairmont Downtown Association to engage
community in a walkability assessment.
 Work with facilities to expand of ferings for recreational
opportunities aimed at Seniors (indoor walking, free open gym, walking groups)
 Develop opportunities for intergenerational physical activity
 Create a resource guide and website for easy access to
services, programs and information for Seniors.
 Connect Senior Caregiver Organizations, Minnesota River Area
Agency on Aging,
 Promote community resources
WALK N’ ROLL
 Walkability is a very
important component of
engaging the senior
population.
 Fairmont City Engineer
hosted Walk N’ Roll
 Examined what could
be done to make it
easier to get around by
foot or bike
 Discussed future plans
for trails and city roads
WALKABILIT Y CHECKLIST
 Walkability checklist were distributed to different
groups throughout Fairmont
 Checklist were then collected and sent to Fairmont’s
City Engineer
SNOWSHOE EVENT
• Saturday, February 5th
2011
• Event was free and open
to the public
• 48 people attended of
various ages from young
children to seniors
ACTIVE LIVING PACKAGES
Equipment available to all generations to
promote being physically active within the
community. Equipment includes:
 Snowshoes
 Bocce Ball
 Croquet Sets
 Horseshoes
 And other games..
PICKLE BALL & MINNESOTA SENIOR GAMES
 Purchased Pickle Ball equipment
 Offered Pickle Ball Open gym to seniors in the
community at no cost.
 Some of our open gym participants participated in
the 2011 Minnesota Senior Games
 Since then a Pickle Ball League has been started
2011 Minnesota Senior Games
June 2-5, 2011
Mankato
Minnesota State University,
RESOURCE GUIDE
WEBSITE
MARTINCOUNT YSENIORVOICES.COM
Search tabs for:
 Home
 Calendar
 Contact
 Activities
 Transportation
 Food
 Health Care
 Volunteer
 Faith Institutions
ACTIVE LIVING CHATS
LESSONS LEARNED
 Facilitator/Champion is a vital aspect of creating a
Senior Council
 Involve the right people
 Start with an area people care about and build on it
 Building a sustainable council is time -intensive
 Allow people to participate however they feel most
comfortable
 Shared leadership results in member buy in
 Reevaluate goals as new information is available
 Data provided a good starting point
SENIOR VOICES CASE STUDY
Faribault, Martin, and Watonwan Counties Senior
Voices Case Study report can be found at
http://tinyurl.com/3o6zn5v
INTERFAITH
CAREGIVERS
FARIBAULT COUNT Y
Population 14,553
11 communities, 7
with under 600
people.
22% over the age of
65, higher than the
state average of
13%
INTERFAITH CAREGIVERS
Senior Service organization serving seniors with
unmet non-medical needs, living with chronic illnesses
or temporary disabilities. Interfaith Caregivers started
serving seniors in Faribault County in 1997.
Mission
To provide non-medical, volunteer-based support and
assistance for seniors with physical, social and
spiritual needs.
Goal
To establish and coordinate a network of trained
volunteers who can enable those served to maintain
independence, dignity and quality of life .
HOW SHIP ENHANCED OFFERINGS
 Funding provided through mini -grant
 Technical assistance with drafting action plan, budget,
communications plan
 Contacted MDH for training opportunities
 Connected with other organizations and agencies serving
Seniors
 Secured CDSMP training and identified participants from
region
DIRECT ACCESS TO AT-RISK SENIORS
 Interfaith provides
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Support services for elders and caregivers
Escorts to medical appointments
Respite Care
Transitioning home from hospital or nursing home
Support Groups
Educational classes
Transportation
Opportunities for Volunteers
INTERFAITH CAREGIVERS AND SHIP
 Interfaith received a SHIP mini -grant in 2010 to:
 Develop an assessment and referral process to identify seniors with
risk factors and provide referrals to community resources
 Become trained to provide the Chronic Disease Self -Management
Program and offer the program regularly
 Expand current offerings for Matter of Balance –especially to smaller
communities within the County
SENIOR HEALTH & FITNESS ASSESSMENT
CHRONIC DISEASE SELF -MANAGEMENT
TRAINING
LESSONS LEARNED
 Partner with area Community Education to advertise
workshops and classes
 Communicate and learn from other agencies serving Seniors
 Train individuals living in smaller communities to ensure
classes will be available to all Seniors not just those in the
population centers
 Small communities are eager to be served locally
 Champions are in each community - the challenge is to
identify
FUTURE PLANS
 Letter of intent for SHIP 2.0
 Continue expansion to underserved communities in Faribault
County
 Continue to build coalitions with county and state-wide
resources
 Expand directory/website
 Expand volunteer base
RESOURCES
 www.fiafaribaultcounty.org
 www.mnhelp.info
 http://[email protected]
CONTACT INFORMATION
Chera Sevcik, MS
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 507-236-5376
Jessica Seide
E-mail: [email protected]
Sandy Lorenz, MA
E-mail: [email protected]