The North Carolina Hispanic/Latino Lay Health Initiative Barbara Garland August 2006

Background North Carolina Institute of Medicine 2003 Latino Health Report The Hispanic Health Task Force, Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, NCDHHS Hispanic/Latino Lay Health Advisor Development Team

NC Institute of Medicine Findings Major impediments to Latino health and healthcare are: Unfamiliarity with health care system; Ineffective interaction with healthcare providers and vise versa;

NC Institute of Medicine Findings, (cont.) Lack of health literacy Differing cultural beliefs and practices Communication barriers

NCIM Recommendations That the NCDHHS take the lead in convening a lay health advisor development group to: Develop training for Latino lay health advisors Identify funding sources for programs in counties with large concentrations of Latino residents

Structure Building for a LHA Program Establishing essential structures and processes for supporting LHA programs at state and local levels: The Program Coordinator Importance, roles, qualifications, time required.

Structure Building for a LHA Program (CONT.) The Structure Elements: Leadership, mission statement, committees, decision making Lay health advisors: Natural abilities, skills, niche, team building

Latino Lay Health Advisor Curriculum for LHA Trainers Train-the-trainer curriculum for program managers Each chapter includes: A lesson outline with learning objectives, an overview, key points, time needed and references Support materials Suggestions for presenting the material in a culturally appropriate manner

LHA Trainer’s Curriculum Content Sessions: 1.Hispanics/Latinos in North Carolina 2. Promoting Health in NC 3. LHA Models that Work 4. Starting a LHA Program in your community

LHA Trainer’s Curriculum Content (cont.) 5.Preparing for a Lay Health Advisor Program 6.Using the LHA Curriculum 7. Supporting and Maintaining a LHA program 8. Evaluating a Lay Health Advisor Program

The Health Modules for LHAs Health modules contain specific health and health- related information including: Overview of issue affecting Hispanic/Latino population in NC Key points/messages to be shared with Hispanic/Latino community members

The Health Modules for LHAs, (Cont.) Suggested activities, educational methods Suggested evaluation questions to determine learning Resources for community members

LHA Health Module Topics Chronic Diseases Injury Prevention Reproductive Health Child Health Communicable Diseases Mental Health

Desired Outcomes of Latino Lay Health Advisor Initiative State and local agency leadership and accountability Clearly defined roles of state and community partners Support for Lay Health Advisors in the form of technical assistance, materials and resources

Desired Outcomes of Lay Health Advisor Initiative, (cont) Hispanic/Latino Lay health Advisor programs with defined goals, objectives and outcomes Participatory evaluation Improved health outcomes in the targeted communities