1. Multnomah County Health Department
Community Participation
The Hepatitis C Community Planning Group
Experience in Multnomah County, Oregon
National Hepatitis Coordinators’ Conference
January 30, 2003
Facilitator: Virginia Schmitz, EdM

2. Today’s Desired Outcomes:
To share experiences and challenges in developing an HCV community planning group.
To explore strategies to effectively involve community members living with/affected by HCV in the planning process.

3. History & Background Effective community activism by members of the
Recovery Association Project (RAP) in 1999
Approached Health Department with specific
requests and recommendations to address Hep C
epidemic
Public Action event in late 1999 – County
Commissioners committed general funds for Hep C
Program, to include establishment of the Hepatitis
C Community Planning Group (CPG)

4. Formation of the CPG
Meetings among MCHD staff on design/format of a meetings
Modeled after HIV Prevention Community Planning
Recruitment started in June 2001
First meeting held September 13, 2001

5. Composition Members represent several categories
Individuals infected/affected by HCV
Social service and mental health services
A&D treatment centers
HIV care services
Homeless programs
Youth programs
Policy makers
Insurance representatives
Allopathic and CAM providers
State Health Division staff
County Health Department staff

6. Purpose/Goals
To explore the broad range of perspectives on prevention,
care and treatment of persons at risk for – or living with –
Hepatitis C
To identify and mobilize community resources to lead an
effective community response
To develop a Strategic Plan for Multnomah County

7. Mission The mission of the Multnomah County Hepatitis C
Community Planning Group is to develop a
comprehensive, culturally competent, collaborative
approach to the prevention of Hepatitis C and to
support people affected by the disease
through:
harm reduction approaches;
advocacy for full and equal access to information
and community health services;
education to reduce stigma; and
coordination of information, resources and services.

8. Structure of CPG Members formed work teams based on
the Mission of the CPG:
Social Services Care Coordination
Advocacy
Prevention, Outreach and Education
Medical Care/Treatment Coordination

9. Structure of CPG (continued)
The CPG is guided by the Leadership
Committee made up of members from the
four work teams and health department staff
Future plans include electing co-chairs and
developing a more formal decision-making
process

10. Needs Assessment Purpose: to identify the array of Hepatitis C needs
among clients and providers in Multnomah
County
information will be used to develop a strategic,
community-based plan for Multnomah County

11. Needs Assessment (continued)
Target audiences:
individuals infected/affected by HCV
social service care providers (mental health,
A&D, housing, financial assistance)
allopathic (western) medical providers
complementary and alternative medical providers
general population

12. Needs Assessment (continued)
Questions/concepts related to:
basic knowledge (general population/infected
community)
access to care & barriers to access
types of HCV services offered (providers only)
types of referrals for support/treatment & barriers
encountered to referrals

13. Challenges Range of member experiences in community
No source of funding for CPG
Range of member experiences in community
planning—everyone at different levels
Finding balance between planning vs. action
Want to maximize community participation
without formal structure for group
Maintaining membership – ups and downs
Currently MCHD VHIP is covering expenses associated with the CPG (staffing, food for meetings; expenses associated with distributing needs assessment).
Several members not familiar with community planning steps and purpose; need to periodically remind them that we are charged with making recommendations – not implementing
The group decided early on that they did not want to deal with the structural aspects of the group at the beginning. They were more interested in pursuing development and implementation of a needs assessment
While there are 25 group members, a core group of members consistently attend meetings. Despite people’s schedules, we feel this is a good number

14. Challenges (continued)
Ensuring inclusion and representation among
diverse racial/ethnic/age groups
Maintaining balance between MCHD staff
(charged with implementation) and community
members; trying not to “drive” the
agenda/process
No precedent set for the HCV CPG
Dynamics of group process, i.e. form, norm,
storm, perform
Ensuring representation from diverse groups, particularly ethnic, has been extremely challenging. We had various representatives identified (and who had committed to the group) but several did not make the meetings; others made it only a few times. Recruitment efforts mid-way through the year were attempted but unsuccessful in the longer run.
MCHD VHIP staff is charged with organizing and implementing the CPG, and we try not to “drive” the process. However, community members sometimes don’t know what direction to take or are not available to see things through, so gaps are picked up by the VHIP staff.
While there are other task forces and coalitions devoted to Hep C issues in the country, we aren’t aware of any other planning group similar to ours. In this respect then, we don’t have any specific example to follow, other than the HIV Prevention Planning model. And while lack of funding was mentioned as a challenge, it’s also advantageous when starting out a group as we have no pre-set rules and conditions imposed on us that we must meet.

15. Strategies Use of outside facilitator for first several meetings
Descriptive letter announcing purpose of group and time commitment in advance of invitation
Orientation to community planning
Food/child care for participants
Infected/affected peer to peer recruitment
Mentoring process

16. Strategies (continued)
Open house meeting—interested community meet with current members for Q&A.
1-1 invitations to complete member application
Recruitment during needs assessment phase
Mail-outs to persons interested but not able to attend meetings; keep informed

17. Accomplishments Convened Oregon’s first HCV Community Planning Group
Developed a shared commitment to address HCV in
Multnomah County
Created a format for sharing ideas and experiences
Begun building group interaction and trust
Received orientations to community planning processes
Identified member training needs and coordinated
trainings to meet needs
Developed Vision and Mission statements

18. Accomplishments (continued)
Members formed and divided up into four work teams
Formed Leadership Committee to help guide work
Developed five needs assessment surveys
Distributed 1912 surveys to providers and clients; 40%
response rate
Recruited MPH graduate student interns to assist with
CPG needs assessment process
Built Access database to store survey data; results pending
Recruited new members for second & third years of
CPG; >50% of current members returning