1. Cheri Pies, MSW, DrPH Family, Maternal and Child Health Programs Contra Costa Health Services Preconception Care Summit October 30, 2007 Developing and Implementing Teaching Tools for Students and Health Department Employees on Preconception Health

2. Overview Preparing Public Health professionals: Questions to consider Life Course Game Tools for Public Health students Approaches with Health Department staff Discussion Questions

3. Questions to Consider What should we be doing differently in our MCH courses and other SPH courses to train students on this perspective? What steps need to be taken to train staff in the field about preconception health and the life course perspective?

4. Life Course Game

5. Processing Questions What happened in your group? If you were in the lead in the game, how did that make you feel? If you were falling behind, how did that make you feel? What does this game tell us about the lives of our clients? What issues/concepts does the game help illustrate?

6. Teaching Public Health Students Maternal and Child Health Core Course Objective: Discuss new approaches in the field of MCH that suggest that disparities in birth outcomes are the consequence of differential exposures not only during pregnancy but across the span of a person’s life.

7. Teaching Public Health Students Focus on the practical aspects of this paradigm shift Use of literature beyond traditional journal articles: Mountains Beyond Mountains, The Spirit Catches You When You Fall Down Incorporate Life Course Perspective into all topics: oral health, adolescent health, MCH nutrition, access to care

8. Teaching Health Department Staff Conducting interactive educational activities at staff meetings Explaining Lu et. al. 12-Point Plan Engaging staff in identifying current and future activities that fit within 12-Point Plan Enabling staff to each have their own “A-ha!” moment

9. Teaching Health Department Staff Focusing on what this paradigm shift means in concrete terms for them in their specific jobs and programs - making it personal Laying the groundwork with higher level management in our organization about the importance of preconception health and the Life Course Perspective to make change happen

10. Discussion Questions What should we be doing differently in our MCH courses and other SPH courses to train students on this perspective? What steps need to be taken to train staff in the field about preconception health and the life course perspective?