TOPICS

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL
HEALTH STATUS AND HEALTH SERVICES ASSESSMENT
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
INJURY PREVENTION
TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION
NUTRITION, EXERCISE, AND TOBACCO

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL

The health department provides information and referrals on a variety of health topics and services through the Nursing Divsion. Persons needing information or assistance may call (419) 213-4113.

The Lucas County Automated Citizens Voice Information Line provides recorded messages on a variety of topics, including health issues. The number for this line is (419) 213-4800 Hearing impaired citizens may receive the same information by TDD at (419) 213-4811.

United Way of Greater Toledo and the American Red Cross of Greater Toledo also offer assistance in many areas relating to health promotion and assistance.

You may also want to try: The National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health .

HEALTH STATUS AND HEALTH SERVICES ASSESSMENT

The health department gathers information related to the health ofthe community, including mortality (death) rates for diseases and accidents, birth trends, morbidity (illness and disabilities), and analyzes causes of specific health problems to assist the communityand health care providers in improving the health of residents. This provides the scientific background for all planning and assurance functions. Information regarding available services is also collected. For more information - call Dan Ruth, 213-4120

For national data on health status try the Center for Disease Control.

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

The purpose of this program is to assist families and individuals in need of services to find and use the health and support services provided by the health department, other public health organizations,and other support services. Services are designed for people who maybe experiencing special barriers to care such as poverty, geographical problems, cultural factors, disabilities, or other factors. Outreach services are carried out as a collaborative effort with the Health Department, Planned Parenthood of Northwest Ohio, the Lucas County Family Council, andthe early intervention NETWORK

Cardiovascular Community Resource Guide (.pdf) 604KB

INJURY PREVENTION

The purpose of this project is to prevent accidental injury,especially to children. Accidental injury is the leading cause of mortality in children in Lucas County, as in the nation, and a major cause of disability and suffering.

The Lucas County Health Department implements childhood injury prevention activities through partnership with the SAFE KIDS Coalition. SAFE KIDS is a national campaign to reduce unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death in children 14 and under.Locally our group has four initiatives: bike safety, passenger safety, burn and fire prevention, and poison prevention. The committee is comprised of community professionals from 30 agencies,and community members such as parents.

Activities included child care seat giveaways, bike safety programs which reach nearly 6,000 children a year, the Fireman Freddie Walk which raises money for smoke detectors for needy families, the Parade of Homes SAFE KIDS house and fire safety information, and poison prevention.

For more information on safety, try the Safe Kids Home Page, or the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION

Teen pregnancy is a serious public health issue. Lucas County has the highest rate of teen births among the urban counties in Ohio. Partners for Successful Youth is the primary vehicle for teen pregnancy prevention activities for Lucas County. For more information call (419) 213-4615 or contact us using this link.

MISSION:
Partners for Successful Youth (PSY) evolved from the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition (1983) and reorganized in 1994 as Partners for Successful Youth (PSY). PSY is a committee of the Lucas County Family Council. The membership of PSY includes individuals from public and private sectors and many interested community members.. PSY includes organizations and individuals from throughout Lucas County who come together with the mission of reducing teen pregnancy. Major organizations in health and social services participate, and members come from all walks of life, neighborhoods, suburbs, racial/ethnic groups, religious backgrounds, etc. The Partners for Successful Youth welcomes the involvement of any community member who embraces the Mission and Goals of the group. Teen Pregnancy is the single most common reason young people fail to complete their education. Teen mothers are more likely to suffer ill-effects from their pregnancies and experience higher rates of infant morbidity and mortality. Families begun as a result of teen pregnancy are more likely to be poor, living on public assistance and below the poverty level.
Partners for Successful Youth recognizes that unless Lucas County adults are convinced of the serious consequences of teen pregnancy, this problem will continue to plague our young people. The research is readily available and the case compelling. With a community commitment to prevent pregnancy among teens and to promote successful youth, a generation of young people will be able to fulfill their potential as members of society

Mission:
The mission of Partners for Successful Youth is to create community will to bring about effective change by educating the public regarding the multi-generational economic and societal impact of teen pregnancy.

Goal:
To reduce the teen and preteen pregnancy rate in Lucas County to below the state average.

Strategy:
To accomplish the mission of PSY, four strategies have been identified:

1. Identifies mechanisms for the community to work in partnership in addressing the issues of teen pregnancy;
2. Advocates responsible sexual decision making;
3. Advises and makes recommendations to the Family Council on community priorities relating to healthy youth development and teen pregnancy prevention;
4. Collaborates with community partners in program development and in securing funding.

TEEN PREGNANCY FACTS

• The U.S. has the highest rates of teen birth, pregnancy, birth and abortion in the fully industrialized world. 3.5 out of 10 young women become pregnant at least once before they reach 20 – over 900,000 teen pregnancies annually.
• Lucas County has the highest teen birthrate of the metropolitan counties in Ohio. There were 799 teen births for a rate of 24.0/1,000 female teens (2005).
• There are nearly half a million births to teens each year. Put another way, each hour nearly 100 teen girls get pregnant and 55 give birth.
• About 40% of pregnant teens are 17 or younger.
• One half of teen mothers become welfare recipients within 5 years of becoming parents; most receive aid for 2 years, with many remaining on the welfare caseloads much longer.
• The children of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely and at lower birth weights, and are more likely to perform poorly in school. They are 50% more likely to repeat a grade, are less likely to complete high school, and have lower performance on standardized tests.
• The children of teen parents also suffer higher rates of abuse and neglect.
• Sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison.
• Daughters of teen mothers are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves.
• Almost 60% of teens with a school age pregnancy drop out at some point between 8th and 12th grade, Fully one half of teen mothers drop out of school before becoming pregnant.
• Nearly 80% of the fathers of children born to teen mothers do not marry the mothers. These fathers pay less than $800 annually in child support, often because they are quite poor themselves. Since child support can be an important source of income for poor children, children born to young fathers are at a further disadvantage.
• Teenagers who have a non-marital birth are significantly less likely to be married by the age of 35 than those who do not have babies as teens.
• Teen mothers are likely to have a second birth relatively soon – about one-fourth of teenage mothers have a second child within 24 months of the first birth – which can further impede their ability to finish school or keep a job, and to escape poverty.
• Every year 3 million teens – about 1 in 4 sexually experienced teens – acquire a sexually transmitted disease.
• Teen childbearing costs taxpayers at least $7 billion each year in direct costs associated with health care, foster care, criminal justice, and public assistance, as well as lost tax revenues.
• 7 out of 10 teens said that they were ready to listen to things their parents thought they were not ready to hear.

Births to Urban Teens in Ohio 2003
Ohio Live Births Count and Rate By Year, County, Age of Mother
2003 Lucas County Repeat Teen Births

Source: Child Trends, April 2006, Ohio Department of Health, Data Warehouse, Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, Vital Statistics Department

• Program offers weekly small group educational sessions, monthly community service projects, and service learning opportunities.
• The most “at risk” students in TOP are referred into their mentoring program. Fifteen youths will be matched with screened and thoroughly trained adult mentors. (Funded by ADAS)
• There will be one parent meeting per quarter consisting of Parent Dialogue Nights. There will also be home visits to each TOP parent.
• Target Group: Early High School, Late High School, Co-ed.
• Target Zip Codes: Waite High School (43605), Woodward High School (43604, Each school has proposed to serve approximately 80 youth.
• Evaluation of the program will be conducted through pre/post testing through Bowling Green State University.
• Connecting Point has also indicated that they would like to use the Family Matrix in their evaluations.

• Program will be implemented in zip codes 43604, 43611
• NorthRiver Development Corporation’s Community Organizer will work with families throughout the service area to identify neighborhood based leaders, recruit and train them to survey the community to map its community attitudes about teen sexual behavior and the knowledge of reproductive services provided to adolescents.
• An estimated 550 non-duplicated surveys will be collected.
• Phase Two of the program will train 5 peer educators who will schedule and facilitate 10 “Home Health Parties” each to reach 8-10 participants at each “Party”. These “Home Health Parties” will deliver the education to the community that was determined of importance on the surveys.
• Evaluation of the Plain Talk Program will be provided by Public Private Ventures

• Classes are conducted 2 days per week for 45 minutes throughout the school year. These classes are conducted at East Toledo Junior High School, Leverette junior High School, and Jones Junior High School with 2 groups proposed at each school.
• There will be one parent meeting or parent/youth child dialogue night per quarter. Home visits will be completed with every parent and educational workshop/training information is sent to all parents.
• Another program component includes one-on-one or small group intervention/counseling.
• Enrichment activities will be offered to help foster a positive self image and expose students to new experiences both in and out of their communities.
• Volunteer experiences will be throughout the year to build the students self esteem while gaining valuable life experiences and job training.
• IFE will serve approximately 240 youth and their families.
• Evaluation of all program components is conducted by Eric DuBow, Ph.D. through the Bowling Green State University Psychological Services.

1. Personal Rites of Passage
2. Spiritual Rites of Passage
3. Economic Rites of Passage
4. Political Rites of Passage
5. Social Rites of Passage
6. Mental Rites of Passage
7. Physical Rites of Passage
8. Emotional Rites of Passage
9. Historical Rites of Passage
10. Cultural Rites of Passage

• The Rites of Passage program will target male and female youth in junior high and early high school (grades 6-10) residing in the following zip codes; 43610, 43620, 43607.
• The program will provide after school and summer educational activities to 60 youth.
• Participants will be exposed to educational workshops, field trips, skill development training, pregnancy prevention methods, dance, tutoring, counseling, and groups.
• Elders will be matched with youth for one-on-one dialogue. These workshops will give both generations an opportunity to share their stories and wisdom.
• Parents will be invited to attend special events, visits to the program, and if intervention is needed with their youth.
• Parents will also be contacted through home visits, quarterly informational newsletters, and parent surveys.
• Evaluation will be both process and outcome based. (Surveys and Questionnaires, Pre and post tests)
• Process evaluation will focus on assessing the extent to which the intervention activities are planned and implemented in the intended manner so the program goals and objectives can be met.
• Outcome evaluation will measure changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that may be linked to the intervention

• 12 month program serving males and females 13-19 years of age in zip codes 04, 05, 09, and 11
• The program is modeled after the Children’s Aid Society (Carrera) Model
• Curriculum – “Be Proud, Be Responsible!” and Becoming a Responsible Teen both are listed as “Programs that Work” through the CDC.
• Every quarter the program implements parent CHARLAS (chatting) on-site at Adelante, Inc. The purpose of CHARLAS is for parents to improve their communication skills with their teens.
• Program has five components
• Academic Achievement
• Career/Workforce Development
• Pregnancy and ATOD Prevention
• Cultural Enrichment
• Mentoring/Leadership

• 12 month program
• Serving 80 males and females 13-19 in zip codes 20, 04, 08, 10, 20, 24
• Quarterly parent meetings
• Home visits every 6 months
• Collaborations with: The Toledo Museum of Art, American Red Cross, EDM Health Services, Collingwood Arts Center, Girl Scouts, Feed Lucas County Children, Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, Junior Achievement, University of Toledo Recreation Center, St. Vincent/ Mercy Medical Center, The Mill
• Carrera Model Program Components:
• Family Life and Sex Education
• Mental Health Services
• Job Club and Career Awareness
• Health Services
• Academic Achievement
• Self-Expression
• Lifetime Individual Sports

• Target Zip Codes: 43605, 43608 and throughout community.
• Serving 100 Males and Females 13-18 years old
• Outreach to community youth through Peer Opinion Leaders.
• Parent education
• Community professional education

• Program will operate at:
• George Phillips Academy
• Life Skills Center
• Toledo Accelerated Academy
• Alliance Academy
• Glass City Charter Schools
• Zip codes served: 43602, 04, 05, 07, 08, 09, 11, 12, 20, 24
• Male and female: 7th and 8th grade, high school, and out of school teens.
• 12 session/one per week in school program followed by after school and summer programming.
• Individual mentoring for youth and parents as needed
• Parent Component:
• Quarterly parent meetings
• Monthly parent support groups
• Home visits to provide information
• Inclusion of families in summer activities
• Parents will receive information about the program through letters, school newsletters, health fairs, parent association meetings and home visits.

• Target Zip Codes: 43602, 43604, 43605, 43607, 43608, 43609, 43610, 43624
• Serving 300 males and females 7-12th grades, out of school teens

• Intake/Assessment
• Community Service
• Mentoring: Peer Services
• Career Education
• Outreach Work
• Retention of students
• Home-based services
• Information and Referral
• Parent Work

NUTRITION, EXERCISE, AND TOBACCO

The Health Promotion Program, funded by grants from the Ohio Department of Health, concentrates its efforts in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco education and prevention. Trainings in these areas are offered to school personnel, community leaders, and other health professionals in Lucas County.

For more information on these programs, call 419-213-4169