Minority Health Initiative
Pamela Clark - Director
Phone: 812.2886451 ext 2135
Email: pclark@casi1.org
Why do we exist?
Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. Social determinants within each of these broad areas, such as poverty, housing, social support, discrimination, quality of schools, health care access, and transportation all are influences of Health Disparities.
Contributing factors to health disparities: increase in the number of uninsured, limited employment opportunities, unhealthy environment, poverty and poor investment in public education.
Cancer disparities can be eliminated if we focus on promoting HEALTH EQUITY for everyone. Healthy People 2020 defines health equity as the “attainment of the highest level of health for all people.
Programmatic Scope of Work
Intervention Programs – Evidence Based
- Media Smart – Media Smart is an evidence-based 8-lesson media literacy program for students in middle school. The teaches youth about the impact the media has on young people making healthy choices through TV ads, etc. Every aspect of Media Smart is designed to help young people learn by doing. For example, some of the activities require students to work in groups, to move around in a space or work on large pieces of paper with markers. It is suitable for teachers to use in a range of classes including English, study of society, home economics, physical education, pastoral care and home group.
Operation Fit Kids is 7 Lessons – It’s no secret that poor nutrition and inactivity are putting today’s youth at risk of developing life-threatening diseases as they age. According to the American Heart Association, about 1 in 3 children (ages 2-19) are overweight (at or above the 85th percentile of Body Mass Index) and about 1 in 6 are obese (at or above the 95th percentile of Body Mass Index). Operation Fit Kids is for grades 3-5. This is the perfect afterschool program! (Remove what’s on the site)
- Energize Our Families: Parent Program, a four- session program with dynamic activities for parents to encourage a healthy weight in their family. The core concept explored is “energy balance,” or the long-term balance between ENERGY IN (calories from food) and ENERGY OUT (calories burned through activity).
- Diabetes Education Empowerment Program (DEEP) – focuses on individuals living with diabetes or prediabetes. (Remove by request only and 10 weeks)
- Chronic Disease Self-Management Program – This is a 6 week course for anyone with any type of chronic condition. Topics include dealing with difficult emotions, nutrition, physical activity, pain & fatigue, and more.
- Breathe – Healthy steps to living tobacco free curriculum uses a comprehensive approach that involves parents, early childhood education professionals, and children to address the health effects of raising children around tobacco smoke.