Community Committee for Health Promotion

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Who We Are!

The Community Committee for Health Promotion is an organization comprised of residents of the Boston Housing Authority family developments, community leaders and agency representatives. Our

board is comprised of 25 members, 13 of whom must be public housing residents. The CCHP is an equitable partner with the Boston University School of Public Health, the Boston Public Health Commission and the Boston Housing Authority. The four-part collaborative is known as the PHH-PRC or more formally, the Partners in Health and Housing Prevention Research Center.

The Community Committee for Health Promotion was an integral part of the grant proposal submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA by the Boston University School of Public Health. The CCHP began as a community advisory board “CAB” and soon became apparent that full partnership status was more appropriate.

Our purpose is to participate in the conceptualization, planning and implementation of the PHH-PRC’s various activities and programs and to assure that all BHA residents have equal access to the benefits, programs and work opportunities of the PHH-PRC. Twice a year, in spring and fall, the Community Committee for Health Promotion publishes a newsletter for BHA residents called The Pulse.  Through The Pulse, residents can share stories and  learn about programs, services, or opportunities that are available to them.  You can read or download the Spring 2011 issue here, either in English or  in Spanish. Look for the Fall 2011 issue, coming in November.

CCHP Sub-Committees

CCHP Members serve on one of the following six (6) Sub-Committees. Sub-committees meet monthly and report at the CCHP regular monthly meetings, providing updates on their work and receiving questions and comments from the full committee:scottmason

  • Budget Sub-Committee – Prepares and reviews the CCHP budget to ensure operation within the allocated funding level.
  • Committee of Chairs (COC) Sub-Committee – will serve, along with the CCHP Chair, to provide leadership to the CCHP.
  • Communication Sub-Committee – Assists other subcommittees and resident task forces with communication and distribution of materials.
  • Membership Sub-Committee – Recruits and maintains the membership numbers and monitors the By-Laws
  • National Community Committee Sub-Committee-The NCC is to ensure communication with other NCCs.
  • Program Sub-Committee – Reviews individual programs to determine adequate participation, efficiency and the cost effectiveness of the programs
  • Visiting Sub-Committee – Visits residents and Resident Task Forces to make them aware of the PRC and the CCHP.

What we do!

The Community Committee for Health Promotion (CCHP) members meet monthly to carry out our responsibilities as a PHH-PRC Partner. We review, assist in the design, participate in site selection, make recommendations regarding service delivery, and provide endorsements for PRC funded programs. We also review, assist in design and site selection of collaborative non-PRC funded projects.

Each CCHP member takes general responsibility for the distribution of information for at least one of the 22 BHA Family Developments throughout the city of Boston.  We develop and design flyers and surveys for the FISP program. Through FISP, we ascertain health related information to help inform PRC research and provide CCHP direction.

The CCHP quarterly hosts the PHH-PRC Steering Committee which includes the PRC partners, an agenda with updates of the CCHP sub-committees of their work and the Steering Committee.

FISP -Flyer Information & Survey Distribution Project.

We provide a 2 part program we call FISP. CCHP members distribute Flyers pertaining to the CCHP, the PRC and the other partners in the collaborative, as well as general “where to” health information to theapproximately 10,000 BHA Resident units across the city of Boston in two languages.

The first part of the FISP program requires that each of the CCHP members flyer the complete development for which they are responsible.

The second part of FISP uses surveys to assure the successful receipt of the flyer and obtains other health information for the PRC. Each CCHP member, oversees the survey segment by obtaining a 10%survey sampling of the development previously flyered. This effort produces approximately 1,000 Surveys with information regarding flyer receipt and other health indicators.

To learn more information about the CCHP contact Eugenia Smith, emsmith@bu.edu or 617-638-5366

News You Can Use

The National Campaign for Full Funding for Public Housing in the United States is petitioning members of Congress to include full funding in upcoming legislation. Go to this weblink to find the petition and add your signature: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/
fullfundingforpublichousing/

Recent publications from PHH-PRC investigators:

Scammell et al., “Meeting People Where They Are: Engaging Public Housing Residents for Integrated Pest Management.” Progress in Community Health Partnerships 2011:5(2).

Rorie et al., “Use of a Resident Health Advocate Model to Improve Public Health Van Screening and Follow-Up Among Public Housing Residents” (Prev Chronic Dis 2011; 8(1)).

Douyon et al., “The GirlStars Program: Challenges to Recruitment and Retention in a Physical Activity and Health Education Program for Adolescent Girls Living in Public Housing” (Prev Chronic Dis 2010; 7(2))