Skills for Health Promotion: An Introductory-level Workshop

Public Health Ontario is pleased to offer the popular Skills for Health Promotion workshop for newcomers to health promotion.

The workshop will be offered on the following dates in partnership with the following Health Units:

June 4 and 5, 2012 – 9:00 am – 4: 00 pm

Peterborough County Health Unit

Workshop location: Trent University, Peterborough

September 10 and 11 2012 – 9:00 am – 4: 00 pm

London Middlesex Health Unit

Workshop location: London (venue TBD)

November 7 and 8, 2012 – 9:00 am – 4: 00 pm

Ottawa Public Health

Workshop location: Ottawa (venue TBD)

Participants can register for one or both days. Please note refreshments will be provided, however participants are expected to provide their own lunch.

About the workshops: Who should attend?

This is an introductory level series of workshops.  They are designed for anyone new to health promotion seeking definitions, tools, resources and organized approaches to practice. Front line staff that need to plan, implement and/or evaluate programs and services, as well as managers or team leaders who train or advise staff about evidence-informed processes will find these workshops helpful.

Facilitators

Areeta Bridgemohan

Ms. Bridgemohan has 6 years of experience in research and evaluation in a variety of settings in the non-profit and public sector. She possesses a Master of Public Health, Health Behaviour and Health Education and a Certificate in Global Health from the University of Michigan. Most recently, Ms. Bridgemohan was working in the non-profit sector supporting capacity building evaluation activities, research and other key community initiatives. Ms. Bridgemohan has also worked at a research centre, conducting different kinds of evaluations, including assessing the dynamics of an academic and community-based organization partnership. She has lived in several countries, where she has participated in various public health initiatives. Ms. Bridgemohan works as a Health Promotion Field Support Specialist in Evaluation at Public Health Ontario. 

Nimira Lalani

Ms. Lalani has worked in the fields of adult education, health promotion/public health, research, and knowledge exchange for 15 years. Originally from London, England, she studied nutrition at the University of British Columbia, completed a master's of science in Community Health Sciences from the University of Calgary and earned a postgraduate certificate in learning and teaching at the University of East London, England. Ms. Lalani is committed to using an equity lens in her health promotion work.  She works as a Health Promotion Field Support Specialist in Policy and Planning at Public Health Ontario. 

Sophie Rosa

Ms. Rosa holds a M.Sc. in Health Studies and Gerontology, a B.Sc in Psychology and a B.A. in Professional Writing in English. Her professional background covers over 12 years of experience in health promotion, communications and strategic planning. She has led numerous national, provincial and municipal communication and public engagement initiatives for the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Previously, Ms. Rosa functioned as a senior communications advisor in the public service and as a freelance health writer. She began her career as a communications advisor for the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and as a health promotion specialist for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.  Ms. Rosa works as a Health Promotion Field Support Specialist in Health Communication at Public Health Ontario. 

Day One

Developing Health Promotion Policies

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Morning Workshop Description

This skill-building workshop is intended for public and community health practitioners with an interest in developing health promotion policy.  Through a combination of lectures, small group exercises and a case study, the workshop will address the stages of development of community-wide policies ( identifying needs, building support among interested parties and organizations, and reducing barriers for adoption and implementation) with application to specific settings, such as workplaces and schools.

Goal

To provide participants with the knowledge and skills to develop health promotion policies. 

Objectives

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

·         apply a practical model of policy development based on identified community health needs and stakeholder involvement;

·         identify strategies for building support among stakeholders; and

·          identify the key challenges associated with policy development and be able to apply strategies for addressing these challenges.

Planning Health Promotion Programs

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon Workshop Description

This initial workshop introduces participants to a six-step framework for planning in the context of health promotion that includes: working with many stakeholders; addressing health in a broad context; and building upon community capacities. Participants will gain a greater understanding of health promotion planning through a combination of workshop lectures, practical small group exercises and a variety of learning materials.

Goal

To provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to plan health promotion interventions. 

Objectives

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• apply a health promotion model to design real-world projects;
• develop goals, objectives and success indicators for a health promotion plan; and
• identify common challenging situations in planning and some promising solutions.

Day Two

Evaluating Health Promotion Programs

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Morning Workshop Description

This workshop provides participants with the knowledge and skills to begin planning an appropriate evaluation for a health promotion initiative. Through presentation, hands-on activities and relevant examples, participants will build understanding of key evaluation concepts and build skills in setting objectives and choosing evaluation methods. 

Goal

To provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to plan evaluations of health promotion interventions.

Objectives

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• work through the steps in planning an evaluation,
• develop good evaluation questions and indicators,
• understand and choose the best methods for evaluation, and how to make best use of evaluation results

Overview of Health Communication Campaigns

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon Workshop description

This final and practical workshop provides an overview of the 12 steps necessary to develop communication strategies. This includes applying health communication at the individual, network, organizational and societal levels and developing the skills to integrate media, interpersonal, and events-based approaches.

This workshop uses a mix of presentations and hands-on exercises.

Goal

To assist agencies and individuals involved in health promotion initiatives to plan, implement and evaluate a range of communication resources and tactics as part of an overall campaign.

Objectives

At the end of the workshop, participants will:

• be able to identify key steps in the development, implementation and evaluation of a communication campaign
• be able to systematically and critically assess health communication products and messages
• gain working knowledge of the basic principles of social media, best practices in public health and platforms commonly used.