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HERE Focus Groups

During October some of you participated in focus groups conducted by the Office of Health Promotion. We learned a lot of valuable information that we plan to put into action. Some things we heard you wanted are:

We want to thank all of you who participated. For many of us this was more than a focus group but a chance to meet and exchange ideas. Business cards were passed back and forth, ideas for future projects were discussed, and people felt a lot of pride in the hard work we all do across Washington State.

 

Social Marketing Training

There's room still available in the workshops, "Social Marketing: Practical Applications for Public Health," sponsored by the Washington Department of Health, Office of Health Promotion. This two-day workshop is being offered in three more locations: February 28-March 1 in Longview, March 20-21 in Spokane, and April 18-19 in Mt. Vernon. Registration is $40. Please contact Jennifer Livingston at 360-236-3709, Jennifer.Livingston@doh.wa.gov if you are interested. Yakima and Tukwila workshops got great reviews. Comments from previous participants: "I appreciated examples that displayed social marketing ideas and then allowed time to practice in our own situation, and get feedback. Great workshop! I’d recommend it to anyone." "This has been the best investment of my time this year." Please pass the word to other staff and local partners.

 

Teach a Feature
How to use the H.E.R.E. Materials Exchange

Why start from scratch? Publication sharing enables you to use other's hard work and creative ideas. By using the H.E.R.E. Materials Exchange you can search a database by topic with over 200 health education materials produced by local health departments across Washington State. There is a brief description, along with a small picture of the cover, and contact names and phone numbers for requesting full copies. We receive additions through the Web site.

Plans for the future: Right now the full text of publications in the Right now the full text of publications in the Materials Exchange is not available for viewing or printing. We are considering the feasibility of an additional feature that will allow you to read a text file or download the material and take it to a local printer.

Adding your material to the Exchange: Click the Materials button on the home page, then the Materials Exchange link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on the link "submit your educational materials". Fill out and submit the form, which will send it to the HERE team who add the publication into the Materials Exchange. We will also need you to mail us two copies of the publication for the image displayed with the description. If you need to update a current material, submit a new form. If you have an item to add now click here Submission Form -- Materials Exchange.

Washington, Department of Health Publications: These publications can be found in the "September 2000 DOH Health Education Publications Catalog." The on-line version of this catalog is currently unavailable. Until it is back on-line the printed catalog is the most up-to-date listing of health education materials available. Expect to receive a copy in the mail from us soon.

Mentor of the Month
Melinda Harmon

Melinda is the Health Promotion Program Manager for the Bremerton-Kitsap County Health District. She earned her undergraduate degree in Health Education and her Master's in Health Administration. Before moving to Bremerton-Kitsap, she worked in public health at the state level for 20 years.

Melinda's accomplishments are diverse and impressive. She was co-founder of the Washington State Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Washington and helped launch the First Steps media campaign and toll free hotline. In past years Melinda managed the Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting. She has developed and managed statewide programs such as the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and the initial Abstinence Education Program. She coordinated a parenting education program and curricula entitled, "You and Your Baby" and "You and Your Toddler." Melinda enjoys social marketing and working with the media; she aided in the introduction of media literacy to DOH, launched the Teen Pregnancy Prevention media campaign, and worked with the University of Washington to develop the Teen Futures campaign. You may have seen Melinda on King 5 Top Story News.

As a health educator she feels passionate about adolescent health issues especially youth development, adolescent pregnancy prevention and school health. She also enjoys collaborating with groups on a common vision. Her advice to new health educators would be to get involved with all aspects of your community, always engage your target audience, and ask lots of questions. Most of all HANG IN THERE! Some future challenges she sees for health educators include integrating evaluation into all projects and staying abreast of best practices and current literature.

Melinda's outside interests and hobbies include her children and their many activities, skiing, travel, and getting together with friends. Her professional strengths are program management, coalition building, looking at the big picture (vision) and evaluation. You can contact Melinda by phone: 360-337-5224 or email: harmom@health.co.kitsap.wa.us.

What's New

Community Projects

Materials Exchange

Click on these helpful forms

Do you have a community project to add? Submission Form -- Community Projects
Do you have health education materials to add? Submission Form -- Materials Exchange
Would you like to be added to H.E.R.E. in WA and receive this newsletter monthly?
Add Yourself to the H.E.R.E. Rolodex

H.E.R.E.inWA Team
Office of Health Promotion
 Washington State Department of Health
PO Box 47833
Olympia, WA 98504-7833
(360) 236-3736
here@doh.wa.gov