Core Elements of Health Education and Risk Reduction Activities

A number of core elements should be considered in health education and risk reduction program and evaluation activities.

Effective Health Education and Risk Reduction program activities:

• State realistic, specific, measurable, and attainable program goals and objectives.
• Identify methods and activities to achieve specific goals and objectives.
• Define staff roles, duties, and responsibilities.
• Define the populations to be served by geographic locale, risk behavior(s), gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity.
• Assure that educational materials and messages are relevant, culturally competent, and language- and age-appropriate.
• Include professional development for all program staff.
• Include a written policy and personnel procedures that address stress and burnout.
• Include written procedures for the referral and tracking of clients to appropriate services outside of the agency.
• Provide for collaboration with other local service providers to assure access to services for clients.
• Assure confidentiality of persons served.

Effective Health Education and Risk Reduction evaluation activities:

• Include process evaluation. (See Appendices.)
• Require consistent and accurate data collection procedures, including number of persons served, quantity and type of literature or materials distributed, and demographics of persons served.  A description of the tools to be used and definitions of various measurements (e.g., "unit of service" and "contact") should be outlined.
• Include staff supervision, observation, evaluation, and feedback on a regular basis. (See Appendices B-D.)
• Include feedback from persons served.
• Designate staff who are responsible for evaluation and quality assurance activities, for compiling and analyzing data, and for documenting and reviewing findings.
• Define methods for assessing progress toward stated process goals/outcome objectives.
• Include mechanisms for measuring the use of referral services.
• Provide findings for program modifications.

Go to Core Training