Teaching Communities to “Fish”: A Best-Practices Model for Building Health Communication Capacity at the Local Level

Background:  While public health professionals often recognize that communication and outreach can enhance their programs’ successes, limited resources and capacity mean good intentions are often sacrificed. The end result? Exceptional programs remain the best kept secrets in town—funding evaporates, and needed services disappear.

Program background:  Local public health initiatives can measurably improve their success when capacity for communication and social marketing is built. Summarized by the proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has funded an evidence-based best-practices approach for building health communication capacity at the local level. This model was developed for the Safe Schools/Health Students (SS/HS) grantees, a multi-agency youth violence and substance abuse prevention initiative supported by the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services (SAMHSA), and Justice since 1999.  Because of its proven efficacy, the model has been adapted for other SAMHSA grant populations, including the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.  An array of easy-to-use, customizable resources, tools, and trainings help grantees plan, implement and evaluate communication efforts. Grantees learn to think strategically and integrate communication into their initiatives in ways that work best for them. Products, resources and trainings include: 

• An 8-Step communication planning process:  An evidence-based process that can be applied to the development of a single flyer or a full health communication plan.
• Communication institutes: In-person workshops in communication and social marketing support skill development, setting the groundwork for making the most of other resources available to grantees.
• Customized communication technical assistance: Ongoing, site-specific support from a communication specialist through phone/email consultations, Webinars, and on-site visits.
• Tool kits: Media, promotional, and partnership development materials with “boilerplate” and customizable copy provide ready-made, professional materials with tested messages.
• The Communication Coach Online (www.communicationcoachonline.org): A quarterly Web magazine offers practical guidance, success stories, a podcast, and a grantee-written blog.
• Quarterly Webinars: Communication trainings complement the Communication Coach Online.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  An annual survey assesses levels of utilization and satisfaction with tools, products, and trainings, as well as outcomes from communication efforts. Smaller evaluations are conducted for all quarterly Webinars and communication institutes. Additional feedback is solicited from a panel of grantees annually.

Conclusions:  Data suggests a high level of satisfaction and usage of the array of products, resources and trainings; in 2009, 89% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that training would be applied in their community. More importantly, grantees report an array of improved local outcomes as a consequence of learning how to communicate effectively. Specific findings and grantee feedback have guided—and continue to guide—updates to products, resources, and trainings.

Implications for research and/or practice:  A combination of an easy-to-use communication planning process—along with supporting products, resources, and training—can help build the capacity of public health initiative partners to communicate with stakeholders in ways that improve the likelihood for program success and sustainability.