Paper
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
572
A Model Collaboration: The University of Massachusetts School of Nursing and the Hampshire Sheriff's Office
Donna M. Zucker, RN, PhD, School of Nursing, University of Massachusets, Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA and Catherine J. Rigali, House of Correction, Hampshire Sheriff's Office, Northampton, MA, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: describe a model of collaboration between a school of nursing and a county correctional facility. |
| Learning Objective #2: understand and appreciate a relationship-centered curriculum, and discuss three innovative, theory-based programs that focus on health promotion, disease prevention, and self management. |
Purpose: Healthy People 2010 has set national disease prevention and health promotion objectives to be achieved by the end of this decade. To achieve these goals in the incarcerated population a model collaboration has begun between the University of Massachusetts School of Nursing and the Hampshire Sheriffs’ Office focused on the self-management of chronic illness, and bio-behavioral methods to improve health, an innovation curriculum was devised using a peer-education model.
Background: Incarcerated persons have a disproportionately higher rate of infectious diseases and in 2000 nearly half of all those incarcerated were released and returned to the community. Of those releasees it is estimated that about 15% are infected with hepatitis B virus and nearly 40% with hepatitis C virus. Incarcerates who participate in health promotion classes and programs are more likely to have lower rates of recidivism.
Methods: The purpose of our curricular efforts were to test a relationship-centered model of educational communication with incarcerated former IDU using the Each One Teach One (EOTO) theory, based on mutual support, trust and equality, to effect risk reduction, increase knowledge about health promotion and illness prevention and to develop positive relationships.
Findings: Our project had three phases: the first phase involved capacity building by aligning the university faculty and students with the correctional facility. The second phase included conducting a focus group with incarcerates to define their health needs as a basis for ongoing health fairs and health related programming. The third phase was creation of a HCV prevention and harm reduction manual following a curriculum using a peer-education model developed by experts and incarcerates.
Implications: Capacity building for both the purposes of scholarship and building community relations are significant steps in health promotion. Future goals include addressing the unique health care and educational needs of the correctional staff.