Community Programs

Children & Youth Initiative >
Diabetes Self-Management Program for Adults >
Diabetes in Youth >
Elder Health: Cuidar, Puerta a Puerta >
Healthy Eating, Active Communities >
Injury Prevention >
Mental Health: Domestic Violence & Depression>
Civic Engagement - Pasa la Voz

Children & Youth Initiative

The Latino Children and Youth Initiative is a health intervention for children and youth living in high-risk environments. Activities are designed to reduce health disparities, increase resilience and leadership skills, enlarge the worldview, strengthen families, improve mental and physical health, and improve academic performance. Youth Promotores learn about nutrition, physical activity, injury prevention, mental health, and sibling care. They coordinate and plan activities after school and in apartment buildings and courtyards. Siblings and families needing medical or mental health services are referred to the resources they need.

Service area: 92701 zip code of Santa Ana.

Diabetes Self-Management Program for Adults

This 12-week, award-winning program achieves statistically significant improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol levels, in the hands of Promotores. The program engages participants in an interactive and experiential exploration of diabetes self-management. The group meets for two hours each week. The program includes a visit with a registered dietitian, ophthalmologist, and podiatrist, and a glucose meter for each participant. The focus is on overcoming psychological and access barriers to disease management, learning about diet and physical activity, how to monitor blood sugar, and the meaning of common blood level measures.

Service area: County-wide.

Diabetes in Youth

Diabetes prevention and diabetes self-management programs are available for youth who have developed type II diabetes, or are at high risk of developing the condition. The program targets youth ages seven to 20. Community meetings with adults and youth are held to raise awareness of the issue.

Service area: Santa Ana only, at this time.

Elder Health - Cuidar, Puerta a Puerta

Care, Door to Door

Highly trained Promotores conduct door-to-door outreach to adults ages 60 and over and conduct assessments and referrals to link older individuals with necessary aging services. They conduct educational sessions on disease self-management and on a wide range of prevention topics including nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and falls prevention.

Service area: Santa Ana, Anaheim, Buena Park, Stanton, Placentia and Fullerton

Healthy Eating, Active Communities

Latino Health Access, Santa Ana Unified School District , and the Orange County Health Care Agency are implementing a Healthy Eating, Active Communities Initiative in Santa Ana . Many collaborative partners have joined the effort to work toward environmental changes that will increase the quality of life for the children of central Santa Ana . We are pursuing various multi-level policy changes in schools, after school programs, health care, neighborhoods, and media. Policy changes will be made that increase children's access to nutritious food options and safe areas for physical activity.

Service area: Zip code area 92701 in Santa Ana.

Injury Prevention - Asegúrame

Certified child passenger safety technicians conduct platicas in Spanish to inform parents of low-income children ages 0-5 about car safety. S ession include hands-on training on the use of appropriate car seats, a review of California laws concerning child passengers, and practical tips to make the child comfortable while maintaining optimum safety. Promotores answer common questions about safety and address barriers to using car seats. At the end of each discussion, participants arrange a car seat installation appointment wherein technicians provide personalized analysis and instruction on car seat installation. Participants practice until they have successfully installed a car seat in their cars, at which time they receive the car seat at no cost.

Service area: Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Costa Mesa.

Mental Health - Domestic Violence and Depression

Promotores engage the community, families and individuals in addressing domestic violence. The program focuses on increasing awareness and changing community norms and providing assistance for those struggling with these issues. Promotores host Spanish language support groups for Domestic Violence and Depression. Men approach men and encourage them to enter drug and alcohol recovery programs. Women approach women to address issues of safety and quality of life. The specially trained promotores meet regularly with a psychologist for case reviews. Individuals needing extra assistance are referred to community mental health providers.

Service area: Focus is on Santa Ana, but referrals are taken from other areas.

Civic Engagement - Pasa la Voz

Limited resources, lack of knowledge about the political process and a history of disengagement from government have kept many community voices out of decision-making arenas. Increasing the civic engagement of Santa Ana 's Latino community is critical if there is to be any large-scale political change regarding quality of life and health issues facing the community. Pasa la Voz offers trainings and presentations to community residents of all ages regarding how they can affect policy changes in their community. Monthly platicas, or discussions, with government elected and appointed officials engage community residents in various policy discussions that affect them. Together, the various components of this program work to foster both a sense of civic engagement as well as increased political participation in Santa Ana .