CLC Community Engagement / Research Service Activities / Menu of Experiential Learning
The CLC is involved in Community Outreach / Research Service programs that work with organizations, institutions, and community leaders to establish trust and mutual partnerships for community-based participatory research in minority and underserved populations. These projects also serve as a venue for scholars further learning and skill development.The Bethesda Family Life is a state-of-art wellness facility and community outreach Center located in the heart of the Birmingham West End Community. It currently serves individuals ranging from 3 years to 95 years of age. Programs include a weight training program, dance classes, aerobics classes (African, Step, and Hip Hop), karate classes, health education seminars, adult education classes, social service referral programs, group counseling and a intramural sports. RCMAR research team member, Dr. Chastity McDavid is the Assistant Director of the facility and currently in charge of the development and implementation of all programs. An opportunity for current and future RCMAR scholars to develop new and innovative community-based programs relevant to their research interests or assist with the implementation and evaluation of current programs exists. Scholars would be interviewed and supervised at the facility by Dr. McDavid. The development of their research agenda or community program as facilitated through the Bethesda, will be developed with the assistance of their RCMAR advisor and approved by Dr. McDavid.
UAB Minority Health and Research Center HealthSmart. UAB HealthSmart Fights Obesity, Stress, and Chronic Disease in Downtown Birmingham Employees, Residents, and Visitors through Free Health Evaluations and Wellness Services The UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center and the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine are pleased to announce the opening of UAB HealthSmart UAB’S innovative new wellness facility promoting better health through prevention in the heart of downtown Birmingham
ENCOURAGE 2: Peer-Delivered Pain and Diabetes Self Management Program Dr. Martin is an investigator on a project that will address pain and diabetes in rural, African Americans.
UAB WALK Campaign. The goal of the WALK program is to develop a statewide campaign to create awareness and knowledge of the health benefits of WALKing on a daily basis and motivate more African American and Hispanics in Alabama to WALK as a way to prevent diseases. Dr. Martin participates in the walk campaign. The project is designed to increase neighborhood walking teams. The project is conducted at recreation centers.
Interdisciplinary Approach to Enhancing Rural Behavioral Healthcare. Dr. Crowther provides in-services for mental health professionals working in community mental health clinics in rural Alabama. Rural community mental health centers experience difficulty with recruiting highly trained individuals due to limited resources to encourage behavioral scientists to locate in rural communities (Campbell, Gordon, & Chandler, 2002). Given that mental health problems are predicted to increase overall, it is an important goal for community agencies to design training programs that would encourage future professionals to practice within rural communities.
UAB Minority Health and Research Center Health Evaluation. On September 14th 2010 Dr. Martin collaborated with the MHRC in their Community Health Evaluation event that attracted almost 200 attendees, the majority of which were seniors. In this comprehensive evaluation, attendees participated in cholesterol and blood pressure screening, as well as evaluations for diabetes, nutrition/height/weight and body mass index, vision, dental, and pulmonary/lung function. Dr. Martin led the physical activity assessment that had as its goal the assessment of an individual’s stage of readiness to be physically activity. Based on their stage of readiness, Dr. Martin provided brief counseling to participants.
Survivor Research and Evaluation Project. Dr. Martin has successfully partnered with a community county hospital, Cooper Green Mercy hospital, to conduct a randomized control that evaluates the American Cancer Society’s “I Can Cope” program among cancer survivors receiving their care at Cooper Green. This project recruited almost 180 cancer survivors. Through this project, we have learned a great deal about the cancer survivorship experience among primarily minority, low-income cancer survivors.
ENCOURAGE. Dr. Martin is an investigator on the ENCOURAGE project which has partnered with community clinics in the Alabama Black Belt to evaluate a peer-delivered diabetes management program. We have recruited almost 400, primarily African American patients with diabetes. The primary outcome will be A1C. We will also measure a number of other variables including quality of life and self management behaviors.
Kincare. In collaboration with the Tuscaloosa City School System Dr. Crowther conducts a monthly support group for custodial grandparents. She also provides individual and family counseling services, and group recreational activities for the families.
Birmingham City Schools Family Involvement Program. On September 2nd, Dr. Crowther gave a presentation on custodial grandparenting and provided the audience with resources available to persons raising their grandchildren. The audience was comprised family caregivers, teachers, administrators, and community organizations that work with family caregivers. University of Alabama Rural Health Conference. Dr. Crowther and her students participate in the UA Rural Health Conference. Health-care providers, researchers, community leaders, government officials and representatives of faith-based groups attend the Rural Health Conference each year to hear from prominent speakers in the field and share information and knowledge about rural health-care issues. Breakout sessions at the conference include “Strengthening Healthy Rural Environments” and “Hope for Care: A Community and University Pharmacy Partnership.”
ABCD Program. Dr. Ellie Daniels is coordinating a community health worker cardiovascular risk reduction program focused on increasing healthy lifestyles among persons with diabetes. Specifically, the program aims to help persons control diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and provides depression screens. The program employs ten trainers and eight community health workers to deliver workshops to persons with diabetes and teaches them to communicate with their health care providers about their disease.
Telehealth Project. In conjunction with Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ms. DeNeal recruits University students to deliver health messages to rural residents. Currently, monthly telehealth sessions are conducted in Macon and Bullock counties. The audience is comprised of rural residents across the life span including older African Americans. Breast Cancer Seminar. Ms. DeNeal partnered with the Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension Program on a breast cancer education and prevention seminar held in Lowndes & Wilcox counties in Alabama.
Breast Cancer Seminar. Ms. DeNeal partnered with the Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension Program on a breast cancer education and prevention seminar held in Lowndes & Wilcox counties in Alabama.