Coalitions: Building Partnerships to Promote Agricultural Health and Safety

Coalitions: Building Partnerships to Promote Agricultural Health and Safety l

Authors Teri Palermo, NIOSH Janet Ehlers, NIOSH Acknowledgments Jie Chen, NIOSH Intern Robert McKnight, Southeast Ag Center, Susan Jones, Western Kentucky University, Brian Day, NIOSH All those who responded to requests for information via e-mail list servers

Promotion of AG Safety and Health • Diverse problems, priorities and values • Access to populations • Identification of feasible interventions • Effective dissemination

Coalitions Alliances of factions for specific purpose • Issue oriented • Formally organized • Unite individuals and groups • Specific goals • Diverse talents and resources

Historical Guidance • AG at Risk • Surgeon General’s Conference • NIOSH Ag Program Extramural Review Report

Ag at Risk • Expand communication among all parties • Increase communication > public/private sector • Include professionals of diverse disciplines • Promotion of coalitions

Surgeon General’s Conference • Coalition Building • Within professional community • Between professional and agricultural communities • Communicating to those affected • Concern • Help available • Contributions are important

NIOSH External Review Report • Create linkages between researchers & communities • Involved affected communities

Types of Coalitions Consensus Development • Agricultural at Risk • National Committee for Childhood Injury Prevention • North American Guidelines for Children’s Agricultural Tasks • National Adolescent Farmwork Occupations Health & Safety Committee • Tractor Risk Abatement & Control: The Policy Conference

Philanthropic Kellogg funded - 11 Projects • Promote and support partnerships between institutions & communities • Empowered women to reduce risks • Developed community leadership • Implemented Agromedicine training • Developed targeted programs • Identified stress, implemented interventions

Philanthropic… Initiative evaluated • Set of generalized lessons developed • Five barriers to success identified

Federally Funded • NIOSH Agricultural Centers • Advisory boards, task forces • Support coalition development • Occupational Health Nurses in Agricultural Communities (OHNAC) • Enhance surveillance, • Facilitate intervention

Federally Funded… Community Partners for Healthy Farming • Surveillance & Intervention Research Components • Researchers & stakeholders active partners

Response to Tragedy • Farm Safety 4 Just Kids Promotes safe farm environments • SHAUN Provides mental health services

Legislative I-CASH • Fostered other coalitions • Agrisafe Network • Farm Safety 4 Just Kids • SHAUN

Grass roots • Located in all regions of the country • Target local issues • Share resources, expertise • Develop, plan, and implement interventions • Provide funding • Often lack evaluation

State National Farm magazines Trade Pubs Universities Board of Education Co-op ext Migrant clinics Health Depts FFA agribusiness 4-H Mental Health Commodity groups physicians Insurance Companies Seed Salespeople Labor unions Producer Groups media vets schools Local Regional Legal Advocacy groups teachers hospitals Local businesses Faith Based org Corporate Farm mgt Farm workers clinics Fire Depts Co-ops Farm Bureau Tool manufacturers Banks Equip Dealers Ag org nurses Ag Centers Family farms

Impact • Provided legitimacy and acceptability of messages • Reached large numbers • Increased community ownership of problem • Developed problem solving skills within community

Impact… • Increased research capacity • Created new & innovative approaches • Increased credibility of researchers • Access to target populations

Impact… • Educated rural health care providers • Enhanced understanding of issues • Developed consensus recommendations • Increased number of effective & acceptable interventions • Replicated successfully

Impact… • Played role in policy and legislation • Promoted open dialog and understanding • Critical issues • Differences in stakeholders priorities

Impact… • Coalition members • Increased personal knowledge and skills • Increased self esteem • Increased personal satisfaction • Involved out of concern for future of Agricultural lifestyle

Ag at Risk • Develop and promote collaborative projects • Community Partners • Annual scientific forum and journal • JASH • Ag Centers National and Regional Conferences

Ag at Risk … • Develop grass roots organizations • Farm Safety 4 Just Kids • Develop state legislative agenda • I-CASH • Private sector initiatives • Certified Safe Farms • Kentucky ROPS

Challenges • Evaluation • Sustainability • Minority Populations

Challenges… Evaluation • Promote rigorous evaluation • Emphasize importance, e.g. Encourages re-direction of energy & funds • Plan evaluation at the beginning • Partner with existing coalitions • Determine extent of effectiveness

Challenges... Sustainability • Support and active participation by all stakeholders • Clear mission • Effective leadership • Adequate resources • Integrate into all activities • Plan for sustainability early

Challenges… Coalitions in minority and migrant communities • Active participation • Leadership roles • Intervention, implementation and evaluation • Literacy issues

“Individualschange theirbehaviors - only in response to some event or reinforced message - that has particular meaning to them... Peer and family pressure can create personal messages” Awareness and involvement of the community can provide the motivation and reinforcement to change health and safety behaviors Rowley (1990)

Coalitions have been successful… in moving individuals, communities & organizations… to action to reduce or prevent ag-related disease and injury

Coalitions: Building Partnerships to Promote Agricultural Health and Safety