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Local Activities
Best Start
invites communities across Ontario to take part in the
provincial campaign. Activities could include ensuring
local midwives, community health centres and other health
care providers know about and have access to helpful
resources. Community groups can order additional information
and resource packages (like those being sent to health
care providers) from Best Start for other local child
and family service organizations, such as Ontario Early
Years Centres, mental health counselors, and family
home visitors.
You could do something as simple as
putting up posters or as complex as designing and implementing
a complete local communication campaign. Every initiative
makes a difference. To facilitate local activities that
will complement the provincial campaign, Best Start
is providing print and electronic resources, as well
as information and advice.
The following resources have
been used in past Best Start campaigns to assist people
in planning local activities.
 Health
Communications Resources
Building
Partnerships with Physicians
How
to Build Partnerships with Youth
How
to Build Partnerships with Workplaces
How
to Work with Coalitions
Here are some ideas for communities
as they plan local activities. Some of these ideas are
simple and inexpensive to implement; others require
more development and, often resources. Remember, campaign
resources can be ordered free of charge until April
30, 2007.
Get Media Attention:
Collect
stories from mothers and families who have lived through
PPMD. Seek their permission to share stories with
local TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. Include
smaller, ethno-cultural-specific papers. Remember
Best Start can supplement these with camera-ready
media releases and articles.
Raise Awareness:
Check
in with your local public library and offer posters
and brochures.
You
can also do a 'Wildcard'
library campaign.
Ask
local utilities if they'd consider including a flyer
in each mailing during the month of March.
Ask
local public-sector employers to include a flyer in
their pay-cheque/stub mailings during the month of
March. Or ask to post a short notice in their news-letter
Connect
with the local Ontario Early Years Centre and offer
posters and brochures.
Put
up a display at the local college, university or trade
school. Don't forget high schools - research says
that the rate of PPMD in adolescents is as high as
26% (Troutman & Cutrona, 1990).
Connect with other Health-related
Groups:
Ask
your local community health centre, family doctor's
office, midwifery clinics, walk-in clinics if they
have received the Best Start health
care provider package - if not, offer to get them
a package or offer extra resources such as brochures
or magnets.
Contact
your local hospital's maternity unit and offer to
supply fridge magnets to all new moms during the month
of March.
Distribute
information (brochure and magnets) through the hospital's
pre-registration clinic.
Contact
pharmacies and offer to put up posters, close to pre-natal
vitamins or baby supply sections. Offer brochures
for display at prescription pick-up counters.
Host
a PPMD Workshop for local health care providers, or
offer to speak at physicians' rounds or nurses' in-services.
[Health care provider workshops]
March
is Nutrition Month - team up with
nutritionists for joint activities, combined displays,
etc.
More Information
Wildcards library campaign:
Wild Cards is a company which prints and distributes
library bookmarks throughout Canadian public libraries.
Clients, such as Canadian Health Network, use the
front of the library bookmark for their dynamically
printed awareness message. The back of the bookmark
is then used by the various library regions to inform
patrons about due dates or library websites.
As Wild Cards is the only dual-purpose
bookmark used in Canada's public libraries you will
have exclusive access to this audience. The program
works as a revenue builder for public libraries. Each
public library agrees to distribute a pre-determined
amount of bookmarks in set amounts per month summarized
on the website which details network distribution
numbers.
Their newly developed website (www.wildcards.ca)
includes information on the library systems involved
in the program, bookmark requirements and specifications,
examples of campaigns and some clients that have used
the program in the past.
The Best Start Resource centre will
make a bookmark available on the web that can be used
for a library campaign. The cost of the campaign depends
on the number of bookmarks to be distributed and includes
the printing of the bookmarks. Library use has increased
over the past few years and we can expect to reach
some of our targeted audience. For more information
on the Wildcards program contact Hiltrud Dawson.
Health care
provider packages:
Who will receive a package?
1. Family doctors that are members of the Ontario
College of Family Physicians
2. All midwives through the Association of Ontario
Midwives
3. Nurse Practitioners that are members of the RNAO
4. Obstetricians that are members of the SOGC
What will be included in the
package? (samples coming soon)
A
double sided desk reference
A
pad of tear-off sheets that can be given to clients
Brochures
Contact your local health care providers
and offer to review the contents of the package with
them. If they did not receive a copy (not all are
members of the respective organizations), extra HCP
packages can be ordered from the Best Start Resource
Centre. Order packages for those health care providers
who did not receive a package and deliver to them
personally.
Health care
provider workshops or in-services:
Book a 2 -3 hour workshop for physicians,
midwives and nurses. This will involve lots of planning
and additional cost. If possible use local experts
or call us for ideas on speakers or content.
If a workshop is too ambitious,
book a session that is attended by your local family
physicians or ask your local hospital if you can book
an in-service for the maternal newborn nurses. You
can also do an in-service with your local midwives,
public health nurses or other interested community
groups.
Have campaign materials for all
participants. Make sure you have a list of local resources
or resources that can be accessed by local women.
Have a short power-point presentation ready geared
to your audience.
PPMD picnic:
March is not a picnic month, so
this will need to be an indoor activity. If you have
a PPMD support group in your area this is a starting
point and you can invite present and past members
of the group to the picnic. You can host it in your
local mall's food court or a similar venue. Make sure
you advertise well and invite the media too. This
is a good media opportunity that will produce local
stories. Many mothers who have recovered from PPMD
love to tell there story in order to help other mothers.
Prepare little goody bags for all
who attend. They could include a treat for mom (get
donations from local vendors) and baby, a brochure
and a magnet.
Nutrition team up:
Your local dietitians and nutritionists
may be planning a host of activities for March. Ask
if you can team-up with them. Here are some options
of what you can do
Include
PPMD brochures on their display
Share
their display space and cost and display PPMD posters
and hand out brochures and magnets
If
they have more specific activities in mind get together
with them and add PPMD into the plans.
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