PHS Youth Corps

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PHS Youth Corps

• Youth for the Future of Our Nations Health
• (An idea)

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Act I
Public Health
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Health of the Nation

• Increasingly depends on lifestyle health
  problems
• Substance Abuse
• Overweight/Obesity
• Sedentary Lifestyle
• (Screens TV, gaming, texting, etc.)
• Risky Behaviors
• Often start in childhood/adolescence
• More Years of Life Lost in US than from
• War
• Terrorism
• Natural Disasters
• Influence Behavior Save
  Lives

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Public Health Subgroup of PharmPAC

• We are interested in the Public Health
• We want to help
• Educate
• Encourage Healthy Lifestyles
• Group Activities
• Pharmacists disseminating PH information
• Discovered Free Government PH Materials

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Government PH InformationMuch great info but who
is getting the message out?At what stage of life
is the message best received? Who is the best
messenger? Depends on the audience?
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At which age will a person be most readily
influenced toward positive or negative public
health attitudes? At which age will a positive
change make the most difference?
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Adolescent Psychological Development

• Cognitive Development
• Moral Development
• Identity Formation

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Take Home Question Act I

• To maximize public health impact, is it best for
  young persons to help other young persons?
• -Malleable Attitudes
• - Peer to Peer Messages

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Act II
PHS Youth Corps
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FACT

• The United States Public Health Service is one of
  the nations only uniformed services without any
  youth program.

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Thunderbirds PilotMajor Nicole Malachowski
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Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Air Force Auxiliary
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CAP Cadets

• Aerospace Education
• Leadership
• Service
• Fitness
• Testing for Advancement (PTs)
• Uniformed Service Indoctrination
• Moral Leadership

• Scholarships
• Flight Programs
• Encampments
• Awards Programs
• Leadership Schools

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CAP Cadets at an Encampment
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Sea Cadets

• Mission
• "...through organization and cooperation with
  the Department of the Navy, to encourage and aid
  American youth to develop, train them in seagoing
  skills, and to teach them patriotism, courage,
  self-reliance and kindred virtues."

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Young Marines
The Young Marines is a youth education and
service programfor boys and girls, ages 8
through completion of high school. The Young
Marines promotes the mental, moral, and
physicaldevelopment of its members. The program
focuses on characterbuilding, leadership, and
promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.The
Young Marines is the focal point for the U.S.
Marine Corps'youth Drug Demand Reduction
efforts. Learn more.
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Devil Pups
In summer, 1954, Camp Pendleton Commanding
General John T. Selden, granted permission for
Devil Pups, Inc. to bring aboard 1800 boys 14 to
17 years of age.  In 1998, Devil Pups, Inc.
welcomed its first platoon of girls into the
program.  Through the efforts of the active duty
and reserve Marines working with the volunteers
in the charitable corporation Devil Pups, Inc.
the program has grown into a highly successful
annual project.  As we entered the year 2004 over
44,000 young teenagers have graduated from this
Good Citizenship-Physical Development Program.
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Other Youth Programs

• US Coast Guard Auxiliary works with Youth
  Boating Safety
• Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts of America
• JROTC, Military Academies, and Prep Schools
• AmeriCorps (aged 17 and over)
• Interact (Rotary Clubs Youth Program)
• YMCA YWCA
• Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club
• Youth Corps
• What are other programs doing right?
• What can be borrowed?

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Today Very few good youth groups for kids (12
19 year age group) for education and activities
in health-related areas of interest.
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Why a PHS Youth Corps?

• Training Leaders - Just like the Eagle Scout, Sea
  Cadet, or Civil Air Patrol Spaatz Cadet may be a
  future leader in military or industry, so might a
  youth introduced to the PHS become a leader in a
  health-related field.
• Service - PHS Youth Corps could provide important
  public-health services.
• Youth Education Provide an opportunity to
  educate youth about government health.
• Teenagers can gain knowledge, skills, training.
• Teenagers can learn about career options early.
• Volunteer Outlet Provides a great volunteerism
  opportunity for public and private sector health
  professionals to mentor youth.
• Visibility for the PHS Youth, parent, community
  awareness of the US PHS.

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Everyone Wins
Private Sector Health Professional Volunteers
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PHS Cadet CorpsWho would it attract?

• Youth interested in health carefuture doctors,
  nurses, pharmacists...
• Healthcare Practitioner Volunteers
• PHS Officers (All Categories)
• an encouraged PHS Activity?
• Private Sector Practitioners
• Retirees
• Academicians (High School/College Teachers)
• Parents Involvement and Volunteerism

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PHS Cadet CorpsWhat would they learn?

• Government Public Health Agencies
• Commissioned Corps
• Public Health Education
• Emergency Preparedness Education
• Environmental Health
• Traditional Healthcare Roles
• Learning Modules

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Example Learning ModulesThe Commissioned Corps -
Officership
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Example Learning ModulesThe Agencies

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Food and Drug Administration
• Health Resources and Services Administration
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Indian Health Service
• National Institutes of Health
• Office of Public Health and Science
• Office of the Secretary
• Program Support Center
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
  Administration
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for
  Preparedness and Response
• Non-HHS Agencies/Programs in Which Commissioned
  Corps Officers Serve

• Volunteers from each Agency write a Learning
  Module
• Volunteers from Agencies may arrange a tour
• Cadets may learn about as many Agencies as they
  wish
• Cadets tested for knowledge about the Agencies
• Cadets recognized for completing module(s)

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Example Learning ModulesThe Professions

• Pharmacist
• Nurse
• Physician
• Dentist
• Dietitian
• Engineer
• Environmental Health
• Health Services
• Scientist
• Therapist
• Veterinarian

• Each Category writes a Learning Module
• Each Category identifies contact persons to teach
  and mentor
• Cadets may learn about as many categories as they
  wish
• Cadets recognized for completing module(s)

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Learning ModulesOther Examples

• History of the PHS
• Emergency Response
• Public Health
• Disease Prevention
• Accidents/
• Poisonings
• Public Speaking
• How to Deliver an effective presentation
• First Aid, CPR, Blood Borne Pathogens

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PHS Cadet CorpsWhat would they do (Activities)?

• Research
• Volunteerism
• Encampments and Leadership Schools
• Dissemination of Public Health Information
• Youth taking PH message to youth.
• High School Projects/Presentations.
• Emergency Preparedness Activities

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Implementation

• Use existing systems as models
• CAP
• BSA/GSA
• Employ established PHS partnerships with other
  health organizations
• Stepwise Approach
• First Yearone encampment/seminar
• Expand
• Use Web-based programs
• Mature Program Groups meeting regularly
  nationwide (CAP squadrons)

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Year One

• Call for Youth Volunteers
• Encampment
• Overviews
• Intro to PHS, HHS, Agencies, etc.
• Tours and Activities
• Teach Presentation Skills
• Send Cadets off to do a health fair in their
  school or community using government materials

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Humble Beginnings
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What Now?

• The PH working group would like guidance from the
  PharmPAC
• Is this idea worth pursuing?
• If yes, can we solicit help by way of a PharmPAC
  working group to polish and present at the next
  level?

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Questions/Comments?