Community Outreach Strategies 101

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Community Outreach Strategies 101

• Presented by Pallavi Kashyap
• Outreach Coordinator
• DRCC CE LHIN

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Key Learning

• Broader understanding and definition of Outreach
• Scope and Advantages of Outreach
• Toolkit for Effective Outreach

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What is Outreach?

• Outreach in simple words is
• To start where the client is, outside the
  office in the community
• Outreach is an intervention or activity conducted
  by community health workers, health educators,
  health promoters out in the community,
  face-to-face with individuals, agency staff,
  leaders, educators, politicians and the community

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What is Outreach?

• Outreach is defined as a two-way communication
  between your agency and the stakeholders to
  establish and foster mutual understanding,
  promote participation and involvement and
  influence behaviours, attitudes and actions.
• Outreach is reaching out to people who are not
  using any of the services provided by your agency
  and informing and educating them about your
  services.

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What is Inreach?

• Inreach is
• Approaching the people who are using the services
  provided by your organization, but who are not
  using your education and management services.
• Inreach is fostering relationships with these
  individuals and educating them about your
  programs and services and urging them to
  participate and access your program.

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Why should we do Outreach?

• Outreach efforts result in developing a liaison
  between the agency and the community
• Improves community awareness, trust and accurate
  understanding of your mission, program and
  successes
• Increases collaboration and communication with
  community members, stakeholders and key partners
• Share resources and exchange ideas
• Increase program attendance
• Most importantly, when conducted consistently,
  outreach can stimulate behavioral change and the
  implementation of risk/harm reduction modalities
  among the targeted groups.

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Principles of Outreach

• Clearly identify the people you are trying to
  reach
• One size does not fit all -- Tailor your outreach
  strategy, message and your materials according to
  your target audience
• Think from the clients/ communities perspective
  and include information about your services that
  may be helpful to hear/read
• Enlist key community leaders to be your
  ambassadors
• Outreach Material Personal Contact in
  multiple ways and multiple times, build trust and
  become a familiar face
• Be a conversationalist and not a preacher
• Create a system and schedule for providing
  outreach
• Take your outreach to social media/social network
• Consider where you have done outreach and think
  about who is missing, track who is coming and
  adjust your strategy as needed?

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Outreach Goals

• Enhance Community Awareness
• Increase the visibility of program
• Broaden community support
• Engage new partners/ stakeholders
• Improve knowledge and attitudes and health
  behaviours

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Outreach Lifecycle

• Planning
• Needs Assessment
• Goals and Objectives
• Stakeholder Identification
• Key messages
• 2. Development
• Structure for Implementation
• Outreach strategy tools and Mechanism
• 3. Execution
• Implementation
• Adjustments
• Evaluation
• Process and Outcome evaluation
• Result analysis

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10 Steps Of Outreach

• Planning
• Conduct Needs Assessment Cultural Assessment,
  Community Resource inventory and Community Asset
  Mapping
• Know your issue
• Create a list of Stakeholders
• Development
• Conceive a Game Plan after you have the results
  of your needs assessment
• Build a Coalition and start engaging with key
  decision-makers
• Develop Outreach Materials
• Select your potential Stakeholders

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10 Steps Of Outreach

• Execution
• Bring Everyone Together
• Implement outreach plan
• Evaluation
• Evaluate, both the process as well as the outcome
• Share Best Practices, help others learn from your
  experiences.

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Outreach Tools Mechanisms

• Key tools for engaging communities and increasing
  awareness of your project
• Community Outreach kits according to the audience
• Community forums/ workshops--designed for
  specific target groups
• Presentations to various businesses, agencies,
  partners
• Stakeholder Partnership DevelopmentCollaboration
  based Approach to planning
• Communications Plan Oral and Written messages
• Displays at locations where the community gather
• Website

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Case Study

• Split into 2 groups for the following exercise
• Plan and develop an outreach and an inreach plan
  for a DEP in a CHC which is located in a rural
  setting and has been operational for two years.
  The population is 15,000, comprised mainly of
  older adults. The community does not have public
  transportation. This DEP is functioning at a 52
  capacity and is having difficulties recruiting
  clients.
• Identify the objectives of your outreach and
  inreach plan
• Identify your stakeholders
• Identify the strategies, tools and mechanisms
  for this outreach plan