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As Sonoma County’s premier non-profit health education and wellness center, the Northern California Center for Well-Being is the only access for all health education center in Sonoma County who’s sole focus is patient self-care. The Center’s mission is to promote the well-being of the whole person by empowering people with knowledge, skills, and spirit to take responsibility for personal, family and community health.

To Breath Better (Tobacco Free Homes)

The Center received a three-year grant from the California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP). In partnership with Burbank Housing, the Center will work to interweave the disciplines of tobacco control and asthma by implementing healthy home policies such as reducing exposure to secondhand smoke. The Center will also be working with Sonoma County cities to adopt and implement tobacco polices that regulate smoking in multi unit housing complexes.

Asthma Prevention

The goal of the Creating Healthy Homes project is to reduce environmental triggers in Latino communities burdened by Asthma. The program has partnered with Burbank Housing to use Promotores de Salud to engage residents of multi-unit housing (MUH) complexes to address factors that affect indoor air quality and trigger asthma. Additionally, Promotores de Salud will link residents of MUH housing site complexes to resources that support implementation of policies that reduce asthma triggers and improve indoor air quality.

Raising Healthy Active Kids – Mobilizing Promotores de Salud to address childhood obesity and iron-deficiency anemia

The 2008-2011 Sonoma County Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by the Department of Health Services reports that 40% of low-income Sonoma County youth ages 5-19 years old are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Overweight and obesity rates are even higher among Hispanic youth with 25% diagnosed as obese compared to the 20% obesity rate for non-Hispanics.

In response to this growing need, NCCWB has expanded programs to educate families on ways to prevent childhood obesity and overweight through interactive tools that can be replicated at home. Since, 2007 NCCWB has implemented a nutrition education train the trainer program titled: “Raising Healthy Active Kids”, targeted to train Promotores de Salud (Spanish speaking Lay Health Outreach workers) and interested community members on topics aimed at reducing obesity and iron-deficiency anemia in children ages 0-5 of underserved Spanish-speaking families.

In a series of six trainings conducted in Spanish and free of charge, the attendees learn how to teach breastfeeding basics, as well as covering topics such as breastfeeding, solid foods, feeding your toddler, portion distortion, reading food labels, importance of a well-balanced meal, effects of anemia and obesity, and importance of physical activity. Those who complete all six sessions will be awarded a certificate of completion, as Promotores de Salud in nutrition and physical activity.

The Promotores de Salud are a very important resources for disseminating information amongst community members. One of the intrinsic characteristics of Lay Health Outreach Workers associated with advocacy their sensitivity to cultural issues. They are aware of the Latino Community’s beliefs, values and practices. Latino families build a trusting relationship with the Promotores de Salud because the Promotores are from their community and they trust that their family culture is respected and preserved.

The volunteer Promotores de Salud from the Center for Well-Being are actively involved in the Sonoma County community providing nutrition presentations on childhood obesity and irondeficiency anemia prevention to neighborhood groups, schools and community organizations. One of their major activities is teaching in the waiting rooms at Roseland Children’s Health Center, Chanate Family Practice, Petaluma Health Center and West County Health Center’s-Occidental Community Clinic. This project has had a great response from the clinic staff and families. This program helps Primary Care Providers to maximize appointment time by equipping families with a foundation of information that promotes healthy eating and active lifestyles.

For more information on how to become involved in this program, please contact Virginia Schiff, Promotores de Salud Coordinator, at (707) 575-6043 x18 or vschiff@nccwb.org

Project T.R.U.E. - Teens R U Educated?

A youth-led peer education program focused on reducing teen alcohol, tobacco and other drug use in South Santa Rosa. Nine Peer Educators are recruited and trained from Roseland University Prep High School to teach healthy messages to their peers. The Peer Educators provide classroom presentations to sophomores at Roseland University Prep (RUP) as well as at local middle schools and teen centers.

Health Action

Employee Wellness Workgroup

Health Action’s Worksite Wellness Initiative seeks to support and recognize Sonoma County employers who take steps to promote wellness at the worksite. By partnering with the Health Action Council’s Worksite Wellness Initiative, the Center for Well-Being has developed a Worksite Wellness Product for Sonoma County employers who take steps to promote wellness at the worksite. Our Worksite Wellness Specialist will help you: develop an action plan to implement or improve a worksite wellness program, and set up programs and policies that give you a return on your investment. To learn more on how to create a workplace that encourages a healthy lifestyle and helps employees acquire and maintain healthy habits, click here to access our Online Worksite Wellness Toolkit                   

iWalk

iWalk is a countywide walking initiative to engage the community to support a culture of active, healthy living. The Center for Well-Being works collaboratively with other community leaders and organizations in Sonoma County to develop and implement local approaches to promote the health of the community and improve the health care delivery system.

Learn more about the iWalk Health Action Initiative

Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL)

Healthy Eating, Active Living Community Health Initiative (HEAL) is a project of the Community Activity and Nutrition Coalition of Sonoma County (CAN-C), administered by Department of Health Services funded by Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region. The goal of HEAL is to empower communities with the capacity to support healthy eating and active living through sustainable policy, systems, and environmental change across four sectors - schools, worksites, healthcare and neighborhoods.

HEAL Healthcare Committee

As an active HEAL Healthcare Sector Partner, the Center for Well-Being collaborates with the healthcare clinics, organizations, and stakeholders to improve policies, programs, and systems related to healthcare and obesity prevention in south Santa Rosa. With the support of HEAL, all clinics in south Santa Rosa have been working to change the systems within clinics in order to introduce healthy weight screening and referral as standard practice for their clients. Some of the HEAL Healthcare Sector’s most successful efforts include:

- All clinics in south Santa Rosa are screening all children for weight problems during well-child checks.

- Providers and medical assistants are now counseling families of overweight children.

 - Breastfeeding women and medical assistants now are able to attend a lactation support group and receive instruction and training on breastfeeding.

 - Improved systems to help clinics request reimbursement for breastfeeding counseling and weight checks.

HEAL Worksite Committee

As an active HEAL Worksite Sector Partner, the Center for Well-Being has been the a key element of the implementation process by encouraging South Santa Rosa worksites to increase opportunities for employees to eat healthfully and be physically active. Some of the Center for Well-Being’s most successful efforts include:

- Development of a worksite wellness toolkit, which is available online to all Sonoma County businesses.

 - Development of a program that provides training and technical assistance to businesses interested in developing and implementing programs and policies that aid employees in increasing their level of physical activity and healthy eating.