Public Health in My Backyard - Essay Example

According to Peoples-Sheps (2011), public health program expands new models of health care services to the populations to make life better, develop good health and prevent from any disease or disabilities (n.p.). The programs on public health will surely develop the individual’s interests, career, and goals in life. One of the famous programs on the psychiatric unit is the AA—Alcohol Anonymous Program, which follows a twelve-step recovery model treatment program. The program assists the person with substance abuse problems.

In addition, AA does not involve any monetary obligations but would make a contractual requirement with the treatment agencies respectively (Galanter and Kaskutas, 2008, p. 3-4). Alcohol Anonymous is a distinctive, unique and voluntary mutual aid organization. Community Assessments are important in determining the population who is at risk of disease or health disparities. In doing an assessment and to identify the problem, they use qualitative and quantitative measures. For example, the community organizer uses techniques to solve the problems easily such as doing surveys, interviews, and even questionnaires.

As a result, the organizer can assess the population who is most affected, the factors that contribute to exacerbating the problem. Public Health Programs are assessed, diagnosed, planned and finally implemented based on the community assessments and the resources available in the area, which will potentially lead to change and improvement of the community (Harris, 2010, p. 3). I remember one of my cousins named Kaye who weighs 120 pounds (57 kg.) at the age of 11. By merely observing Kaye, I can tell that she is overweight.

Kaye always asked the school nurse why she is always included in the list of malnourished children when she believes that she’s not. Learning this, Kaye’s grandmother decided to join the health program in the community—the healthy dieting program, weight monitoring, and exercise program to solve Kaye’s problem. The case of Kaye involves five (5) stages of behavioral change: (Riegelman, 2010, p. 62-63) the pre-contemplation which assess the individual for change, the contemplation stage or the time the person knows and thinks about the problem but there is no action reinforces, the preparation stage which prepares for the action, plans and sets time, the action stage observe the changes in behavior and potential for relapse and the maintenance stage that is already long term nature of behavioral change and needs more support groups, family, peers, and positive reinforcement.