Since 1955, National Health Education week has been celebrated every third week of October. It is sponsored by the Society for Public Health Education along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

For this year’s NHEW, the Society for Public Health Education wants to raise awareness of the importance of future health educators in improving consumer health and wellness.

Public Health Officials and Health Education Specialists provide citizens with the education needed to keep their communities strong and successful.

Health educators examine community specific needs and identify certain health issues or trends that can be found in that population.

Health educators work with local stakeholders on designing programs to help benefit people of their community based on those needs that are explored.

The Clark County Health Department offers a wide array of services and programs to the community.

— Reducing the Risk: A comprehensive sexual risk reduction program offered to grades 9-12. Topics include abstinence, contraceptives, using refusal skills, avoiding high-risk situations, HIV and preventing sexually-transmitted diseases/infections.

— Tobacco education can be offered in one session (class) or multiple based on the needs of the school system and the community. The sesssion provides information about the health hazards that accompany the use of tobacco products including cigarettes, e-cigarettes (Juul) and smokeless tobacco.

— Smoking Cessation: Freedom from Smoking is an eight-week course. Classes are held once a week and last one-and-a-half hours. Freedom from Smoking is available to anyone wanting to stop using any tobacco product including cigarettes, e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

Freedom from Smoking offers coping strategies for managing stress and avoiding weight gain, ideas of possible lifestyle changes to increase your likelihood to quit using tobacco, information about medications that can support you in quitting and encouragement from during the quitting process.

— Bullying and Suicide Prevention: This information is distributed during one class period. Information is provided about self-esteem, confidence building, potential signs of bullying and suicide and what to do and who to turn to when someone is needing emotional support.

— Youth Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training for adults. Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, school staff, peers, neighbors and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a five-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations.

These programs can be offered to schools and community members. Contact the Clark County Health Department for more information about any of these programs at 859-744-4482.

Article submitted by Angela Bereznak, CCHD health educator, and Allison Fliehman, intern.

Clark County Health Department provides programs for the entire family, including WIC, HANDS, family planning, Freedom from Smoking, well child care/immunizations and Bright Smiles. For more information, call 859-744-4482 or visit www.clarkhealthdept.org.