Project Description:
Title: Expanding the Bridges to Career Program to Include a Sexual Health Component
Summary of Project:
The purpose of this proposal is to secure funds to support the development of a sexual health component to be implemented with the Bridges to Career program during the summer of 2016. The addition of this component is innovative in that it identifies program gaps and the additional program components will address needs of the target population. The short term outputs will include: 1) logic model to guide the program, 2) program lesson plans that can be carried out this summer and in subsequent years, 3) prepared implementation team, and 4) abstracts prepared for peer-reviewed conferences.
Description of the Project:
Background: During the summer of 2015, the Texas A&M University Health Promotion office and Bridges to Career personnel partnered to integrate sexual health lessons into the program. Informal feedback from both partners indicated this was a needed and desired improvement and should be offered in subsequent summers. The Bridges to Career participants were engaged and responsive the lessons being taught; therefore, action was sought to formalize the addition of the sexual health program component for the summer of 2016. Health Education faculty were consulted on what would be required to develop a program that would incorporate sexual health issues and meet the needs of the Bridges to Career program. The team developed a work plan to implement a needs assessment phase which included a review of existing sexual health programs and a structured review of existing literature related to sexual health programs for individuals with disabilities.
Needs Assessment Findings:
The results from the curriculum analysis and the literature review were as the team expected, in order to meet the needs of Bridges to Career additional program planning would need to take place. Sexual health programs for individuals with disabilities were explored. When a curricula was identified, the website and curricula description was assessed. If the team believed it was worthwhile, Christine (Gastmyer) Davis, contacted the publisher to obtain a desk copy for more extensive review. The overall finding from the curricula reviewed was the lessons were developed for a more child-like audience compared to the lessons Bridges to Career participants received and responded well to during the past summer. The literature review further supported that among the programs represented in academic literature, there are some, albeit limited, evidence-based developed programs. However, most of these focus solely on the sexual health content. It is the desire of the team to include not only the idea of healthy relationships for participants, which is what is found in traditional curricula, but also understanding the concept of healthy relationships in the workplace. Therefore, the literature review confirmed additional development is needed to arrive at the desired program.
Innovativeness:
This program is innovative in that it identifies program gaps that currently exist and the additional program components will address needs of the target population. The sexual health programs developed for individuals with disabilities are scant and those that incorporate the concept of healthy relationships in the career setting are narrowed even more.
Outputs: The funds in this proposal will support the efforts of the program planning team. The short term outputs will include the following: 1) a logic model to guide the program, 2) program lesson plans that can be carried out this summer and in subsequent years, 3) a team prepared to implement the lessons summer 2016, and 4) abstracts prepared for peer-reviewed conferences.
Name of Co-PIs:
Kelly L. Wilson, PhD, MCHES
Elisa Beth McNeill, PhD, CHES
Partners Involved in the Project:
Health and Kinesiology Faculty Kelly L. Wilson, PhD, MCHES
Elisa Beth McNeill, PhD, CHES
Texas A&M University Health Promotion Christine (Gastmyer) Davis, MS, CHES
Center on Disability and Development Meagan Sumbrera, PhD
Cheryl Grenwelge, PhD
Health Education Doctoral Students Christi Hays, MEd, CHES
Health Education Masters Students Caitlin Ballard Holden
Amie Klein, CHES
Skye McDonald
Sara Reeves
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Employment-Related Activities, Quality of Life, Other
