Harlem Hospital Injury Prevention Program: Safe Kids/Healthy Neighbourhoods

Background

Program Goals:

To reduce child injury through safety education, safe play areas and extracurricular activities
Seeks long-term positive impact upon quality of life using a multidisciplinary perspective

Intent:

Unintentional

Risk Factors Addressed:

Inadequate response to the problem of child injury from communities and trauma centres in Harlem, NYC

Place of occurrence:

Home and community

Age/Age Range:

Children aged 6-16

Other Population Characteristics:

Low SES community; lack of enjoyable, safe, supervised activities for children; few appropriate places to engage in these activities; little basic safety education

Resources

Year Developed:

Local initiative implemented 1988
National program launched 1994 

Collaborative Organization(s):

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Harlem Hospital
Columbia University NYC
Public and corporate organizations  

Funding Resource(s):

Hospital and university support
Multi-level public, corporate and private funding
Manhattan Borough Presidents
New York City Parts Department and Board of Education

Implementation

Context/Setting:

Community

Strategies Used:

Evaluation, Education, Engineering, Enactment

Activities Used:

Target/control community evaluation
Emphasizes community input and trust
Combines educational and environmental strategies
Coverage includes peer-reviewed journals
Wide variety of collaborations and programs developed

Program Evaluation:

Uses hospital-based, ongoing injury monitoring data to evaluate impact

Source of Best Practice:

Volpe, R., Lewko, J., & Battra, A. (2002). A Compendium of Effective, Evidence-Based Best Practices in Prevention of Neurotrauma. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.

Original Source:

Davidson, L., Durkin, M., Kuhn, L., O’Connor, P., Barlow, B., & Heagarty, M. (1994). The impact of Safe Kids/Health Neighborhoods injury prevention program in Harlem, 1988 through 1991. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 580-586.

Supplementary Material:

http://www.injuryfree.org
www.rwjf.org/health/013396.htm

Local Example(s):

N/A

Contact Information: 

Erik Cliette
Program Associate Director
Injury Free Coalition for Kids (National)
Harlem Hospital Injury Prevention Program (Local)
Tel: (212) 939-4005
Email: ec221@columbia.edu

Outcomes

Long-term outcomes/Effectiveness:

Successful replication in numerous sites
Creation of national network

Short-term outcomes:

Substantial and steady decrease in many types of injuries to children

Other

Date of Review:

2000

Classification:

Best Practice