National Injury Prevention Foundation ThinkFirst Chapter Development: Provide Educational Programs for Injury Prevention

Traumatic Injury Leading cause of death for children, teens and young adults Due to vehicle crashes, violence, falls and sports Brain and spinal cord injuries are among the most devastating, leading to permanent disability and death Most injuries are preventable!

Mission ThinkFirst’s mission is to prevent brain, spinal cord and other traumatic injury through education, research and advocacy.

ThinkFirst Components Educational programs for all grades Reinforcement General public education Public policy initiatives

Programs In select chapters: ThinkFirst For Your Baby ThinkFirst For Life: Falls Prevention

ThinkFirst For Kids

ThinkFirst For Youth

Community Events

ThinkFirst For Teens

ThinkFirst For Teens Components Presentation by Injury Prevention Specialist -- Explaining HOW Injuries Affect Us Explain the causes of injuries and the importance of safe choices

VIPs: Voices for Injury Prevention: share their personal story as to how their injury occurred, how it has affected their life, and how it could have been prevented

Why is ThinkFirst Effective? Educational programs are designed to incorporate all elements of the Health Belief Model a theory-based health model for attaining behavior change

Health Belief Model Behavior change depends on individuals: –Perceiving themselves as susceptible –Seeing the problem as serious –Being convinced preventive actions are effective and of little cost in money, effort or pain –Being exposed to cues or reminders –Believing they have the ability to change their behavior

ThinkFirst Programs: Presented by injury prevention specialists and people who have experienced a TBI/SCI Increase understanding of high incidence, and permanent effects of TBI/SCI Cue students on easy ways to prevent most injuries But what is the impact of ThinkFirst For Teens?

Pretest-posttest Evaluation Gerhardstein, 2006 Three Chicago suburban high schools 500 students, grades 9/10 Pretests – presentation – posttest Knowledge, attitudes, stated behaviors Evaluation 3 months later

Safety Belt Use

Bicycle Helmets

Drinking and Driving

General Safety

Making Safe Choices

What Has Influenced You Most?

Three-month Posttest What do you remember about program? –VIP speaker: 83% –Various safety messages: 46% Did the program impact your behavior? How? –Yes, various ways: 77% 26% now wear safety belt all the time or more often 24% now realize risk/consequence of their actions 17% reinforced what they knew they should do 14% now make safe choices/think first

Did the program impact your behavior, continued –4% stated no, because they already knew the information –9% stated no, or not really Was the presentation helpful? –96% Yes –4% No Comments –31% positive comments on program or thanks –No negative comments

Study Conclusion Summary –↑ Understanding of potential for serious injury –↑ Understanding that injuries are preventable –↑Understanding behavior choices are important –Believe they have the ability to change behavior –Effectiveness of hearing from someone injured –Long term, students indicate TF had positive impact on their behavior w/ respect to implementing safety measures

Reinforcement: Posters in Classrooms

ThinkFirst Missouri

Training and Program Development

ThinkFirst International

Starting a ThinkFirst Chapter Determine a chapter director and sponsoring physician Establish funding agency: usually in healthcare settings (Community Education, PT/OT, Trauma, Marketing), medical schools, physician groups, or non-conventional Submit chapter application and fee for approval Attend one-day training, on site or online

Application Fee $1,500 fee (ask about current specials) includes: –Training and training materials –Chapter Director Guidebook –Curriculum and DVD for ThinkFirst For Kids –Curriculum for ThinkFirst For Youth –DVD and Power Point for ThinkFirst For Teens –VIP Training DVD

Chapter Training Provided by a ThinkFirst Trainer Available at Trainer sites Available in an interactive online format Available onsite – chapter must cover travel expenses for trainer

Change in Director If the chapter director changes, the chapter must submit a chapter director change form, new director’s CV, and $250 fee for training The new director must complete training through a ThinkFirst trainer

Annual Chapter Requirements Annual Survey: link provided each June for chapter director to complete survey by July 30 –Forms are provided in training for tracking number of schools visited and students reached, to report in annual survey $250 membership fee, due each July 30 –Provides active chapter status for use of ThinkFirst name, materials, updates and support

Benefits of Becoming a ThinkFirst Chapter Play an active role in reducing injuries in your community and among your staff Demonstrates community reinvestment Marketing/PR interest– human interest stories for media coverage Fits with other key service lines such as neuro, peds and trauma Instrumental with magnet and award applications

Benefits, continued Affiliation with a Nationally known injury prevention organization Studies to demonstrate the programs you provide are evidence-based Educational and supportive materials produced by ThinkFirst Foundation Training, support and a network of chapters Newsletters, updates on injury prevention issues Referrals from national office and state chapter Chapter contact information on Web linking

Help Us Reduce Injuries! Start a ThinkFirst chapter! Promote ThinkFirst and safety awareness through education and school programming Advocate for injury prevention issues Financially sponsor ThinkFirst at the local and national levels

For More Information ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation Debby Gerhardstein, Executive Director Diane Ciambrone, Administrative Assistant THINK56