Partnerships with Local Health Departments and Other Nonprofit Organizations to Improve Community Occupational Health

BACKGROUND:   The Wisconsin Occupational Health Surveillance Program (OHSP) has traditionally been a program focused on prevention and surveillance of occupational injuries, illness and fatalities in the state. Occupational health (OH) resources available to community organizations have been lacking, and OH as a result has not been a priority for these agencies. Additionally, there may be a lack of understanding of what OH means from the public health perspective, which can be limiting for community organizations. Mini-grants have a demonstrated ability to build capacity and sustainability among smaller organizations, especially in the state of Wisconsin, as demonstrated by previous efforts.

METHODS:   In 2013, the Wisconsin OHSP implemented a request for proposal (RFP) mini-grant process for non-profit organizations to implement community-based OH and safety interventions that were supported by surveillance data, addressed community priorities and had a high likelihood of sustainability beyond the funding period. A scoring rubric was developed for reviewing the 18 proposal responses to assess the target population, the clarity and specificity of the project, and the work plan and budget.

RESULTS:   The Program Manager for the Wisconsin OHSP worked with the nine funded agencies throughout the state, who received grants of up to $8,750 for 6-month projects in 2014, to provide technical assistance throughout the grant period and to ensure that the projects remained aligned with the RFP goals. Projects resulted in a outcomes that would not have been possible without the RFP, including a training for farmers and first responders on farm accidents involving machinery and chemicals; community needs assessments of challenges and solutions with occupational injury prevention and management; agricultural safety outreach and education; targeted education, health screenings and injury analysis, including one project aimed at dairy farm workers; working with large employers to incorporate occupational health into workplace wellness programs and a comprehensive radon survey of a university campus.  

CONCLUSIONS:   Given limited funds in public health agencies, funds are seldom available for occupational health and safety projects that can increase and improve capacity at the local level. Benefits to dedicating small amounts of funding to address OH needs and gaps identified by local public health organizations include increased collaboration between the state and local organizations. These small but important dollars and the technical assistance offered by the state OH program can also be the catalyst for projects that have significant impact on the local organizations and most importantly, on the communities they serve.