Outreach Programs
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FAMILY PRACTICE
The Family Practice of the Community Health Center, located at our South Campus, 702 East Market Street, provides comprehensive medical services to individuals and families in all phases of life. Services include well-child care, immunizations, physicals and first-line treatment for sports injuries. Patients of the Family Practice do not need to be in treatment at the Community Health Center to receive services. We welcome new patients and accept most major insurance plans, along with Medicare and Medicaid.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The Community Health Center understands the needs of both the employer and the employee in dealing with potential and existing health and substance abuse problems. Our mission is to aid the business community in developing the employee's full potential through training and workshops, medical services, drug prevention and testing. Services include corporate wellness programs, drug policy development and implementation. Other services include management and supervisory training and employee education as related to substance abuse issues in the workplace.

KIDSPACE
“Because of my addiction, my children have suffered. Knowing there was
someone there to watch after them while I received treatment meant the world
to me.”

The Community Health Center operates a state licensed childcare facility (KidSpace) in
RAMAR, our residential housing facility, as well as a child daycare center in our North Campus facility. KidSpace enables mothers to receive treatment, who otherwise would not be able to participate due to family obligations. This program eliminates one major barrier that prevents women from receiving treatment.

HELP ME GROW
Early Start is a free home-visitation program that supports families of children from birth to
age three. The goals of Early Start are simply to strengthen the child's development and to give them the best chance possible to achieve success. Early Start is the program that helps to form a partnership between parents, children and the community. A trained outreach worker is provided to help families get the services and assistance they need in the community. Early Start also provides the resources and support to develop the skills, time and energy needed for positive parenting. In 2002 the Early Start staff, funded by Summit County Family and Child First Council, were involved with 170 children.


CHILDREN ARE SPECIAL
The Community Health Center's "Children are Special" groups target children, ages 5 through
12, who are growing up in chemically-dependent families and address issues of feelings, problem solving, coping skills and self esteem. These groups consist of eight sessions and are offered at various times and locations throughout the year. Offering a flexible schedule demonstrates our belief that all clients should be afforded quality, timely, clinically-sound and costeffective services.

WELLNESS BLOCK GRANT (WBG)
This teen program funded by the Summit County Family and Child First Council is intended
to give teenagers a forum to face and deal with peer pressures. Issues include pregnancy prevention, STD and HIV/AIDS awareness, anger management, anti-smoking messages, and
communication skills. The purpose of the Wellness Block Grant is to foster a future full of
healthy choices for teens.

PROJECT PANDA
“I have been a PANDA Volunteer for the past 8 years, at least 25 camps and mini
camps.The March PANDA Camp was the best camp I have ever attended. Not
only did the kids have fun, but the adult staff joined right in. Unfortunately, my
family will be moving out of town, but we have already talked to my son’s school
in Florida about starting up their own PANDA Program since we have such
enthusiasm about the program and what it does for adolescents.”

PANDA is an education/prevention program designed for middle school students, grades 6, 7
and 8. The goal of PANDA is to begin to educate young people, not only about the dangers of drug/alcohol abuse and use, but also about peer pressure, decision-making and self-esteem. This goal is accomplished during a Friday through Sunday educational camp experience. The 3-day weekend prevention camps directly serve over 500 adolescents per year.
HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM

The Health Promotion Program at the Community Health Center, funded through the Summit
County Health Department, provides HIV/AIDS education, as well as a wide range of health
topics and prevention to area youth and substance abusers. Our Health Educator serves as an extension of our physician by providing age-appropriate education and prevention on numerous health topics through interactive approaches. These include: educational talks, learning activities/ games, discussions, videos, role-playing and question and answer sessions. Educational materials are made available to youth and their parents on a broad array of health issues.
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT FOR OPIATE ADDICTION
The Medication Assisted Treatment For Opiate Addiction (MAT), a program of the
Community Health Center, is one of only nine methadone clinics in Ohio and offers
methadone maintenance and detoxification treatment for opiate addicts. Methadone, the most widely used and studied treatment for opiate addiction, has been identified as the single most effective treatment for opiate addicts. This medication assisted treatment program is supervised by a licensed physician who is ASAM (American Society for Addictions Medicine) certified. When given on a daily basis and in appropriate doses, medication blocks the effects of street heroin and effectively reduces the craving for heroin and other opiates. Another benefit of methadone is that it is safe and produces no significant side effects. Health services are provided to those who might not otherwise seek treatment of related disorders, such as Hepatitis B and C viruses. This medication-assisted treatment reduces the incidence of HIV/AIDS, as drug users often share contaminated needles. Methadone clinics are on the front lines providing education, medical services and risk reduction information.

REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE PROGRAM
The ability to manage money and a budget appropriately is a critical skill for client independence. Most of our representative payee clients are senior citizens who are affected by dementia or Alzheimer's and are referred by the Summit County Adult Protective Services. In the Representative Payee Program a budget is established, but a member of the staff of the Community Health Center actually makes the payments in conjunction with the client. This vital service insures that clients can maintain a sense of independence.

PROJECT THRIVE
The calendar year 2002 saw the maturing of an innovative program to reduce truancy problems known as Project THRIVE (Truancy Habits Reduced, Interventions Via Education). Sponsorship is through the Summit County Juvenile Court, Summit County Truancy Task Force and the Community Health Center and funded in part by the Summit County Department of Job and Family Services.

The stated mission of Project THRIVE is "to help children reach their fullest potential by working with the family to strengthen the relationship between the home and the school." A trained Case Manager is assigned to work with the student and family regarding school issues, as well as with the community resources that are available to the students and their families.

It is a known fact that students who complete a high school education have greater employment opportunities and higher earning power. The goal of Project THRIVE is to insure that every student in Summit County has this opportunity.