Health Education Development/Funding submission brief

The ability to obtain funding for projects and programs is an important skill set - not only for Public Health practitioners and Rehabilitation Counselors, but for the general public and those filling a wide range of public service roles.

Prepare a funding submission brief for an assigned 'vulnerable' group covering issues of ethnic diversity, gender equality and class equity from a 'strengths-based approach' that is founded by the principles, priority action areas (particularly creating supportive environments) and processes (particularly advocating) of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion and subsequent declarations and statements relevant to a Health Promoting University's frame of reference (with a particular focus on settings).

You may wish to draw on the knowledge and ideas of your team - should you have developed and maintained a well-functioning team. You are not required to accept the support of your team, but it is a chance to see that such collaboration can often achieve more than the individual is able to achieve alone. However, be warned. All submissions will be compared with the work of the other members of the team. You must turn in your OWN work. So, take care to consider how to best support each other. Suggestions will be made during the semester.

This assignment should be equivalent to 900 words. It is due at 9am, 16 June 2014. Assessment comprises 25% of your overall mark.

Criteria

Suppose that you are a member of a team of students who are leaders of the Public Health Students' Association (PHSA) at La Trobe University. You are to write a justification for the provision by the University of funding ($20,000) for a strengths-based approach to running a mental health awareness campaign by "students for students" (a similar project has already been run by the PHSA at Bundoora for another health related issue). The setting of the campaign will be the Bundoora campus. The campaign is to be conducted in the second semester of a core first year program (in other words, the community of interest is first year students in the second semester of their studies and the campaign is to extend for at least eight weeks). Each member of your tutorial team is to focus on a different vulnerable group and provide a brief based on that group. You may consult with the other members of your team; but, your brief is to be clearly your own.

You will be assessed on your brief as a whole (coherence), as well as the cogency (power) of your argument for each of the following aspects:

Outline the need for mental health awareness in tertiary settings (provide some evidence of need through research relating to La Trobe University students or similar students at other tertiary institutions)
Identify successful programs run elsewhere and suggest how they might be applied at La Trobe University (in similar settings; but, critically consider difference between settings)
Demonstrate a familiarity with health education competencies and ethics (see Annex 2 and 3 in Health education: theoretical concepts, effective strategies and core competencies (WHO 2012)).
Consider issues relating to ethnicity, class and gender and your vulnerable group.
Set your argument for the (1) need, (2) the potential solution within a strengths-based approach, (3) the competencies required and the ethical issues to be considered, as well as (4) concerns for the vulnerable group, ethnicity, class and gender within a (5) Health Promoting Universities frame of reference (see particularly the section on "Health and Higher Education" here. The focus of the program-logic narrative assessment was on a strengths-based approach to developing personal skills, the focus on this assessment is on a strengths-based approach to creating supportive environments within a settings approach.

The document What Do These Marks Mean? provides a general point of reference in terms of the criteria for your assessment. YOU ARE NOT PROVIDING US WITH A DETAILED PROGRAM. YOU DO NOT PROVIDE A BUDGET--THIS NOT ANOTHER PROGRAM-LOGIC EXERCISE. YOU ARE JUSTIFYING THE PROVISION OF FUNDING FOR A CAMPAIGN.

A submission template will be forthcoming.

Examples

These are just some examples of what have been discussed and done to get your started in your thinking. Please ensure that you canvass the literature adequately.

Australian Medical Student Association (2013) programs. The background report is here. You will need to look for more evidence than just this report.

National Summit on the Mental Health of Tertiary Students (2011) home page here and checklist here. Discussion paper here. Flyer here (however, looks like the wiki has been cracked).

Here is one result of the Staying Sane on Campus program.

Issues relating to International students here. Refugees here and here.

Low Socio-Economic status here.