Smoking cessation lay counselors in African American communities - 5/1/07

Q: West Virginia wants to create a network of "lay counselors" for smoking cessation in our communities of African Americans. Our vision is to select people with the right personality, provide a minimal 2-hour training, and provide support materials. These lay counselors would provide one-on-one counseling, direct smokers to the state Quit Line and other services, and be a support person in the quitting process. These counselors would be providing counseling in person, with follow-up meetings or phone calls.

A:

1. Alabama - There is a program out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) that trains Community Health Advisors (CHAs). Several CHAs serve African American communities.
    
2. Arizona - Arizona does not have any programs at this time that address this specific question.
    
3. Michigan – One of the organizations I have worked with in the past has used the ALA Freedom Smoking program and adapted it.  It is an 8-week, two hours per week training.
    
4. Ohio – We (African American Communities for Optimum Health) had our 3rd Biennial Workshop in 2005 and had two presenters: 1) Rev. Jesse Brown of NAAAPI has a program that models after Pathways to Freedom called Winning Path and 2) Statice Wilmore (swilmore@cityofpasadena.net; 626 744-6014, ext 6051) and Lydia Acosta (lacosta@cityofpasadena.net) have a cross-cultural cessation support program that's been evaluated and implemented through the City of Pasadena Public Health Department.  Victoria Crews, in Ohio with The Changing Environment and Attitudes for Substance Elimination (C.E.A.S.E.) Project, also has done cessation support through African American churches.  The C.E.A.S.E. Project is a faith-based, culturally specific alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention program for African Americans.  C.E.A.S.E. provides tobacco control services through African American churches in Franklin, Licking and Fairfield Counties.  In 2003, C.E.A.S.E. developed and implemented a faith-based smoking cessation program.  For more information visit www.ceaseproject.org or contact Victoria Wilder Crews at vcrews@1STCHURCH.NET
    
5. North Carolina – There was a study that NCI did just prior to the COMMIT years and possibly alongside COMMIT with NC Mutual Life Insurance that had African American life insurance agents acting as lay counselors for smoking cessation.  NC Mutual is one of the largest black-owned businesses in the US and it grew over the need of African Americans to have a trusted source for (originally) funeral expenses and later insurance.  The NC Mutual Life Insurance VP was a lead on this project and was North Carolina’s first ASSIST Coalition Chair, Charles Blackmon, the lead on this NCI project who has since passed away.  A book by Connie Service and Eva Salber - Community Health Education: the Lay Advisor Approach is also a good reliable resource.  There are also the ASSIST Site Trainers Network Manual on Diversity and the TUPTI Course Manuals on Disparities and Diversity may be a good resource.  Lastly, there is Pathways to Freedom (CDC) that is specific to African American populations

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