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Protecting our citizens' health as we address environmental
hazards that adversely affect our air, water, and food is
a key priority of national governments. In addition, the
increase in the average human lifespan and rates of incurable
disease raise concerns regarding the quality of health care
received. The results of unforeseen disasters and emergencies
create a risk to our physical and mental health as well.
ICF International provides health and human consulting services
that support the improvement of health, safety, and welfare
of the public. Our experts can help you solve relating
health matters:
HIV/AIDS Awareness
ICF International provides social marketing and technical
assistance services relating to HIV/AIDS. By the end of 2003,
approximately 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 persons in the United
States were living with HIV/AIDS. Of those, 24-27 percent
were unaware of their infection. These alarming statistics
prove the need to actively educate the public through vehicles
such as social programs and strategic communications.
The Leadership Campaign on AIDS: Faith-Based Initiatives
and Outreach
Since March 2005, ICF International has provided public
relations and social marketing support, including communications
outreach, evaluation, media training and technical assistance,
and event organization and logistics, to the Office of HIV/AIDS
Policy’s (OHAP) The
Leadership Campaign on AIDS (TLCA) at
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A
fundamental component of OHAP/TLCA’s outreach is educating,
motivating, and mobilizing public health, civic, and faith
leaders at the community level in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Through this effort, ICF has assisted OHAP/TLCA in reaching
out to minority community leaders regarding the importance
of HIV testing as the first step in stopping the spread of
HIV/AIDS.
ICF International has worked with various OHAP/TLCA partners
on HIV/AIDS Awareness Days to promote their organizations’ goals
on radio talk shows and local print and specialty print publications.
In recognition of National HIV Testing Day, ICF International
provided all logistic and outreach support so HHS could offer
free, confidential HIV testing for its employees. In addition,
ICF International worked with OHAP/TLCA, the D.C. Health
Department, and the Federal Health Unit representatives to
provide free, confidential HIV testing for three days. Through
this effort, ICF International also worked directly with
a number of faith-based and cultural groups, including The
Salvation Army, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,
the National Catholic AIDS Network, Esperanza USA, the Asian
Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and the Arab, Chaldean,
and Muslim-American Communities. ICF’s current activities
include helping OHAP/TLCA conceptualize, develop, and launch
www.AIDS.gov, a new Internet gateway aimed at improving the
flow of all Federal information about HIV/AIDS to both the
general public and to specialized audiences.
Evaluating Housing Opportunities for Persons
with AIDS (HOPWA) Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD)
Office of Policy Development and Research sought to evaluate
its HOPWA program and whether it was meeting the housing needs
of persons living with HIV/AIDS; coordinating well with other
community programs, including
health care and supportive services that
assist persons living with HIV/AIDS; and
to what degree the Special Projects
of National Significance accomplished
their goals by using innovative ideas or
techniques. ICF International reviewed existing data sources,
interviewed local program personnel and
clients, and conducted three surveys with
funding recipients and HOPWA clients. ICF International determined that the HOPWA program,
as intended, predominantly serves extremely
low-income and very low-income persons
living with HIV/AIDS, including many people
facing additional life barriers. Overall,
the study indicated that HOPWA appears
to enhance clients' housing stability,
and clients report a high level of satisfaction
with the housing that they receive. In
addition, HUD learned the population served
by the HOPWA program and their needs, how
the program is used in conjunction with
other programs, and the program's strengths
and weaknesses of the program.
Children's Health Protection
ICF International helps clients of all types develop effective
outreach programs to educate parents and children on how
to stay safe where they live, learn, and play. The Executive
Order on the Protection of Children from Environmental Health
Risks and Safety Risks requires all U.S. federal agencies
to assign a high priority to addressing health and safety
risks to children, coordinate research priorities on children's
health, and ensure that their standards take into account
special risks to children. Parents and
communities need to have accurate information and helpful
tools that enable them to take steps toward protecting their
children from today’s environmental health threats.
U.S. Office of Children's Health Protection (OCHP) Communications
Support
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established
OCHP to support and facilitate agency efforts to protect
children and older adults from environmental risks. Since
January 2002, ICF International has provided communications
support to OCHP to both raise awareness of the link between
children's health and the environment and to encourage positive
actions that improve children's environmental health. Target
audiences of these efforts include the general public, communities,
organizations, corporations, and the government. ICF International
developed a general brochure, international brochure, and
Tips and Growth Chart giveaway, and created a variety of
materials for distribution during Children's Health Month.
EPA and twelve partnering federal agencies planned activities
to promote efforts underway at each agency. ICF International
helped this group convey the unifying theme of its efforts—to
protect children—by
developing a Web site, print collateral, and a giveaway.
The materials were used to inform parents and caregivers,
teachers, government agencies, organizations, the media,
and others of activities underway within the participating
agencies, and steps parents and caregivers can take to protect
children. Other efforts included designing the first OCHP
booth, stickers with environmental messages for teachers
to hand out to elementary school children, and writing a
youth book to build environmental health awareness among
adolescents. Moreover, ICF International managed the development
and implementation of the first Annual Children's Health
Environmental Health Awards Program. Support included developing
an awards self-mailer, an awards program for the awards ceremony,
a tailored Press Kit for award winners, initial screening
of applications, and handling all logistical support for
the awards ceremony including securing event venue.
Health Communications
ICF International offers clients a unique combination of public
relations expertise and technical understanding of health
care concerns. We excel in translating complex health topics
into campaigns that resonate with target audiences from children
to health care organizations. It is this understanding that
enables our communications products to focus on the right
message, reach the right audience, and leverage the right
vehicle. Find out more about ICF International's health communications projects and services.
Lead Awareness Outreach
ICF International has worked closely with EPA and Head Start
to create a suite of materials targeted toward parents of
children in Head Start Programs across the country. ICF International
first facilitated focus groups with Head Start staff to identify
key messages and the appropriate vehicles to reach target
audiences. We then developed a suite of materials with a
common look and feel to speak to the target audiences. We
designed a brochure to appeal to parents and developed fact
sheets for staff members to use in reinforcing the message
with parents and to encourage blood tests to check lead
levels in at-risk children. All materials were co-branded
by EPA and the National Head Start Association and were provided
on its Web site as well as hard copy. Final materials also
were tested through focus groups held with local Head Start
parents. This campaign is being implemented now, and a full
evaluation of its effects is being conducted.
Healthy Steps for Young Children Program
Since 1994 ICF International has supported a consortium of
100 national and community foundations and health care providers,
including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Commonwealth
Fund, to develop, launch, and sustain the Healthy Steps for
Young Children Program, a national initiative to redesign
primary health care for young children by providing a patient-responsive,
developmentally-oriented approach to pediatric primary care.
ICF International serves as the National Program Office for
the $35 million program. ICF International is responsible for
overall project management, including budget management;
liaison and organization of symposium with distinguished
national Advisory Committee; design and implementation of
data collection and analytic studies; site selection, monitoring,
and technical assistance activities; and development, maintenance,
and updating of a Web site—http://www.healthysteps.org—that
(a) provides program information to all interested parties
and, during the evaluation phase of the initiative, (b) contained
a private section for operating sites to communicate with
each other and program offices.
The project also provides
strategic outreach and program support activities to promote
sustainability and diffusion of Healthy Steps. For example,
ICF International developed a communications plan to outline
strategies for raising awareness with key target audiences,
including health care providers, foundations, insurers, and
parents. ICF International also has developed
fact sheets, a video, and an on-line newsletter. We have
written numerous
articles for placement in industry publications including
the Grantmakers in Health newsletter and Behavioral
Development.
ICF International also oversaw a major national evaluation of
15 site to identify
the impacts of Healthy Steps on outcomes for children, parents,
and practices, as well as to determine the costs of the program
and relate those costs to outcomes. ICF International developed
a method to measure overall site quality. The paper describing
the method was published in The American
Journal of Evaluation,
Spring 2004. We developed a media toolkit for use by local
Healthy Steps sites to announce the recent evaluation results.
Public Health and Safety
The complexity and interconnectedness of public health and
safety issues require a broad perspective to form workable
solutions. ICF International provides this perspective, offering
a tailored portfolio of solutions—organizational
improvement,
program
management and evaluation, strategic
communications,
training, and information
technology—across the health
care arena. We are able to develop effective regulatory and
nonregulatory strategies based on our knowledge and hands-on
experience in health science research and emergency
preparedness and response. Our staff is experienced in
a wide range of public health issues, including environmental
health, obesity, food safety, HIV/AIDS,
bioterrorism, patient advocacy, pharmaceutical access, mental
health, substance abuse, and health care policy.
EPA Headquarters Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Support
for Anthrax Incidents
From October 2001 through March 2002,
ICF International personnel were integrated into the permanent
Operations Team at the EOC. Support for anthrax incidents
included gathering data on Bacillus anthraces (including
guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA), and other agencies) and distributing it to the EPA
Regions; providing support for meetings of the National Response
Team (NRT) and other
interagency groups involving representatives from EPA, and
incorporating the information into the EPA Office of Emergency
and Remedial Response (OERR) Situation Reports (SITREP).
ICF International also created and maintained anthrax incident
tracking matrix; organized and posted all anthrax-related
information on the secure EPA EOC Web site; and prepared
the initial internal EOC after-action report for the activation
spanning the events of September 11, 2001, the anthrax incidents,
and the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Human Services Networks
Human services, including health care, child care, and
senior services, are an essential part of a local government’s
housing and community development activities. Whether funded
through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program,
general funds, foundation grants, or other funding sources,
human service agencies and nonprofit organizations respond
to the basic needs of a community. As these communities change
in size and composition, the needs of its population for
human services change as well.
Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Web Site
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children
and Families, Office of Family Assistance
Caliber, an ICF International
Company, developed and maintains the Welfare
Peer Technical Assistance Web site. The Web site is
designed to facilitate the transfer of information among
states, counties, and localities, and to establish linkages
among organizations serving the needs of Temporary Assistance
to Needy Families recipients. The Web site provides a dynamic
and interactive environment to foster communication among
network participants and features e-mail alerts (summary
of new Web site content), an interactive Q&A forum,
on-line technical assistance request, on-line event registration,
a calendar, site search, and live chat. In addition, ICF
Caliber has provided Web site management and support, including
identifying new relevant content, moderating on-line discussion
forums and requests, and providing programming support
for new content and enhancements.
Tri-Valley Human Services Needs Assessment
ICF International provided the Cities of Livermore and Pleasanton
in Eastern Alameda County, California, with a comprehensive
analysis of agencies providing human services based on
the changing demographic needs in the region. We assessed
the current capacity of the human services network, identified
service gaps and network shortcomings, and developed key
strategies to improve the ability of the human services network
to respond to the needs of Tri-Valley residents and other
stakeholders.
Alameda County Housing/Jobs Linkage Program
ICF International facilitated strategic planning activities
for a collaborative that included Alameda County, several
nonprofit organizations, and seven housing shelters. The
outcome was a strategic plan that focused on developing self-sufficiency
opportunities related to housing and employment for homeless
families in Alameda County.
South Bay Cities Jobs and Housing Growth Capacity
For the South Bay Cities Council of Governments in Southern
California, ICF International assesses how existing and planned
urban infrastructure and services could support forecasted
growth as part of a larger regional visioning process. For
the 16 jurisdictions comprising the South Bay Cities region,
this study included childcare, senior services, hospitals,
and parks and open space.
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