Welcome -

Thank you in advance for your willingness to be a Cancer Screening Advocate for your friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and community. You don’t need to be a cancer expert in order to be a successful Advocate. All you need is a passion to empower others to take care of themselves. Thank you for joining us in this important work!

Lincoln Breast Cancer Alliance and the

Every Woman Matters Program Staff, DHHS Office of Women’s and Men’s Health

Contents of the Training Manual

Role of a Cancer Screening Advocate - 3

  • Screening Advocate Form - 4

Linking Women in our Community with Screening Services – 5, 6

The Importance of the Encounter Form and Callback Form - 7

  • Encounter Form – 8, 9
  • Callback Form - 10

Exploring the Educational Packet - 11

Planning an Educational Session - 12

  • Sample Flyer - 13

Conducting an Educational Session – 14, 15

  • PowerPoint Presentation - 16
  • Learning Review: Family Feud – 17, 18
  • Learning Review: Jeopardy – 19, 20

Goal

Save lives through the early detection of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer

Purpose

Reach out to 10 women you know and encourage them to:1) learn their risk factors and share them with their provider, 2) follow-through with recommended cancer screenings, 3) visit their provider immediately if they notice any cancer warning signs., 4) make healthy lifestyle choices

Requirements

  • Be willing to share health information in a small group or 1 on 1 with at least 10 women in your immediate circle or community
  • Have personal experience as a cancer survivor or caregiver, professional experience, or a personal commitment to cancer screening
  • Be age 21 or older
  • Be willing to complete a two-hour training session and make follow-up calls to the women you reach
  • Show respect for others; be friendly, approachable, and culturally-sensitive
  • Maintain confidentiality as outlined in training

Responsibilities

  • Identify and connect with women in your circle of influence to provide information about cancer screening
  • Promote key messages and listen to concerns and fears
  • Share educational and screening resources provided at training
  • Follow-up to identify the need for additional help and connect with your local community health worker

Screening Advocate Form Date______

First Name
Last Name
Street Address
City
Zip Code
Phone Number
E-mail address
Age
Ethnicity
Gender /  Female Male
Are you a breast cancer survivor? /  YesNo
Comment:
Are/were you a caregiver for a breast cancer patient? /  YesNo
Comment:
Who would you like to reach with breast health information?
Other than English, what other languages do you speak?
Would you like to be a team leader? /  YesNo
Comment:

Thank you for your interest!

The Process of Linking Women to Breast and Cervical Services by Using Screening Advocates – who does what

Screening Advocates / Community Health Workers (Health Hubs) / Partnership Coordinator
(may share work with Advocate Captain)
Advocates attend training and receive materials / The community health worker helps to conduct the training (with Natalie and Advocate Captain) and meets Advocates / Supplies training materials and helps with training as needed
Advocates reach out to at least 10 women in their social circles to do educational sessions and distribute materials
Advocates receive completed Encounter Forms from the women they reach at the educational session
Advocates make one call to each woman within two weeks of the educational session to ask if she has any questions. If she is not current on her screenings and/or needs additional help, they tell her they will connect her with ______, their trusted community health worker. The Advocates complete the Callback form after each call.
The Advocates give the Encounter forms and Callback forms to the community health worker / The community health worker reviews the forms and enters the contact data into the Encounter registry
The community health worker calls any women who are not current on their screenings or who need additional help
The community health worker gives the Callback forms to the Coordinator /Advocate Captain / Enters any information for evaluation of screening advocate program and materials into an Excel sheet to share with the Leadership team.
Community health worker makes additional needed follow-up calls to women to assure appointments are made, followed-through, and results are obtained. (If results are positive, she continues to navigate patient to through diagnostics and to treatment as needed.) / Coordinator may receive return postcards from women reached by Screening Advocates who report completing regular screenings on their own
Community health worker enters follow-up call data into Encounter Registry (including results) and informs Coordinator as to which women completed screenings and should receive gifts / Coordinator mails out gifts and thank you notes to women who completed screening
Community health worker shreds Encounter forms / Coordinator/Captain shreds Callback forms and return postcards

The Importance of the Encounter Form and Callback Form

The Encounter Form and the Callback Form are the data collection tools that link the women we reach with community resources. The forms also help us determine if our work is effective. If we don’t have good information on the forms, we won’t be able to provide the critical services a woman needs. If we don’t have data to show that the women we reach have been connected to the services they need and have been screened, we won’t be able to obtain funding to continue our work.

ALL the information obtained on the forms is strictly confidential. Only the Advocate and her local Community Health Worker will use it to connect with women to make sure they get the services they need.

The data on the Encounter Form will be combined with data from other women reached by Advocates for evaluation purposes. Program staff and our funders will want to know, for example, how many women did Advocates reach in a year, how many got screened, what were their age ranges, what are their ethnicities, etc.

It is very important that you collect a completed Encounter Form from EVERY woman who gets an educational packet. Make sure you allow enough time during your educational session for your contacts to fill out the form. They should be instructed to complete as many questions as they can. Explain why the form is so important and how it will be used. Make yourself available to answer any questions they have while completing the form. Make sure you collect a completed form from everyone before they leave.

Within two weeks of your educational session, call your contacts and use the Callback Form to record their answers. Complete a form for each person you contact. If a contact needs additional help to connect with a provider, pay for screening services, or get screened, ask if it would be okay if you connect them with your local Community Health Worker (CHW). Stress that your local CHW is trained to do this follow-up and has additional resources to help. Tell them you trust your CHW will be able to provide additional support. A connection with the Community Health Worker is critical in order to make sure your contact is effectively served.

Attach the Callback Form to the matching Encounter Form and pass the forms to your Community Health Worker. Your CHW will enter the appropriate data into the Encounter Registry and make any needed follow-up calls to your contacts, based on the info provided on the forms.

ENCOUNTER FORM

Screening Advocate’s Name: ______

Education Date: _____/______/______

First Name: ______

Last Name ______

Address: ______City: ______State: _____ Zip: ______Home Phone: (_____) ______-______Cell Phone: (_____) ______-______Email address: ______Date of Birth: ____/____/_____ Gender: Male Female Hispanic: Yes No

Race (check all that apply): White Black Mexican Asian Native American Pacific Islander Other______

Tell us a little about yourself:

Are you limited in any way in any activities because of physical, mental or emotional problems? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Do you now have any health problem that requires you to use special equipment, such as a cane, a wheelchair, a special bed, or a special telephone? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

If yes, what type of disability? ______

Are you a Refugee? Yes No Unknown If yes, where from? ______

County of Residence: ______Preferred Counties:______

Do you have a primary care physician?YesNo

Do you have Health Insurance? Employer Coverage Health Market Medicare Medicaid No

Do you now smoke cigarettes every day, some days, or not at all? Every Day Some Days Not at all Don’t want to answer

Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse or other health professional that you have high blood pressure? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Are you taking any medication prescribed by your doctor, nurse or other health professional for your high blood pressure? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse or other health professional that you have diabetes? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Are you taking any medication prescribed by your doctor, nurse or other health professional for diabetes? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse or other health professional that your blood cholesterol is high? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Are you taking any medication prescribed by your doctor, nurse or other health professional for your high cholesterol? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Have you had a mammogram in the last 2 years? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Have you had a pap test in the last 3 years? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Have you been screened for colorectal cancer? Yes No Don’t Know Don’t want to answer

Callback Form (For Screening Advocate to complete when contacting)

Person Contacted:______

Advocate name and
Date of Follow-Up Contact
How have you been?
Do you have any questions about the health information I gave you?
Was any of the information confusing or difficult to understand?
What would you like to learn more about?
Check Encounter form questions about provider, mammogram, pap test, colorectal screening.
Do you need any help finding a good provider, paying for screening services, or getting screened?
If yes, can I have one of our local navigators contact you to offer additional assistance?
Do you have any suggestions for how we might make our training materials or program better?
Would you be interested in becoming a Screening Advocate like me? I can connect you to our Team Captain. (You may need to provide additional information about Role, Responsibilities and Training.)

Thank you again for your participation. Please Take Care of Yourself!

Exploring the Educational Packet

Please give an educational packet to every woman you reach. The packet contains:

  • A pink HOPE bracelet or a pink ribbon carabiner clipwith the name and phone number for the Every Woman Matters Program.The carabinerclip can be hooked to a purse, tote, or belt loop to carry keys, a water bottle, etc. It is designed to remind women about the importance of women’s health screening. The HOPE bracelet can also be attached to a purse or tote as a screening reminder. The Every Woman Matters Program is a state financial assistance program that helps pay for screening and other health services for women who meet age, income, and residency requirements and do not have health insurance. You can connect your contacts to the program by working with your local community health worker.
  • A worksheet (front/back) about Risk Factors and Family Cancer History. This worksheet is designed to be completed by each woman and then taken to the doctor. It can be used to jump start a conversation about risk factors and screening recommendations, or add new information to their medical record. Review the sheet with your contacts during the PPT. You will also refer to it during the games at the end of the session.
  • A Local Contacts sheet with names, roles, contact info and photos of community health workers and EWM navigators in our community. These contacts can connect women with local providers and help them overcome financial and other barriers to care. You will refer to this sheet during the game segment as well.
  • A brochure about breast health,information about cervical cancer and a fact sheet about colorectal cancer. Review these materials and point out the key messages, emphasizing the value of screening. Depending upon the age and interests of your audience, you may spend more or less time on each publication. The publications have information about warning signs and healthy lifestyle choices that will be referenced during the games.
  • A postcard that can be completed and returned for a special gift. When your contact makes an appointment with a provider for one of the listed purposes, she can return this postcard and she will receive a special gift as a reward for taking good care of herself.

Planning an Educational Session

It’s All About Relationships!

Decide when and where you will have your educational session and make the appropriate arrangements. Choose any day of the year. Holiday or your birthday gatherings are a great time.

Cancer screening can be difficult to talk about, so try to have fun. We’ve included information in a Family Feud and Jeopardy game format to use to liven up the action. Frame it as a special gathering to celebrate each other and discuss healthy lifestyle choices. Feel free to decorate and choose a theme. How about a Spa Party? Or combine the session with a dinner or craft-making activity that celebrates women. Use your imagination!

Take a few minutes to think about all of the relationships within your circle of influence: friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, people you worship with or join in social, recreational or educational activities.

Invite a group size that will make you comfortable. Remember that adults will generally learn more in a small group setting and your contacts may feel safer discussing the topics in a more intimate setting.

Here are some methods for inviting guests:

 Use social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.

 Email the invitations or use an online invitation site like Evite

 Advertise in your work newsletter

 Distribute flyers in your church, gym, worksite, etc.

We’ve included a sample flyer in this training manual. You can make copies or download an electronic copy at

You might wish to have your guests RSVP so you know how many to plan for. Send a reminder email or make phone calls the day before the session.

If you are using a special site, make sure you confirm the location well enough in advance. Then contact the host at the site a week before your event to confirm the reservation and ask any last-minute questions you may have.

Potential Special Hosting Sites: Workplace, Gym, Spa, Church, Community Center, etc.

Conducting an Educational Session

Step 1:Review your manual, the materials in the packet, and your PPT. You need to feel confident you know the key messages.

Step 2:Set up 20-30 minutes before the start of the event. Give yourself twice that time if you are using any equipment.

Step 3:Greet your guests.

As participants arrive for your session, greet them and give them an educational packet, a pen/pencil, and an Encounter Form. Ask them to complete the Encounter Form and return it to you.

Step 4:Begin your session.

We encourage you to introduce yourself and give some background information about yourself and the program goals. Here is an example:

“Welcome everyone! My name is ______and I am very glad to have you all here. Thank you for coming. I hope that we will have a great conversation.

Today we want to encourage you to Take Care of Yourself! All too often, women put themselves last in their list of priorities. We want to encourage you to put your health FIRST for a change. After all – what would your family and friends do without you? By taking care of ourselves, we are taking care of our friends and family.

The specific goals of this session are:

1. To discuss cancer risk factors and encourage you to develop a personal action plan with your doctor for reducing your risk and getting screened.

2. To motivate you to get screened and help you know where to go and how to pay for it.

3. To discuss warning signs and urge you to see your doctor immediately if you notice anything unusual.

I am not a cancer expert. I’m interested in this topic because ….

My hope is that today’s conversation will be candid, fun, and you’ll leave feeling more confident about taking care of yourself. I welcome any and all questions. If I do not know something, I will find the answer and let you know.”

Step 5:Getting to know each other

  1. Ask participants to share their name and one thing that they already do to take care of themselves and stay healthy.

Step 6:Reviewing the PPT and packet contents

Transition to the PPT by saying something like:

“One thing we all can do to stay healthy is to get regular cancer screenings. I have some PPT slides here that will guide us through a discussion about breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings. We’ll dive into your educational packet along the way to look at some specific information.”