Outreach on Toxic Threats in Massachusetts

This is a Fall 2003 Newsletter Featured Article.

Other Featured Articles:

• Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit
• SMART Security: PSR's Plan for Preventing Preemptive War
• Environmental Pollutants and the Immune System
• Issues and Media Training at Harvard Medical School

Thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust's new Human Health and Environment Program, GBPSR is conducting Massachusetts-specific work related to In Harm's Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development (IHW). The primary program goal is to educate more health care providers about the linkages between toxic chemicals and brain development, in order to prevent exposures and pollution.

We are focusing on outreach to health care providers to the most vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children. We will also concentrate on building capacity within GBPSR to encourage more member and medical student participation in GBPSR programs.

Major project components include the following:

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

GBPSR is working with the statewide Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies (HMHB) coalition, a collaboration of public and private organizations dedicated to assuring that all children grow up in safe and healthy homes. HMHB of Massachusetts, in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary Partners in Perinatal Health network, has achieved long-standing success providing education on perinatal care. However, information on environment and health issues has not regularly been included. GBPSR will coordinate with HMHB to conduct presentations and provide educational materials to member groups, with an emphasis on training care providers who counsel pregnant women and young children including nurses, lactation consultants, doulas, childbirth educators, and others.

Outreach to Hispanic Community

We are collaborating with the Regional Environmental Council (REC) of Worcester on outreach to the Hispanic community. REC has a history of working with community groups in Worcester, particularly in Hispanic neighborhoods. GBPSR will conduct trainings for health care workers through community health centers, and provide additional training through REC, on the IHW messages about preventing toxic exposures, protecting health, and preventing pollution. In addition, GBPSR will provide educational materials in English and Spanish to REC for distribution through their extensive network of community groups.

If you are interested in scheduling a presentation for health care providers in Massachusetts, please contact psrmabo@igc.org with your request.

This project is funded by
Massachusetts Envrionmental Trust