Project planning and development by official health agencies. 3. The neighborhood-based public health worker: additional manpower for community health services.

Abstract

The Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Health Department is providing a major segment of the health component of the Pittsburgh Anti-Poverty Program. The primary emphasis of the program is on the use of the neighborhood-based worker in making house to house interviews to all dwelling units in designated blocks in the anti-poverty area. The program plan evolved from a demonstration project in a slum area using local volunteers from a single block to contact all residents of that block. Preliminary evaluation of the expanded program supported by Federal Anti- Poverty Funds indicates that significant improvement in health services to the poor can be expected. For the health agency undertaking such a program there must be a commitment of professional staff to provide extended training for the neighborhood-based worker. Coordination of health services with other nonhealth, locally developed antipoverty programs is also essential.