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Yassah Ballayan
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Program Plan Outline
March 7, 2015
PROGRAM PLAN OUTLINE
Title of Project: WeRVA Initiative; Improving Adolescent Health in Richmond, VA
Author: Yassah Ballayan
Problem/Need statement
1. Adolescence is a very critical period in life that requires a nurturing environment and
positive influences from all avenues. According to the World Health Organization,
adolescence is between the ages of 10 and 19 years old.1 During this important stage of
growth and development young people are at risk of serious health and safety
issues.1Many adolescents are involved in car accidents, suicide attempts, substance use
and abuse, unplanned pregnancies and preventable illnesses.1,2 The risky behaviors that
some adolescents engage in lead to serious diseases during adulthood such as, tobacco
use, poor nutrition and lack of exercise and unprotected sex.2
Goals
The primary goals of the organization are to improve adolescent health and increase
access to quality health information on adolescent health. The development of a mobile
app, agency website, and the resource center will improve the accessibility of credible
information on adolescents. And the resource center will provide information on local
quality health care providers and other resources for the prevention and treatment of
adolescents.
1. To improve adolescent health in Richmond, Virginia
A. Process Objective: By July of 2015, the planners will distribute brochures to 80
percent of the hospital and healthcare centers in the metro area.
B. Learning Objective: By December 2015, 85 percent of teachers and administrators in
the Richmond Public School system will have received training and education on
their role in improving adolescent health as reported by attendance roster.
C. Behavioral Objective: By December 2020, there will be a 20 percent decrease in the
number of adolescents that report drinking alcohol on a monthly basis
2. To increase access to quality information on adolescent health
A. Process Objective: By July of 2105, planners will launch WeRVA mobile app
B. Learning Objective: By January 2020, 90 percent of parents will report increase
knowledge on available resources for treatment and prevention of adolescent health
related issues as measured by surveys from WeRVA Imitative.
C. Behavioral Objective By January 2020, 85 percent of Richmond Public School
middle and high school students will report knowledge of WeRVA Initiative website
as measured by surveys.
Sponsoring agency/Contact person
1. The organization will partner will the Richmond City Health District and Richmond

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Public Schools using a research based approach to tackle the issues. For information on
WeRVA Initiative contact Yassah Ballayan at yballayan@liberty.edu.
Primary Target Audience
The primary target audience for intervention is young people between the ages of 10-19 years
of age. During this time period of transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents
experience cognitive, emotional, and social changes.3 The changes often increase the risk of
developing certain health problems such as drug or alcohol use, depression, violent behavior,
unsafe sexual activities, and eating disorders.3
A. Behavioral When assessing the characteristics of adolescents, research says that
they often make unsafe health choices based on the behaviors of their peers or
societal norms.2 Many dont seek information from reliable sources and have a hard
time changing behaviors if it is not one seen in their usual environment
B. Cultural, Demographic and Physical Adolescents from all ethnic backgrounds that
speak English as a primary or secondary language. Culturally speaking, adolescents
from lower socioeconomically groups are at risk for higher risk behaviors.2 In regards
to demographics and physical characteristics, the adolescents that the program is
targeting are both females and males that are still in primary school (ages of 10-19).
C. Psychographic Psychographic mindset of young people is still in transition. They
are still developing what their ideas and thoughts are in respect to the outlook on life.
Many based their decisions on short-term affects and not on the long term
consequences
Primary target key strategies
A. Audience-Targeting the primary audience is a comprehensive approach centered on
social media and local partnerships. The social media campaign will use Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, blog sites, television and radio. By partnering with local
organization like the Richmond Public School System and the Boys and Girls Club of
Greater Richmond, WeRVA will be able to talk to students directly through peer-lead
discussions. The intervention and marketing strategies will focus on five main issues
to include reproductive health, mental health, healthy relationships, substance abuse,
and physical activity and nutrition.
B. Action (Message)-WeRVA aims to promote better health for adolescents by
improving the environment (social, family, school, health care providers, resources)
and health behaviors. The organization wants young people to make better choices
that lead to positive health outcomes.
C. Barriers
a. Some adolescents seek information on health topics from friends and other
siblings which isnt always the most reliable information. Others may go to
the internet but may not use a credible site.
b. Health insurance is another barrier to receiving treatment for a preventable
illness. Some children may not have health coverage and when they do they
still may not be able to access it on their own, or the health service may not be
high quality.
c. When free public health services are available to the youth they may not have
transportation to get there to receive the service.
d. Another barrier is that many adolescents dont have trusting relationships with
people that can actually lead them to the right resources.

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D. Benefits
a. The adolescents can access credible health information directly from their
mobile phone or internet
b. The mobile app is very relevant to the target population who are the primary
users of new technology. This product is a necessity in changing health
seeking behaviors in the youth. The easier that they can reach the information
with the least amount of effort may be effective at increasing knowledge and
behaviors.
c. There will be no financial cost to use the product or services offered through
the intervention
d. For adolescents, the website and mobile app offers privacy so that they can
feel comfortable to get the necessary information without feeling judged.
E. Credentials
a. The statistical information on the website and mobile app will be retrieved
from credible government sites. Program facilitators will be trained and
certified to teach and work with adolescents
F. Channel
a. Promoting WeRVA Initiative will be done primary through social media. The
social media campaign will include the use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
blog sites, television and radio.
Secondary target audience
A. Efforts to improve adolescent health cannot come from one source alone. It is a diverse,
comprehensive approach that will be most effective. The secondary audience includes
parents, health care providers and teachers. They have direct and indirect influences on
one the target population.
Secondary target key strategies
A. Audience (Parents) - In most family structures parents are the primary authority figures.
Childrens behaviors and decisions are heavily influenced by their parental upbringing.
Both positive and negative influences from the parents and other family members can
impact adolescent health. Studies have found that most children view their parents as
credible sources of information. Therefore it is crucial that parents are equipped with the
most effective techniques and resources to improve adolescent health.
a. Barriers
i. Some parents are not comfortable talking to their children about health
topic, or they may not know how to navigate the conversation
ii. Some parents may not realize the right age for having conversation with
their children
iii. Some parents may not be aware of what preventative and treatment
services are available to them and their children
iv. Not all parents are able to recognize signs and symptoms of health issues
that adolescents face
b. Benefits
i. WeRVA will provide educational materials to help parents with taking to
their children about health issues
ii. The organization will provide information on available resources for

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prevention and treatment of available to their children

iii. The service provided by WeRVA will not have any financial cost
iv. The service will be convenient and accessible
v. The parents will receive accurate and credible information
c. Credentials
i. All information provided to the parents will be from credible sources and
presented through certified personnel and experts
d. Channel
i. The primary source of information targeted at parents will come from the
local news channels ( WRIC 8, WWBT Richmond, NBC 12), the
Richmond Times Dispatch and through brochures distributed at health
care facilities.
B. Audience (Teachers and Health care providers) - Research shows that there are many
influences on adolescent health including physicians and teachers. Children spend most
of their day at school interacting with other students under the supervision of a teacher.
Teachers can provide support in improving adolescent health. Physicians and other
healthcare providers also play a special role in the health of young people. They spend
time with them as patient and can provide great health information
a. Action- Teachers and health care providers will be given computer based training
on their role in improving adolescent health. They will also receive information
about the goals and objectives of WeRVA. Physicians and Teachers will be asked
to referral their patients and students to the resource center and website for
information and resources to benefit their health
b. Barriers
i. Young people may not have a trusting relationship with their teachers
and/or doctor
ii. Health care providers and teachers may find it difficult to talk to students
about particular issues
iii. Students may be embarrassed to talk to adults about issues they are facing
c. Benefits
i. WeRVA will provide health care providers and teachers with the most
recent research-based approach for talking to adolescents
ii. The training models will be easily accessible from a computer
iii. There will be no financial cost for participating in the training
iv. The audience will be knowledgeable on available resources
v. The audience will be more confident talking to adolescents
d. Credentials
i. All training models will be based on the most recent research-based
approaches and information will be credible and accurate.
e. Channel
i. Information targeted to the audience will be received from administrative
staff through their email and daily announcements.
Pretest strategy (trial of primary target message/channel)
A. To pretest the communication intervention strategy with the target audience the planners
will develop a soft version of the mobile app for students at Henderson Middle School

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and Huguenot High School. The students will be given information about the app and
asked to download the app to their mobile devices. The students will also be asked to
complete a survey about their use of mobile devices. The second survey will assess the
students knowledge, awareness and health behaviors. After one month the planners will
return with surveys assessing the use of the mobile app, the increase in awareness, and
knowledge of health issues and change in health seeking behavior. The planners will use
feedback from students to improve the app and other channels for promotion the
organization and adolescent health.
Theoretical foundation (model or framework and how to use it in this project)
A. The social cognitive theory (SCT) will be used to form the framework of the intervention.
The theory suggests that behavior is influenced by a combination of cognitive,
interpersonal factors and environment.5 All three determinants rely on each other and if
one aspect changes then the behavior itself may be changed.5 The SCT reflects what
researchers have discovered about adolescent behavior and health.7 The health of young
people is shaped by their culture, environment, peers, society and many more.6
Components of the SCT include self-efficacy, expectations, expectancies, enactive
learning and reinforcements, just to name a few. This theory will be used extensively as it
reveals valuable knowledge in constructing a health promotion/education intervention.6,7
B. The Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Social Learning Model will be used to design
the intervention for the target population. The HBM is a value-expected theory, it helps to
explain health behaviors. The model states that peoples behavior is depended on
perceived threat or consequences and the value of those consequences.8 People are more
likely to not act unless (a) they are susceptible to the disease in question; (b) they
believe that the disease would have serious effects on their lives, if they should contract
it; (c) they are aware of certain actions that can be taken and believe that these actions
may reduce the likelihood of contracting the disease of reduce the severity of it; (d) they
believe that the threat to them of taking the action is not as great as the threat of the
disease itself; and (e) they believe that they possess the ability to do things on their own9
Management Chart
Task

Timetable

Responsible Persons

(Months prior to launch program )

Submitting grant applications

and requests for other financial
contributions

12-18

Project Director and program

planners

Establishing budget for 1 year

of program
Establish rental space for
WeRVA resource center
Develop marketing plan and
strategy

12

Project Director and Program

Coordinator
Project Director and program
planners
Project Director and program
planners

Confirming speakers and dates

for seminars for
Develop training modules for
health care providers and

12
12-10
8-6
8-6

Program Coordinator and

Graduate student(s)
Program Coordinator

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teachers
Pretest primary and secondary
audiences
Implement marketing strategies
Analyze qualitative data from
pretest, make necessary
changes
Send training modules to be
completed healthcare providers
and teachers
Interview and hired external
personnel
Follow up and receive in-kind
contributions
Train all external personnel
Order and distribute brochures
to local health facilities
Update website
Employ program launching
promotion strategies (News
interviews, newspaper ads)
Program evaluations

Program Coordinator and

Graduate student(s)
Program Director and Program
Coordinator
Project Director and program
planners

6
5
4

Program Coordinator

Project Director

Graduate student(s)

1
1

Program Coordinator
Graduate student(s)

1
1

Program Coordinator
Program Coordinator

6 and 12 after launch of

program

Budget
Personnel
Project Director
Program Planners
Program Coordinator
Graduate Student (Intern)
Support Staff
Volunteers
Equipment
Supplies
Travel
Space Fee
Marketing
Total Cost

Program Director, Program

planners and Program
Coordinator

$20,000
$12,000
$40,000
$0
$16,000
$0
$1,000
$500
$500
$500
$30,000
$120,000

Estimated costs with justifications

A. The proposed budget listed above is an estimate. The organization will submit grant

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proposals and request endorsements to help cover a majority of the cost, however that is
not included in the budget. The program will also accept in-kind gifts from local
organizations and stakeholders to cover equipment and supply costs
B. The total estimated cost for planning and implementing this program is approximately
$120,000. The total budget for salary expenses is $88,000. The Program Director and
program planners positions will be filled by the Richmond City Health District, the
program will absorb a percentage of the directors and planners annual salary. The only
full time staff will be the Program Coordinator who will be located at the resource center.
Two support staffs will be hired to answer the phone and manage the reception area. A
Graduate Student along with volunteers will help with daily tasks of the resource center;
however they will not be financially compensated. The planners estimate $1,500 to cover
the cost of equipment and supplies needed for purchase such as (phones, tables, printer,
paper, pens). WeRVA will seek office space for a local community center however; there
may associated fees such as covering a percentage of cleaning staffs salary and
percentage of utility bill. The travel budget is to cover the cost of local travel to
partnering organization, picking up supplies, going to schools and other related travel
costs.
C. The primary source of marketing will be the use of social media with the creation of a
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram account that is free to use. Other sources such as radio,
television and newspaper will be used to target the secondary target audiences. A WeRVA
spokesperson will visit the local news channels to talk about the organization and
upcoming events.
Issues of concern/potential problems
A. Scheduling- Program staff will try to stay as close as possible to the projected time
schedule however there is potential for conflict with launch date, pretest dates, and
timeline for receiving grants and in-kind gifts
B. Conflicts-A major potential conflict is with funding the program. Since the services are
free to the public the program will rely heavily on financial support from stakeholders
C. Approvals- There is potential that the planners may not receive approval for the use of
office space for the resource center.
Evaluation strategies
A. The first part of the process is to evaluate the program objective to see if they were
achieved. The objectives for this program include assessing the increase in knowledge
and behavioral change of the target audience. Other objectives are related to the
awareness of the program and the awareness of available resources. Quantitative research
will be conducted based on data from surveys. The target audience will receive electronic
surveys by email and in person. The data will be collected and processed using a software
system. The program planners will analyze the data and compare it to the initial surveys
that were distributed prior to the start of the program.
B. The second part of the evaluation is to assess how well the program has stuck to the
original program plan. The fidelity data will provide vital explanation of the program
outcomes. For example, the planners will review written reports to compare the date that
the mobile application launched versus the date it was supposed to launch.5 Another
example is to address the concerns of the staff members with hopes of improving the
program. Fidelity monitoring is a good way to assess if the program plan was realistic
and achievable, it could also reveal that the program plan was not sufficient.5

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C. Lastly, the program will evaluate its actual impact on adolescent health in Richmond,
Virginia. The five topics that will be evaluated include reproductive health, mental health,
healthy relationships, substance abuse and physical activity and nutrition. Statistical data
on the topics will be collected before implementing the program and again during the
evaluation. The program planners will compare the data and analyze the results.

References
1. World Health Organization. Adolescent Health . World Health Organization.
http://www.who.int/topics/adolescent_health/en/. Accessed January 16, 2015

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2. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Adolescent and School Health. CDC.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/adolescenthealth/. Accessed January 16, 2015
3. Encyclopedia of Childrens Health. Adolescence. Encyclopedia of Childrens Health.
http://www.healthofchildren.com/A/Adolescence.html. Accessed March 7, 2015
4. Princeton. Parents and Families Influence on Adolescent Health. Princeton
5. https://www.princeton.edu/~ota/disk1/1991/9103/910305.PDF. Accessed March 7, 2015
6. McKenzie JF, Neiger BL, Rosemary T. Planning, Implementing, & Evaluating Health
Promotion Programs: A Primer. 6th ed. Glenview, IL: Pearson Publishers; 2013.
7. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Adolescent and School
Health. CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/adolescenthealth/. Accessed February 5,
2015
8. Parvanta, C., Nelson, D., Parvanta, S., & Harner, R. Essentials of Public Health
Communication. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2011
9. Thomas A, Ashcraft A. Type 2 Diabetes Risk among Asian Indians in the US: A Pilot
Study. Nursing Research and Practice. 2013; 20(13): 296-305.
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/nrp/2013/492893/. Accessed March 6, 2015