This is one of five chapters that address the intensity and density of development, residential homeownership patterns, availability of community services, access to job resources, and provision of services for students who live in the Neighborhoods. The University District has some of the most diverse neighborhoods in the City, with diversity expressed through broad ranges in levels of income, types of ethnicities established, dependency on community services, and lifestyles. Maintaining that richness of people and culture while meeting the requirements of a clean, safe, and economically stable community is a challenge.
Health and Well-Being |
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The fundamental objectives included within this chapter address health and healthy living for the residents and the infrastructure of community services required for that purpose. Access to adequate health care information and maintenance programs is essential to the well-being of any community. Providing for increased teaching and learning opportunities to enhance the health and well-being of all residents should be a goal of the university and the Neighborhoods.
7.0 HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
A. Objectives
Education in health and healthy living are essential components in the educational landscape of the University District. Faculty teaching and research are key elements for education in health and healthy living. A community-wide approach to education in health and healthy living for schools and community institutions and organizations will strengthen the well-being of residents. Information will be offered about life style and decision-making with health consequences as well as information about available health services through private practitioners, local clinics, and the major medical centers at The Ohio State University and throughout the City. This approach establishes a standard for other university communities for education in health and healthy living.
The following objectives address community health and well being:
Objective 1: Achieve and sustain an acceptable level of health services among all residents in University Neighborhoods.
Objective 2: Provide a safe and supportive environment for young women with children who would like to pursue higher education.
Objective 3: Extend, enhance, and sustain community partnerships.
B. Policies and Recommendations
Policy 7.1: All university area residents should have access to community-based health promotion information and health care services developed in conjunction with the University Medical Center as a health profession education program.
Recommendation 7.1.1: Plan a Collaborative Neighborhood Healthy Community Initiative in the University Neighborhoods.
Policy 7.2: A supportive environment shall be available to individuals with unique challenges and living in the University District who would like to pursue or continue higher education.
Recommendation 7.2.1: Plan and establish a Women Students and Children’s Transitional Housing facility located in the University Neighborhoods.
Recommendation 7.2.2: Physical improvements made within the University District should strive to achieve optimum accessibility for disabled individuals, consistent with current national standards.
Recommendation 7.2.3: Increase the availability of both short and long term day care throughout the University District.
C. Setting and Current Issues
The Ohio State University is a major medical center providing all levels of care and preparing health professionals for service to the community. Research in the university area suggests the need among a significant portion of the residents for greater access to health promotion information and health care professionals.
There are an increasing number of young women with children who are unable to begin or continue to achieve their educational goals because they are single parents. Many of these women are already students at the university when they become pregnant, and they would like to continue their degree work. Lack of adequate child care as well as emotional and economic support are significant barriers which could be overcome through providing a community living opportunity.
A forum is needed for continued assessment of community strengths, capacities, and gifts as well as for planning, goal setting and accountability. Such a forum would provide opportunities to support development activities by all parties as they seek external dollars and opportunities to learn about (and from) each other.
D. Programs and Concepts
Healthy Community Initiative:
The University District Collaborative Neighborhood Healthy Community Initiative will strengthen children, youth, families, and single and older adults within the University District by providing a community-based, integrated approach to education, employment, health and healthy living, recreation, and human services. This initiative will provide an opportunity to coordinate a number of activities and services already available in the District Neighborhoods community with new services focusing on a range of options to enhance the health and well-being of all residents. It will establish a comprehensive system for accessing these services including a single point of entry whether one wishes to make use of educational and recreational facilities or health and social services.The initiative will include studying the need and feasibility for a "Center" which would be developed around the concept of a "Community Mall." If adopted, the Center would be designed to appeal to users of all economic and cultural backgrounds. Appropriate health-oriented businesses unique to the City would draw from outside the University District. The recreational, exercise, and nutrition businesses would draw area residents, students, and university employees. The Center would provide information, education, prevention, assessment, and referral for the full range of human service opportunities, including all types of health care. A standardized, one-stop, intake and assessment mechanism would be developed. Some direct treatment would be provided on site, but most would occur through partnerships with existing agencies. The center would serve as a training site for interprofessional collaboration in the delivery of a comprehensive, holistic approach to the social, health, education, and employment needs of residents.
The initiative will have a strong community outreach component to encourage residents to seek out the opportunities and services available throughout the community. The outreach effort will extend the services and programs to existing partner centers in other neighborhoods, maximizing use of existing facilities and resources both in the University District and the larger community. The initiative's outreach program will be coordinated with community policing efforts to have maximum impact on the safety and law enforcement issues in the Neighborhoods.
Services available through the initiative may include:
The initiative will also increase teaching, learning, and inquiry opportunities for faculty and students. A healthier, well-balanced University District will result from this initiative. Interaction will increase among diverse members of the community and those who use complex human services will have a simplified point of entry to the system. Additional community-based clinical education sites will be developed in many fields, and there will be increased participation by faculty and students in the life of the community.
Women Students And Children’s Transitional Housing Facility:
In consultation with the Off-Campus Student Services Office, a Women Students and Children’s Transitional Housing 25-unit facility will be developed. This facility will house women who are attending college (both at Ohio State and other Columbus area schools), or whose plans to attend college were interrupted by pregnancy. The program will focus on women who are or would be attending college on need-based subsidies. Planned housing will have both private and communal living spaces and include programming to build child care support and parenting skills for mothers. Planning will be based on models which include child care facilities and other services which generate funds and job or training opportunities for single mothers. Commercial space will also be included with residences above. The site and program will provide rewards for the investment based on the desirability of the single-mother population as well as test work-study activities for mothers and provide internships for students. Paid employees will be residents wherever possible.The facility will house in private living quarters 20 to 25 women in post-high school educational programs who have children under age 10. The women will have shared cooking, recreational, and laundry spaces; access to site-based child care including parent education and job screening/training opportunities; and access to site-based latch-key programs for residents and other low-income families. The program will include internship training opportunities for students and other teaching, learning, and research opportunities for faculty and graduate students.
Women who would otherwise not have an opportunity to attend or continue their university education will benefit along with their children. The community and businesses will have an opportunity to engage and assist a low risk population that is highly motivated to complete their education and achieve economic self sufficiency. University faculty and graduate students will have increased opportunities to teach and learn about this increasing population group in our society.
The program will provide low-income housing and support services for a closely defined population. It will create additional employment opportunities in the University District and provide day-care housing for women who are students. It will create educational internships and experiences for students, and teaching and research opportunities for faculty.