Public Health Beyond Borders: Addressing Health Issues in Prince George's County

Presenter:McKayla Guthrie, Public Health Science, Global Public Health Scholars

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For my practicum project, I had the privilege of working with the Public Health Beyond Borders (PHBB) Local Team to expand on previous workshops administered to Prince George's County youth. Our work took place during weekly meetings in the School of Public Health on Wednesdays. Workshops based on topics like stress management, anti-bullying, opioid awareness, and sexual harassment were developed within these meetings and later presented to local schools like College Park Academy. During this time, I gained a deeper understanding of the Public Health issues that Prince George's County students face and the risk factors that may be associated with them. The work done in my practicum has continued in my current role as a PHBB Local Team leader, as we try to build further connections with our local community and evaluate the effect of the workshops provided to the students. My time during practicum and in my current role has shown me the importance of understanding the needs of our partner community before going forward with an intervention. Although this community is familiar, making assumptions about their needs can lead to poor outcomes when aiming to strengthen the connection with our partner community. Many of the public health issues within Prince George's County are complex and rooted in sociological and historical factors that are difficult to address directly. However, the leading health challenges, inaccessibility to resources for healthy living, substance abuse, and housing shortages for the aging population in this community, can serve as risk factors for the mental and behavioral health of students.