Coordinator's Guide Contents

 
SETTING UP AND STARTING THE PROGRAM

1. Receive your Superivisor's guidance. (NOTE: Since this is a "one-time" program for the participants, we recommend that your program employ the maximum time permitted, i.e., three hours per week for six months.)

2. Read this guide. Set tentative start and end dates.

3. Seek assistance from your resources. (See page 20 and 38 for your resources.)

4. Acquire (or write) and distribute preprogram documents.

  1. Announcement of the program. This annoucement comes from the Commander. (See example of letter in Commander's guide page 5.)
  2. Program directive. The program MUST include education on physical exercise and nutrition as an important aspect of health and fitness, and SHOULD include classes on other health-related topics.
  3. Instructions to Supervisors relating the Commander's expectations of their complete support and explaining their critical role in program success. (See pages 23-24 for guidelines to Supervisors and participants).
Documents are completed by each participant and approved and kept on file by the Supervisor or Program Coordinator. Your [sponsoring agency] should review the forms before you use them. The description of the paperwork can be found on pages 25-26. For sample database to track paperwork, see page 34. The participant forms can be located in the Participant's Guide Section (see pages 46-59).

5. Arrange for medical screenings, Health Risk Appraisal, fitness assessment (preferably on-site) and a review of each participant's forms. Medical screenings are done before the fitness assessments. You may screen the participants at the fitness assessment site. Have them complete the paperwork either at the site or before arriving. Examples of medical screening questionnaires are found on pages 49-53 in the Participant's Guide. Individuals who fail the medical screening must have a physician's approval before starting the program. You may want to offer the paperwork for physician's approval a week or two before the fitness assessment. This allows individuals who know that they will require a clearance to get one before the assessment so he or she may participate with the rest of the group. A description of the fitness assessments can be found on pages 27-30.

6. Arrange for mandatory and periodic supplementary classes on health topics. Make sure that these classes are available to all partcipants, including military if applicable. Give reminders that the classes on physical exercise and nutrition are mandatory for participation in the program. Examples of classes to present are found on page 44. To receive more information on class content and/or slides, please call USACHPPM at (410)436-4656.

7. Establish and publish a schedule for the above arrangements and for initiation of the program. (See pages 44, 45, and 79 in the participant's guide.) During this preparatory phase, make sure you are continuously available to advise and assist.

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US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine.