About the DEOS Program…
 

From 2002-2007, NICOA has served as the national sponsor of the Diabetes Education Outreach Strategies (DEOS) Program, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's REACH 2010 Initiative.

The DEOS program was a partnership of Tribal and National Indian organizations committed to working together to plan, design, and evaluate local diabetes prevention initiatives for American Indian Elders.

 

Goals & Objectives:

  • Promote awareness of the need to adopt healthy living practices to prevent diabetes and maintain personal diabetes management strategies.
  • Offer technical assistance to help communities to promote healthy behaviors and attitudes for diabetes prevention.
  • Provide training for facilitation of support groups for those that have and are at risk for diabetes. Provide guidance to help our American Indian communities develop comprehensive strategic plans for reducing diabetes within their communities.
  • Assist our communities with using strengths to create solutions that are culturally relevant to their community.
  • Create a national model that will reduce and eliminate health disparities with diabetes and heart disease with our American Indian and Alaska Native people.
 

DEOS assisted Tribal communities in developing strategies for Diabetes prevention, such as, develop a community-based diabetes prevention support group and conduct training for the following:
 

Community Readiness Guidebook
The Community Readiness Guidebook serves as a roadmap to assist project partners and Tribal Diabetes Program members assess their community’s level of readiness to address Diabetes prevention.

 

Social Marketing Assistance and Training
NICOA assisted Tribes and Urban Indian organizations in applying DEOS’ Social Marketing theory for use in developing a viable Diabetes prevention program.

 

Community Assessment Training
DEOS provided a step-by-step process to help and conduct a successful community assessment. The Community Readiness Guidebook includes instructions for conducting a Community Diabetes Health Profile, Community Readiness Assessment, Community Needs Assessment, Strategic Planning and Evaluation Planning and Analysis.

 

Support Group Curriculum
To start and maintain a Diabetes support group, DEOS helped Tribal communities plan and implement culturally appropriate programs and activities that focus on physical exercise, healthy nutrition, community garden projects, as well as offering education in the prevention of diabetes.

 

DEOS Initiatives
DEOS has developed two major projects that focus on Diabetes prevention, promoting lifestyle changes, and disseminating a new curriculum for the Diabetes prevention support groups in Indian Country.