Health Promotion Planning: Learning from the Accounts of Public Health Practitioners

“I find this book to be an invaluable resource, offering a comprehensive guide for assessing and addressing public health issues. Its unique blend of theoretical insights and real-world narratives provides a nuanced understanding of interventions in practical contexts. This book is an essential tool for both current and aspiring professionals in the public health sector.”
―DANE MINNICK, Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction

Real stories, real solutions―a unique textbook that embeds definitions and descriptions of program planning principles within the story of one town grappling with the opioid crisis

In Health Promotion Planning: Learning from the Accounts of Public Health Practitioners, you will embark on a journey through the heart of a small midwestern city, where a community grapples with the daunting challenges of the opioid epidemic. The book uses narratives in a creative and engaging way, weaving together the real-life accounts of over 100 public health practitioners.

As you follow the saga of the town, you will see program planning principles in action. Through the intricacies of substance use and opioid-related challenges, this book sheds light on the interconnected efforts of diverse programs, including needs assessment, health education curriculum, health communication campaigns, environmental change strategies, peer support initiatives, and community organizing.

Students and practitioners will uncover the principles and processes of building health promotion programs. Discussion questions and activities at the end of each chapter stimulate reflection and exploration, offering a valuable resource for instructors and individual learners.

Health Promotion Planning is a powerful glimpse into public health practice, inspiring future generations to take up the mantle in addressing societal challenges. Learners will witness health promotion in action as they follow the compelling stories inside―where lessons are learned, lives are changed, and hope emerges from the frontlines of a devastating epidemic.

Jean Marie S. Place is Associate Professor of Health Science at Ball State University. Her research and teaching areas include women’s health, maternal and child health, substance abuse and global health. She received her Doctorate in Health Promotion, Education, & Behavior from the University of South Carolina. Her community-based research focuses on addressing root causes of substance use disorder such as adverse childhood experiences and trauma.

Jonel Thaller earned a Master’s and Doctoral degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. She is currently an Associate Professor of Social Work at Ball State University where she teaches coursework related to program evaluation and human behavior in the social environment. She also supervises social work students in community-based practicums within public health organizations and works closely with several prevention, treatment, and recovery programs that address substance use disorders.

Scott S. Hall is a professor of family science in the department of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies at Ball State University. He earned a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Doctorate degree in Family Studies at Purdue University. He has taught various courses related to program planning, including grant writing and research methods, family stressors and crisis, and family relations, and has been involved with community-based programs related to foster care, suicide, and substance use disorders.