Diabetes Today

Diabetes Today is a community mobilization model that guides affected communities in understanding the burden of diabetes in that community and in developing interventions to promote improved diabetes prevention and control.

Diabetes Today is an interactive program that introduces community leaders to a format for educating the community about diabetes. To implement a Diabetes Today program in a specific community, interested community members, health professionals and leaders from the community must complete a two-day training course. The course gives instruction on how to organize and mobilize the community to initiate intervention activities promoting scientifically proven diabetes prevention, management, and control measures. The expected outcome is a strategic plan for the development of a community-owned diabetes coalition.

Diabetes Today will not provide an answer to the diabetes problems, but will establish a process whereby commuinity members can develop their own approaches. The community strives to involve its members in community-organized programs, workshops, seminars, conferences, etc., to learn more about the disease and aim at reducing its burden in the community. A well-organized Diabetes Today program involves a range of members, from the richest and highly educated to the poorest with no formal education. This diverse membership will improve the much needed interaction between people living with diabetes, their family members, providers or health professionals and other members of the community to fight a common enemy.

Coalition Development

In an effort to increase awareness of the prevention and management of diabetes, The Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina (DSC) formed a partnership with South Carolina Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (SC DPCP) to form local diabetes coalitions. These coalitions were formed throughout the four South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control (SC DHEC) created geographic regions (Coastal, Pee Dee, Midlands, and Upstate) in the fall of 1999. After establishing the local coalitions, DSC and SC DPCP identified the needs for linkage between the coalitions throughout the state. To assure that all coalitions were operating to the same tune, DSC and SC DPCP, along with two representatives from each region came together and developed the Principles of Organization (pdf).

Currently there are four regional coalitions and twenty community diabetes coalitions established across the state. There are also numerous support groups throughout the state that have been organized to help support those with diabetes. Coalition members have formed a deep commitment to attending the local coalition chapter meetings along with participating in the local efforts to address diabetes in their communities.

Click here (pdf) for a map of the South Carolina Diabetes Prevention and Control Diabetes Coalitions.

The goals of the coalitions are to:

The DPCP continues to provide mini-grants to establish coalitions across the state that implement activities aimed at increasing awareness of diabetes in SC. For FY 04-05, the SC DPCP funded nine community diabetes coalitions to provide a forum for the coalitions to establish infrastructure, write a plan to address the issues surrounding diabetes in their individual communities, and to progress towards sustainability. The amounts awarded ranged from $3000 to $7000.

The coalitions funded for FY 04-05 are:

Allendale County Alive Diabetes Initiative (ACADI)
ACADI will conduct a program entitled “Putting It Together”. This program is designed to bring people with diabetes, resources, and education together. The program will involve people from Allendale, Barnwell, and Bamberg Counties. The overall objective of the program is to encourage people to learn how to manage their diabetes, to improve their quality of life, and how to access helpful resources.

Catawba Diabetes Coalition
The Catawba Diabetes Coalition will continue to focus on increasing awareness and building infrastructure in Lancaster County, while branching out into both Chester and York Counties. They will also develop a diabetes “Road Show,” which will include poster presentations, brochures, games, and other interactive activities targeted for multiple audiences.

Charleston Diabetes Coalition
The Charleston Diabetes Coalition will expand its activities and Coalition to Berkely and Dorchester Counties. The coalition willconduct needs assessments for the three county area; host ongoing activites on diabetes prevention and control for high-risk communities; plan a resource-sharing day to improve diabetes outreach; create an online resource directory to assist people with diabetes on locating/using local, regional, and national resources for diabetes; and establish and maintain relationships with media to promote access to resources.

Georgetown Diabetes CORE Group
Georgetown Diabetes CORE Group seeks to provide a multi-action plan to improve the health status of youth with diabetes in Georgetown County through forming a diabetes support group for children with Type I and Type II diabetes. These meetings will allow children with diabetes the opportunity to socialize with other children with diabetes, learn more about diabetes, and share problems related to their diagnosis and related issues.

Low Country Diabetes Initiative
Low Country Diabetes Initiative (LCDI) will seek to strengthen their initiative mainly through the faith community by providing healthy cooking demonstration classes conducted by a registered dieticiain at different congregations (mainly African American) after church services on Sunday. A healthy meal will be prepared and provided. Particiapants will also have a chance to take part in a praise dance celebration. The purpose is to demonstrate that healthy cooked food tastes good, is satisfying and that physical exercise can be fun.

Marion County Diabetes Coalition
Marion County Diabetes Coalition’s mission is to increase the community’s awareness of the seriousness of diabetes and the impact on those affected with this disease. They will partner with faith- based community organizations, and doctors to increase membership and participation. A needs/resource assessment will be conducted and completed.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors—The Diabetes Group (TDG)
Neighbors Helping Neighbors (NHN) is a grassroot organization whose mission is to help the residents of Conway improve their quality of life. NHN, along with the TDG componet of the organization, will focus on youth to address the importance of a healthy lifestyle to prevent the consequences of diabetes. TDG will host community meetings in surrounding communities to inform and recruit youth and adults to join this initiative.

Upper Savannah Minority Health Coalition
The mission of the Upper Savannah Minority Health Coalition is to reduce health disparities in a six-county rural area of South Carolina. The Coalition consists of all volunteers. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of the Coalition by increasing involvement in diabetes awareness and prevention. The objective is to partners with twelve churches to host a “Diabees Day” once a month at their church, and to promote four community events in minority communities regarding diabetes education and prevention.

Williamsburg County Diabetes Education Control Coalition (WCDECC)
WCDECC will focus on educating and mobilizing citizens to prevent and control diabetes by implementing the “Williamsburg S.T.E.P.S. to Control Diabetes” program. S.T.E.P.S. is an acronym for Strategies to Empower Personal Success. Health promotion and (community-based) intervention strategies will be implemented for behavioral changes in communities with indentified high-risk groups. WCDECC will work to fulfill the following goals: 1) to raise public awareness that diabetes can be detected by screening, diabetes can be controlled and sometimes prevented: 2) to expand education and support activities designed for county residents with diabetes: and 3) to increase effective self-management behaviors and practices among county residents with diabetes.

For additional information contact:
Michelle Moody 803.545.4473