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Prevention Services Division

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Prevention Services Division oversees health promotion, disease and injury prevention programs for children, youth and adults.

For the latest news, information and job announcements from the Prevention Services Division and our partners, check out COPrevent.org

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Hot Topics

  • Healthy Eating

    The Prevention Services Division is tracking and fighting obesity on many fronts. Since 1980, overweight and obesity have become an increasing problem in the United States and Colorado.  Healthy eating is one of those fronts, in addition to physical activity and education.

  • Active Living

    Active living is not about going from the couch to a marathon. Active living is about just that, living actively. With more and more of our lives spent sitting at a desk, a table, or in front of the television it is important that we try to incorporate movement into our lives. For some people, exercising is a great way to get up, get moving and work off stress. For others, active living can be simple additions to an already busy lifestyle, such as taking the stairs or walking the dogs around the block. The point is to get up and move.... even if that means stretching at your desk before as you race towards your next deadline!!!

    Colorado has many resources available to help you get started... and to keep moving!

  • Smoking & Tobacco Use

    Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, tobacco use kills 4,300 Coloradans - more than alcohol, drug use, suicide, homicide, motor vehicle accidents, fires and AIDS... combined. 740 non-smoking Colorado adults die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke.

    The Prevention Services Division maintains a number of different efforts to help organize and lead the fight against tobacco use in Colorado, including:

  • Cancer

    In Colorado, the cumulative lifetime risk of cancer is 1 in 2 for males and 1 in 3 for females.  The Prevention Services Division is responsible for both the cancer surveillance and coordinating breast and cervical screening services through federally-qualified health centers, safety-net clinics, local health departments, hospitals and non-profit organizations throughout the state.  Below are a direct links to the variety of cancer programs and initiatives administered by the Division.

  • Chronic Disease

    The Prevention Services Division is responsible for support and activities related to chronic disease in Colorado.  With current efforts focused on developing the first-ever Colorado Chronic Disease State Plan, the Division's work covers the wide range of chronic disease and associated conditions, including:

     

  • Injury, Suicide & Violence

    Injury, suicide and prevention efforts of the Prevention Services Division cut across a wide range of programs and grant partnerships. 

  • Sexual Health & Pregnancy

    From preventing getting a sexual transmitted disease to ensuring the best possible start for your child, the Division's sexual health and pregnancy pages are great places to start and get answers.  The Prevention Services Division runs a number of programs and information-sharing efforts, including

  • Oral Health

    Oral Health is a Colorado Winnable Battle.  Why? Because oral disease - although nearly 100 percent preventable - affects children, adults and families across Colorado.  While oral diseases are signficant on their own, oral disease's contribution to overal general health is often overlooked.  Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, tobacco, school health, seniors and pregnancy outcomes each show connections with oral health.

    Colorado has a number of oral health programs, including

    • School-based sealant program
    • Dental assistance program for low-income seniors
    • Colorado Health Service Corps (loan repayment program for oral health professionals)
    • Dental profession loan repayment information
    • Fluoride program
    • Colorado Oral Health Survellance System

  • Access to Health Care

    Access to primary medical, oral and behavioral health care is an important requisite for good health. Over 1 million Coloradans live in a community with less than half of the primary health providers needed to optimally deliver primary health services.  Lack of primary health providers creates high barriers to access for low-income, publicly insured, uninsured and geographically isolated Coloradans.  The Primary Care Office is charged with lowering the barriers that prevent Coloradans from accessing adequate high quality primary health services in their community.  Some of the known barriers to health services access in Colorado include:

    • Inadequate numbers of health professionals serving a community
    • Limited services available to uninsured and publicly insured individuals
    • Long distances to health care such as that found in many rural communities
    • Disparities in health services availability because of ethnicity or socioeconomics
    • Policies that inhibit access to health care
    Primary care is the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community (Institutes of Medicine, Committee on the Future of Primary Care).

    The Primary Care Office focuses on assessment for primary health professional workforce needs throughout the state and on directing incentives to those qualified professionals and clinics willing to care for medically underserved people in areas determined to have a provider shortage. 

     

  • Maternal Health

    Being a "Healthy Mom" involves creating the best possible start for your little one, and taking care of yourself in the process! The Prevention Services Division has a wide range of programs and information that can help you be a Healthy Mom. To help you maintain or achieve your "Healthy Mom" status, we've assembled the list below of our programs and services to help.

  • Infants & Children

    The Prevention Services Division is involved in many aspects of kid's health and development.  The links below have been organized to get you to specific PSD information and efforts related to infants and children.

  • Teens - Young Adult

    Due to the unique challenges teens and young adults face as social pressure, education and life opportunities expand, the Prevention Services Division is involved in a wide range of prevention, education and assistance-related programs for teens and young adults.  We have gathered some of those resources here to help you find what you are looking for!

  • Adult

    The Prevention Services Division provides a wide variety of services, information and support geared towards adults.  From chronic disease prevention and management, to nutrition services, to the needs a growing family demand, there are few times in life where so many programs of the Division are as diverse and applicable as in adulthood.  Get started with the list below to find subjects and services you are interested in

  • Older Adult

    Healthy Aging is the development and maintenance of physical, mental, and social well-being, including optimal functioning, in older adults. It is achieved when physical environment and communities are safe, and support the adoption and maintenance of attitudes and behaviors known to promote health and well being in individuals. An integral part of the development includes utilization and promotion of evidence based health services within community programs to prevent or minimize the impact of acute and chronic disease.

  • Sexual Health

    Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality.  Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.  The Prevention Services Division is involved in a wide range of sexual health education and outreach, including:

  • LGBT

    The Prevention Services Division created the first-ever strategic plan focused on the health and well-being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Coloradans. With participation from more than 45 organizations across Colorado, the plan aims to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, health disparities faced by LGBT communities by removing unnecessary barriers and building new pathways to healthy living.

    Like the rest of the nation, Colorado’s LGBT population experiences higher rates of tobacco, alcohol and substance use, infectious disease, and depression. National and state research shows that many LGBT people face multiple obstacles in getting appropriate health information, prevention services and health care.

     

  • Reports & Publications

    For those just about the facts, we are working to consolidate all Prevention Services Division reports and publications in one place, organized by program and subject. 

  • Forms & Guidelines

    As we are all familiar, forms and guidelines are central to tracking, organizing and administering health programs.  To help navigate the large number of forms the Division provides, we are building a one-stop for forms and guidelines, organized by program and subject.

  • Grants

    The Prevention Services Division administers a number of federal and other grants.  To consolidate grant information and documents, we are working to organize all grant-related documents by program and subject.

  • Outreach Materials

    As we move towards a more permanent solution which will facilitate downloading and print/paper ordering online, we will be providing links to our currently available download materials on a central outreach page.   Materials will be organized by program and subject.

  • Language Services

    Given the diverse population of Colorado, many Prevention Services Division materials are available in multiple languages.  In addition, Division staff have access within the Department to a range of language services.  To learn more about the Division's language service options, reference the language services page.

  • Training

    As presentations, webinars and other training materials are generated by Division programs and staff, we will be building a central training page to house the growing library. 

  • Links

    With so many incredible partners and stakeholders, at the state-level, the Division is in a unique place to serve as a clearinghouse for links to prevention-relevant pages.  Keep checking back as we build a library, organized by program and subject, to those tools we think you will find useful.

  • Regulations & Policy

    Regulations and policy guide nearly every aspect of our efforts and are often referenced, accordingly.  To help navigate the large number of relevant regulations and policies, we are starting to build a central resource, organized by program and subject.

  • Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program

    WIC is a nutrition program for: Pregnant women, breastfeeding women (up to one year postpartum), non-breastfeeding, postpartum women (up to 6 months postpartum), infants and children until the age of 5 years. The WIC Program provides nutrition education including breastfeeding support, nutritious foods to supplement a person's routine diet, and screening and referral. WIC participants must meet certain financial requirements.

  • Child and Adult Care Food Program

    The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides reimbursement for nutritious meals and snacks served to eligible children in child care centers, family day care homes, as well as to eligible adults in adult care centers. Colorado's program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

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