Best Practices
HASPI Commitment to Best Practices
The Health And Social Policy Institute is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that promotes, provides and engages in public and professional education, technical assistance and training and policy analysis of local and global public health issues. In addition to providing community-based direct public health programs, HASPI conducts educational forums, initiates and manages research projects and prepares abstracts, case studies and policy papers for submission to journals and scientific periodicals.
HASPI uses its resources to further the goals of municipal, county and state governmental agencies seeking to meet public health needs of underserved communities through cost effective, low literacy programs and partnerships with local non-profit organizations. HASPI also strives to advance the educational and scientific goals of national and international health advocacy groups such as the American Cancer Society and governmental agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, the United State Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.
To this end, HASPI recognizes extraordinary individuals, agencies and governments for highly innovative and cost effective public health delivery programs and health promotion policies through presentation of the annual “Public Health Vision Leadership Award.” This recognition is presented to individuals, agencies, projects and governments in public ceremonies before the governing bodies of organizations, cities, counties, states and/or countries that demonstrate outstanding public health program design and implementation. A past recipient was Karen Fulton Holine of the American Lung Association of California for her far-sighted support for highly effective technical assistance provided on a global scale to tobacco control advocates in Croatia, Korea, Norway and Taiwan.
In 2011 HASPI recognized the BUS (Buckle Up for Safety) project.
Motor vehicle collisions continue to be the leading cause of death for children and teens from birth to age eighteen in Sutter County. But, in 2010 due to a partnership with HASPI’s Buckle UP for Safety (BUS) project, Yuba City Police Department’s Traffic Unit was able to implement community outreach and education measures throughout Sutter County and neighboring counties that were designed to increase correct child passenger restraint usage and bicycle safety. The powerful team of BUS public health educators and local Yuba City Police Department (YCPD) personnel, whose activities were designed and coordinated by HASPI’s own Narinder Dhaliwal, conducted 10 child safety seat check-up events, reaching 163 families, with 271 child safety restraints checked and 191 restraints provided.
To increase their impact and ensure sustainability of safety gains that were made, the BUS project and YCPD jointly held three NHTSA (Natl. Hwy. Transport. Safety Administration) certification courses and one renewal course that resulted in the certification of 46 technicians and 2 Instructors. These standout results impacted the entire rural northeast region of California. YCPD now has 10 technicians and 3 Instructors within their ranks. Three additional “Fitting Stations” were established and 7 violator classes were taught. An astounding total of 60 educational presentations were made to parents and youth under the age of eighteen, impacting 1,393 local residents and innumerable family members. To ensure that those who travel by two wheels rather than four are just as safe, six bicycle safety rodeos were conducted impacting 2,329 elementary school students. The community at-large was made aware of the dynamic safety partnership and resources available to families throughout Sutter County by BUS staff who hosted two health fairs during 2011 where over 2,600 residents received eye-catching and easy to use safety information.
HASPI is proud to be part of such innovative and effective projects as Buckle Up Safety that not only promote public safety, but also bring together and sustain public health and law enforcement agencies in dynamic working relationships.
 
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