Improving the health and quality of life for individuals, families, and communities by preventing disease, protecting the environment and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Health Educators promote healthy lifestyles and educate people, young and old, so they can make informed decisions about their health. Health educators present programs and promote healthy behaviors in schools, workplaces, health fairs and other settings. Our health educators are active on, or lead, a variety of committees and coalitions that are working to improve the health of Licking County residents.
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Programs
Quit Now. We can help!
Creating Healthy Communities
Creating Healthy Communities (CHC) is committed to preventing and reducing chronic disease by increasing access to physical activity opportunities, and increasing access to healthy and affordable foods.
Reducing Tobacco Use
Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation programs aim to decrease tobacco use in Licking County by encouraging tobacco-free environments and promoting quiting efforts. LCHD representatives either lead, or participate in a variety of community coalitions working toward reducing the impact of tobacco use in Licking County.
Drug Overdose Prevention
LCHD's Drug Overdose Prevention program implements comprehensive community-based efforts to address drug abuse and overdose through: coalition development, community needs assessment and evaluation, formation of an overdose fatality review and development of policy, systems and environmental change strategies to address the issue.
Traffic Safety
The Licking County Safe Communities Coalition includes representatives from health, social, law enforcement, business, fire, emergency medical service and education organizations, and community leaders. Meetings are held at noon on the third Wednesday of each month. Funded through a grant from ODPS/NHTSA.
Child Injury Prevention
The Child Injury Prevention Program, in collaboration with the Licking County Child Injury Prevention Coalition, strives to reduce Emergency Department or Urgent Care visits due to motor vehicle and non-motorized wheeled sports equipment accidents among children in Licking County. Strategies include: convening a community coalition, gathering and evaluating data, and implementing Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change.
Radon Program
Radon is an odorless, colorless radioactive gas which can enter homes through the soil below the basement slab or crawlspace. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. The only way to know if your home has high radon levels it to test it. Homeowners may be eligible for free or reduced cost test kits through this program.
Recreational Resources
Check out our "Park Finder" map with local parks, preserves, playgrounds, pools, and more. Having easy access to places that you can hike, bike, run, and play help make the healthy choice the easy choice!
Trail to Health
The goal of the Trail to Health (www.trail2health.org) website to empower Licking County residents to create a healthier Licking County by promoting physical activity and the increasing awareness of our many trails, parks, and other recreational resources.
Healthy Food Access
Your food choices each day affect your health — how you feel today, tomorrow, and in the future. Having access to healthy foods that promote good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease and cancer), and promote your overall health.
Program Highlights
Safe Communities Coalition
Ohio Safe Communities is a data-driven initiative to save lives and reduce injuries through collaboration among state, county and local partners. In FFY 2017 there are 45 countywide community-based programs. Each program has five primary goals:
- Increasing seat belt usage
- Increasing seat belt and impaired driving awareness
- Increasing motorcycle safety awareness
- Coalition building
- Fatality data review
For a map of Licking County traffic fatality locations and other traffic safety data Click Here. The Safe Communities coalition meets every other month at the Licking County Health Department. If you are interested in participating on the coalition contact Bri Perkins at (740)755-4675 or by Email.
Creating Healthy Communities
Vision: Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice
Mission: Creating Healthy Communities (CHC) is committed to preventing and reducing chronic disease statewide. Through cross-sector collaboration, we are activating communities to improve access to and affordability of healthy food, increase opportunities for physical activity, and assure tobacco-free living where Ohioans live, work and play. By implementing sustainable evidence-based strategies, CHC is creating a culture of health.
Contact: Ashley See - Creating Healthy Communities Coordinator, (740) 349-6514, or email us.
Human Trafficking Prevention
Human Trafficking is modern day slavery and happens in America, including Central Ohio. You can help make it stop. Learn the signs of human trafficking and report tips to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center or by calling 9-1-1. Human trafficking is a public health issue that impacts individuals, families, and communities. Traffickers disproportionately target at-risk populations including individuals who have experienced or been exposed to other forms of violence (like child abuse or sexual assault), and individuals disconnected from stable support networks. Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to subject victims to engage in commercial sex or forced labor.
Child Safety Seats
LCHD's Child Safety Seat program provides car seats for low income families without child safety seats. Parents are trained on proper installation and use of the seats and the seat is properly secured in the car by a trained child passenger safety technician. To see if you are eligible to receive a seat, please call (740)-349-6535.
Free car seat inspections are available by appointment for families who already have a seat but would like a certified child passenger safety technician to check for proper installation. Please call (740) 349-6535 and request the car seat program to schedule an appointment.
Referrals usually come through the WIC program and other agencies. Seats are provided though the Ohio Buckles Buckeyes program and donations from local organizations. If you are interested in supporting this program please contact us.