Case Studies in Health & Human Services

Amplifying Voices: Digital Stories About HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa
http://soros.org/resources/multimedia/digital
Johannesburg, South Africa
In 2007, the Center collaborated with the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa to lead a special workshop in Johannesburg, for women and men from the Southern African Development Community countries who are especially vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, including orphans, widows, commercial sex workers, and LGBT-identified individuals. These moving stories are being shared as training and community building tools to mobilize people living with HIV and AIDS as activists against stigma and discrimination.

Children’s System of Care (CSOC); San Francisco Department of Public Health
San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
In 2007, the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Children’s System of Care partnered with the Center to create a digital storytelling program for youth and their family members struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. The Center has trained CSOC staff, taught a series of eight workshops with their clients, and developed curriculum materials for using the stories in provider trainings on youth violence and on the role of client voices in creating more accessible and relevant services. The stories are also being used to inform and engage other community stakeholders who have an impact on environmental factors contributing to the mental health of San Francisco’s youth.

Deaf Women and Girls Project
Toronto, Canada
In 2005, the Center’s Toronto colleagues with the Community Media Program at Central Neighborhood House collaborated with Deaf Women Against Violence Everywhere and Metro Toronto School for the Deaf on two workshops with deaf women and girls. The goals of the project included designing and planning an accessible digital storytelling program to explore issues of violence and abuse facing deaf women; empowering deaf women and girls to represent themselves in digital media; and using digital stories as a tool to raise awareness in local communities about violence against deaf women and girls.

Harlem Health Promotion Center
New York, NY, U.S.A.
The Center partnered with the Columbia University sponsored and CDC-funded Harlem Health Promotion Center in 2007, to assist a group of health educators in developing skills for digital storytelling facilitation, program development, and screening. Harlem Health is exploring ways to integrate digital storytelling into its ongoing work on health promotion and HIV, pregnancy, and substance abuse prevention with young people in Harlem.

HopeLab: Stories by Young Cancer Survivors
http://hopelab.org/innovative-solutions/digital-storytelling
San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
In April 2007, the Center collaborated with HopeLab, a nonprofit research group focused on chronic disease intervention and prevention, to bring seven young cancer survivors from across the U.S. to the Bay Area to participate in a digital storytelling workshop held in San Francisco. The workshop enabled HopeLab to better understand the needs and interests of young people who have survived various forms of cancer. The stories are powerful and illuminating documents of the cancer experience and its impact.

The Humboldt Community Breast Health Project
Arcata, CA, U.S.A.
In partnership United Indian Health Services, Paso a Paso (pre and perinatal support for Spanish language parents), and Arcata House (homeless transition), and the Center, the Community Breast Health Project coordinated a digital storytelling workshop 2007 to create a collection of personal stories of the breast cancer experience. The workshop provided a chance to build community and leadership among participants. These moving works stories are being shared as outreach and fundraising tools to mobilize involvement and support for the Breast Health Project. They have also been screened at conferences and at a memorial service for one participant who passed away following the session.

“Learn From My Story”: Women Confront Fistula in Rural Uganda
http://engenderhealth.org/our-work/maternal/digital-stories-uganda-fistula.php
The ACQUIRE Project; Masaka, Uganda
The Center’s Silence Speaks initiative partnered with ACQUIRE in August 2007, to coordinate a digital storytelling workshop for Ugandan women who have experienced obstetric fistula. Testimonio, Photovoice, and leadership development methods were integrated into the four day session, and health providers were interviewed on video about their perspectives about fistula prevention and repair. The resulting DVD is being used to demonstrate the critical role that community members, the health sector, and policymakers have in supporting fistula prevention.

Men As Partners (MAP)
http://engenderhealth.org/our-work/gender/digital-stories-south-africa.php
Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa
In July 2005, Silence Speaks introduced digital storytelling to South Africa, by leading two digital storytelling workshops for adult and youth staff and volunteers from the EngenderHealth sponsored Men As Partners (MAP) Network. The resulting stories are being shown in trainings and public community screenings throughout South Africa and beyond, to promote the Network’s efforts to involve men in gender equality and HIV/AIDS prevention and care work.

National Court Appointed Special Advocates
Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
The Center collaborated with National CASA in 2005, to coordinate a workshop with current and former foster youth from around the United States. These young people shared stories about their experiences with CASA workers—committed volunteers who provide guidance and support to foster youth navigating the court system. The stories are being used as outreach tools for recruiting new CASA volunteers and training them on the needs of foster youth.

Native American Veterans
Berkelely, CA, U.S.A.
In 2006, the Center collaborated with Kauffman and Associates to develop a project with Native American veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. In 2008, this initial project led to a workshop with Native American veterans of Desert Storm and the current Iraq war. The workshop functioned as a form of art therapy, for participants, and the stories they shared are being used as training tools to support Native American veteran mental health outreach and promotion.

Nurstory: Digital Stories From the Colorado University School of Nursing
http://milehighstories.com/?page_id=21
Denver, CO, U.S.A.
In 2008 and 2009, the Center conducted workshops at the University of Colorado with the Doctoral Program in Nursing, known worldwide for its focus on caring and reflective practice. These sessions, which focused on nurse-patient relationships, capture interdisciplinary stories from nurses, doctors, and patients. The stories are being used in the Doctoral Program to engagestudents and practicing healthcare professionals in dialogue on topics ranging from ethics in health care, to the value of reflective practice, to what constitutes quality care.

Parents As Partners: Mentoring Adults in Reunifying with Their Children
Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
In 2005, the Center built on its extensive history of working with current and former foster youth by leading a workshop with parents whose children have placed under the protection of social services agencies. A group of ten courageous adults currently working and/or volunteering as “Parent Partner” mentors for others facing the same issue shared their stories of pain and eventual joy and reunification. The stories are being used across the country to inspire and train additional Parent partner volunteers.

Partners for Fit Youth
Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.
The Center worked in 2004 with the Santa Barbara Public Health Department, Santa Barbara Unified School District, and various other state and local organizations to sponsor a digital storytelling workshop in which middle and high school youth told stories about eating, body image, and physical activity. The stories are being used to educate school officials and local policymakers about the need to support environments conducive to healthy nutrition and fitness.

Preparation for Adulthood, Supervising for Success; Hunter College School of Social Work
http://hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/pass/digital-stories/index.htm
From 2004-2007, the Center worked with the Hunter College School of Social Work’s federally-funded program to build skills among social workers and social work supervisors. The collaboration involved several digital storytelling workshops bringing current and former foster youth and social workers together to share their experiences. The process offered a seldom-available opportunity for social workers to reflect on the nature of their work. Stories were used as training tools and discussion prompts in the program’s series of dialogues for supervisors.