![](media/image1.png){width="1.604861111111111in"
height="0.9486111111111111in"}**AoA Older Americans Month 2008 Program
Champion**

**[Project]{.underline}**: Washington State Chronic Disease
Self-Management Program

**[Organizations:]{.underline}** Washington State Department of Social
and Health Services, Aging and Disability Services Administration and
Washington State Department of Health, Chronic Disease Prevention
Unit/Division of Community and Family Health

**[Description]{.underline}**

The Washington State Aging and Disability Services Administration in
collaboration with the Washington State Department of Health, three Area
Agencies on Aging and three community-based aging service providers are
providing Stanford University's Chronic Disease Self Management Program
(CDSMP). The work with our community providers is expanding the CDSMP to
three racially diverse and high risk elder communities, and by doing so,
strengthening our capacity at the state and community levels to
disseminate, replicate, and sustain the CDSMP in Washington State. The
sponsors are providing CDSMP through our partner organizations to:

-   The elders of two tribal nations \-- the Nooksack and Shoalwater \--
    through collaboration with their tribal health clinics in Western
    Washington

-   Hispanic seniors, through collaboration with the Yakima Valley Farm
    Workers Clinic (YVFWC), in Eastern Washington.

As a result of this work, the project will:

-   Improve access to the evidence based practice of CDSMP for hard to
    reach, aging populations on both sides of Washington state that
    experience a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases. The
    project expects to serve over 300 clients in three communities.

-   Develop a state database of CDSMP participants, increase our state
    pool of CDSMP trainers and leaders, and build a sustainable
    web-based resource for CDSMP,

-   Assure sustained efforts through expanding partnerships, networking
    our grant project sites and Area Agencies on Aging with other
    interested providers and funding sources.

[Highlights]{.underline}

-   Since the inception of the grant classes have been provided to
    Hispanic elders at a Catholic church in Yakima Washington.
    Participants are receiving the Spanish version of CDSMP and have
    been encouraged to participate in better management of their health
    by their physicians, families, and friends. Elders are feeling more
    connected, and more confident in their ability to control their own
    lives.

-   Project partners on the Washington coast with the Shoalwater Tribe
    are collaborating with other coastal tribes to share and network
    their health resources.

-   The Washington State Department of Health is funding the week-long
    Master Trainer training in eastern Washington for both English and
    Spanish versions of CDSMP. We are training 26 trainers. Health care
    providers in Washington State are excited to provide evidence based
    services to their elder consumers, improve healthy aging and improve
    the health of our communities.

For more information on this project contact Candace Goehring, MN RN at
(360) 725-2562 or via e-mail at <goehrcs@dshs.wa.gov>. You may also
contact Samantha Barker at

360-725-2572 or via e-mail <barkesj@dshs.wa.gov>