• Place:ZOOM
  • Time:10 - 11:30 AM (PT)
  • Date:

In this joint Share & Learn session, Ciara Hunt, Program Consultant with the California Home Visiting Program (CHVP) at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and Paula Lee, Chief of Local Programs and Statewide Interventions Unit in the Office of Oral Health at CDPH, shared goals and objectives of CHVP and local oral health programs (LOHPs), and showed how these programs intersect. They covered why oral health matters for shared priority populations – pregnant people, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers – with a focus on ways the programs can offer mutual support and resources. You heard practical examples from coordinators in four local health jurisdictions, Modoc County, City of Pasadena, County of San Diego, and Siskiyou County, on how they have optimized and strengthened their LOHP and CHVP partnerships. Our goal for this session was to improve collaboration across programs, leading to better oral health outcomes for children and families.

Learning objectives:

  1. Learn the goals and objectives of LOHPs and CHVPs.
  2. Understand the importance of oral health across shared priority populations.
  3. Connect local CHVP and LOHP staff.
  4. Discuss opportunities to collaborate and strengthen partnerships.
  5. Hear from local health jurisdictions on how they are collaborating across programs.
Speaker Bios

Ciara Hunt, MS Program Consultant, California Home Visiting Program, California Department of Public Health  Born the youngest of thirteen children, Ciara grew up in Humboldt County with a love for the outdoors and a passion for helping others. She brings forth an expertise in early childhood education, children’s oral health, and psychology in child and adolescent development. Ciara is a Program Consultant in the California Home Visiting Program and is currently pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology. She has worked as an Education Coordinator for Northcoast Children’s Services, an Education Manager at Portola Family Connections in San Francisco, a Health Education Specialist for the Humboldt County Public Health Oral Health Program, and as a Program Consultant for the California Department of Public Health Office of Oral Health where she created a statewide Toothbrushing in Early Education and Childcare Programs Toolkit. Ciara and the love of her life have six children ages 16-24. They enjoy spending time in nature, playing games, and dancing to live music. 

Paula Lee, RDHAP, MPH Chief, Local Programs and Statewide Interventions Unit, Office of Oral Health, California Department of Public Health Paula is the Chief of the Local Programs and Statewide Interventions Unit for the Office of Oral Health. Her main role is to supervise program consultants overseeing all local oral health programs (LOHPs) across the state. She is also the state coordinator of school-based/-linked oral health programs. Prior to working at the State, she worked 11 years at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and private practice. She currently works clinically 2x/month at the FQHC. For 10 years, Paula has volunteered to provide oral health care and oral health literacy in school-based/-linked programs to children, families, and community members in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Paula received an MPH from UC Berkeley in management and health policy and a BA in business administration from Sacramento State University. She currently co-chairs the Public Health Council for the California Dental Hygiene Association, chairs the California Partnership for Oral Health’s School Dental Programs Workgroup, and is an advisor with the California Health Care Foundation Leadership Program where health care leaders expand skills and systems capacity to meet the challenges facing California’s health care system. 

Nancy Starr, RDH, MPH Health Planning and Program Specialist, Oral Health Programs, County of San Diego Nancy is a registered dental hygienist with a master’s in public health and has over 20 years of experience focusing on oral health. She has worked as a clinical hygienist and currently is the program director with the LOHP for the County of San Diego.   

Olivia Schmitz Project Director, Local Oral Health Program, Siskiyou County Public Health Olivia has been with Siskiyou County Public Health (SCPH) and the Project Director for Siskiyou County’s LOHP for 2 years. She graduated from Boise State University with a public health degree and a non-profit management minor. She has worked in healthcare for 5 years with prior work at a healthcare startup company before joining SCPH. She has dedicated her time with the LOHP to create and leverage community partnerships to spread oral health education and awareness. She has also received her Result-Based Accountability (RBA) certification and has implemented RBA within Siskiyou County’s LOHP with the schoolbased dental program and KOHA reporting.   

Emily Harper Home Visitor/Health Educator, Siskiyou County Public Health Emily is a Home Visitor/Health Educator through Siskiyou County Public Health (SCPH). She has been employed with SCPH for the past two years but has over 22 years of experience working with children and families through her work as a social worker for Child Protective Services, with her involvement in local children’s sports activities, and while helping lead a local 4-H club. Emily is also a mom of one and a stepmom to four.    

Cheyenne O’Sullivan, RN, BSN, PHN Supervising Public Health Nurse, Modoc County Health Services Cheyenne is the Supervising Public Health Nurse for Modoc County Public Health. Cheyenne has worked in public health nursing for 12 years and is the Maternal, Child, & Adolescent Health Director and California Home Visiting Program Director for Modoc County. In addition, Cheyenne also provides oversight for the Local Oral Health Program, Communicable Disease Program, and Ryan White Program.   

Savannah Wilson, BSDH, RDHAP Project Director, Local Oral Health Program, Modoc County Health Services Savannah Wilson is an RDHAP that has been with Modoc County Public Health since 2017 when she was brought on to help with a First 5 grant. Savannah is currently the Project Director for the LOHP and also works at one of the local dental clinics. Savannah has helped build the LOHP in Modoc County and continues to work towards expanding school-based services in our 3 elementary schools.   

Claudia Pinedo, MPH Program Coordinator, Local Oral Health Program, Pasadena Public Health Department Claudia currently works at the Pasadena Public Health Department as the Local Oral Health and Acting Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters Coordinator. Claudia has experience in community organizing, planning, and evaluation. Her work includes preventative education on chronic oral health, prenatal care, child development, kindergarten readiness, and navigation of community services. Today she will present how to identify opportunities for collaboration with various programs.  

Slides - available upon request

Recording (1:27:37)

San Diego's cheat sheet for Home Visitors (note: resource may change after piloting and gathering feedback, reach out to Nancy Starr for more information)