Health Promotion Division

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.

creating healthy communities

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.

quit smoking

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 takeback

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.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

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.

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.

partners in wellness

3rd Grade Health and Wellness Program

Health Educators provide third grade students the skills and knowledge to enable them to make the health decisions best for them. Partners in Wellness is a free, comprehensive year-long wellness program to approximately 1,800 third grade students, in 74 classrooms, in 11 school districts covering all aspects of wellness including physical, social and emotional health.

trail to health

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.

child injury prevention

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.

food access map

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.

Recreation Map

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!

Program Highlights

Wellness Coalition

Wellness Coalition

Join the Licking County Wellness Coalition and help to promote healthy lifestyles by increasing physical activity, promoting healthy eating, reducing tobacco use. The coalition work includes gathering and evaluating data, and implementing Policy, System, and Environmental Change. Wellness Coalition Fact Sheet Contact Carrie McKee at (740) 349-6497 or Email Us.

safe communities

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 Jonathan Kraus at (740)349-6500 or by Email.

CHC

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: Carrie McKee, MPH, CHES Creating Healthy Communities Coordinator, (740) 349 – 6497, or email us.

Human Trafficking Hotline

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.

sass

Screening and Survivor Support (SASS) for Breast Cancer

SASS is funded through local donations that allow us to provide referrals and free mammograms and further diagnostic screenings for Licking County's under/uninsured women age 40 and up, women with personal or family history of breast cancer, or a medical need.

SASS also offers a stipend to help with expenses to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are receiving active treatment.

car seat

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 car safety seat technician.

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 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.
Car Seat Recommendations for Children (pdf)