Key Steps for Implementation
The counseling process:
Diet and physical activity assessments to determine food and activity patterns and attitudes that are beneficial or contribute most to heart disease and stroke risk.
Goal setting to address diet and physical activity problem areas identified in the assessment
Diet and activity tips
Method of delivery and exposure to the intervention: depending on program objectives and available resources, several different strategies can be used to effectively implement the New Leaf interventionOption # 1: One-on-one counseling - Three sessions per Individual/family; initial session should be in-person; other sessions can be by phone or in-person. About 45-60 minutes should be allocated for the initial counseling session since the risk assessments must be completed prior to goal selection and health counseling. Follow-up counseling sessions last 15 - 30 minutes each.
Option # 2: Combination approach - Two one-on-one counseling sessions and three or more group sessions typically lasting 90 minutes each plus brief, phone counseling contacts by peer counselors.
Option # 3: Group sessions - 12 group sessions, monthly newsletters, and quarterly reunions
Other delivery strategies can also be effective as long as providers offer sufficient exposure to the materials, time for counseling, and support for behavior change.