Activity: Health Counseling and Literature
Number of volunteers: 3-6
The number of health counselors will depend upon the size of the health expo. Since good counseling takes time and this is an excellent opportunity to get in close contact with people, have sufficient counselors available to serve every visitor of the Expo.
Comments:
Individuals attending the health expo should be referred to the health-counseling booth upon completion of the various health screenings. In addition to interpreting each person’s health age report, the counselors should review the Personal Health Record, summarize their results, and speak about any areas where the individual may be at risk (high blood pressure, weight, etc.).
In many cases people are quite interested to know what they can do to lower their risk of disease and experience better health. This is especially true after the screenings have helped them to see their need. Often individuals will confess their struggles with particular habits (weight, smoking, etc.). Health counselors should watch for appropriate opportunities to remind people that we have a loving Heavenly Father who cares for them and desires to strengthen and help them make the necessary changes. This is a good time to give out literature (health, and in some cases spiritual), to invite them to specific seminars (cooking schools, weight management, stress, etc.), and even to pray with them, asking God to bless and help them in their specific areas of need.
The counselors should be health professional (doctors, nurses, nutritionists or lifestyle educators) or lay people with good lifestyle and health knowledge. They should be instructed about the general counsels to give, to ensure that they agree with our principles. They should be friendly people and sensitive to discern people’s spiritual needs. It would be good if a medical professional with good lifestyle knowledge were present in the counseling booth, so that other counselors can refer to him cases of high coronary risk or other difficult conditions.
Sign their Personal Health Record form. Hand out the Trust literature.