Community Outreach and Peer Education to Promote Cancer Screening Programs

Overview

The New York State Department of Health supports peer education initiatives designed to increase the number of people in New York State who are educated about and screened for certain types of cancer.

The Department currently funds initiatives related to colorectal and prostate cancer with a focus on reaching populations who are disproportionally burdened by these cancers.

Peer Education Overview

Peer education engages non-clinical, frontline, culturally competent people who are from, or who have a close understanding of, the community in which they work. These workers are known as peer educators, as well as by other titles such as community health workers, promotores de salud, and lay health educators. Peer educators serve as a bridge between communities and health care systems.

Peer educators' tasks include:

  • providing education to community members on the importance of early detection and cancer screening guidelines,
  • linking people to health care,
  • connecting people to community services to address barriers to cancer screening, and
  • following up with the people they educate to provide ongoing support to help overcome barriers to screening (e.g., appointment scheduling, addressing fear or mistrust).

Community Outreach to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening

The Community Outreach to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening Program supports 11 community-based organizations to conduct outreach and education in their local communities to reduce the burden of colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer, cancer that starts in the colon or rectum, is one of the most common cancers in New York State.

Populations Served

The program focuses on reaching people ages 45 to 75 years old who are Black, Hispanic/Latino, LGBTQ+, and/or live in rural communities. These New Yorkers have a higher burden of colorectal cancer and are less likely to be up to date with colorectal cancer screening due to many factors. Factors may include limited access to quality health care, low socioeconomic status, and discrimination.

Find a Local Grantee

Contact a local grantee for more information about colorectal cancer and to link to community and cancer screening services. Grantees serve the following counties:

Peer Education, Outreach, and Shared Decision Making for Persons at High Risk of Prostate Cancer

The Peer Education, Outreach, and Shared Decision Making for Persons at High Risk of Prostate Cancer Program supports organizations to conduct outreach in local communities, provide education about prostate health and prostate cancer screening, and encourage participants to discuss the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening with their health care provider. Excluding skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among males in New York State.

Populations Served

The program focuses on reaching Black males, ages 45 to 69 years old. Prostate cancer impacts Black males more than any other racial or ethnic group in New York State. In New York State, Black males are 60% more likely to get prostate cancer and almost twice as likely to die of the disease compared to White males.

Find a Local Grantee

Contact a local grantee for more information about prostate cancer and to link to community and screening services. Grantees serve four counties in New York State.

For More Information

(518) 474-1222 | canserv@health.ny.gov
health.ny.gov/diseases/cancer/