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TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - A growing body of evidence links housing conditions to health outcomes such as asthma, lead poisoning, lung cancer, and unintentional injuries. If your work takes you into private homes to provide care, inspections or other services, including health education, you may want to attend a special two-day workshop being sponsored by the Cherokee Nation in January. The Essentials of Healthy Housing practitioner course will be held Jan. 26 – 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Cherokee Nation tribal complex south of Tahlequah. The workshop will be presented by the East Central University Healthy Housing Training Center and is sponsored by Cherokee Nation’s Environmental Programs. Organizers of the event encourage home health care workers, social workers, housing code inspectors, family advocates and workers who provide elder care to attend the training, which will focus on the connection between housing and health. Course participants will learn about taking a holistic approach to identifying and resolving problems that can threaten the health and well-being of residents in a home that has environmental issues. The training complements other hazard-specific training that workers may have already received in lead-based paint, radon, mold, pests and asbestos. Participants will learn to identify root causes of health problems such as allergies and asthma by linking them to principles of healthy housing, such as proper ventilation, cleanliness and safety. Essentials of Healthy Housing is free to attend and will be held in the Osiyo Training Room located behind the Restaurant of the Cherokees. Seating is limited to the first 45 registered participants. CEUs are available for community/public health nurses and social workers. A national certification exam is also available the afternoon of Jan. 27, at an additional cost for those who elect to take it. You are not required to take the examination in order to attend the Essentials of Healthy Housing course. To register for the course, contact Wayne Isaacs, Cherokee Nation Environmental Programs, phone: 918-453-5359 or register online. Deadline for registration is Jan. 8.

Related Cherokee Nation contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org