Starting dance for health
Collaboration & commitment - the basis for successful implementation
To facilitate the implementation of new methods, it is recommended to follow six steps. The different steps can be used to advantage in both planning and developing Dance for Health in your organization.
How do you do it?
1. needs assessment: Start by examining the need to implement Dance for Health in your organization. Are complementary interventions needed to strengthen mental health in your target group?
2. Raise awareness and inform: Anchor with management, in the organization and with partners! It is important that all key people have access to clear information about what Dance for Health is, info sheets are available here. (A printable version is available here). Take note of the document "conditions and recommendations" which can be found here. It is often valuable to gain insight into the method via film; feel free to look at this or this.
3. plan to realize the start of the action. Put together a WORKING GROUP with, for example, a prospective instructor (who will lead the group), a representative from student health/care (who will recruit and provide medical support if necessary), and also the financier (who will cover the cost) and/or some other key person who is important for implementation. Perhaps you have local/regional/study association collaboration, perhaps schools and health care meet. It's important to allow time to plan how Dance for Health will be integrated in your area.
4. training: The Dance for Health instructor course provides theoretical and practical knowledge of the method and how to use and implement it (contact anna.duberg@dansforhalsa.se). Here you also get access to the national network and the dance portal, which provides continuous skills development and a bank of materials. Continuous participation in Dance for Health's boost days is a prerequisite for maintaining quality.
5. Support when the method begins to be used: Starting Dance for Health initially involves additional work. For the implementation to succeed, support from the organization is needed. Support is also available in the instructor network through Dansportalen and Boost days, and it is possible to request targeted guidance (Contact frida.ekholm@dansforhalsa.se).
6. Maintenance: In order for the method to be maintained within regular activities, further work remains to be done. Tips: Invest in long-term collaboration and financing of the initiative, provide continuous feedback to recruiters and financiers, train more instructors, develop according to needs - and use Dance for Health's digital surveys to monitor the group's results!
Don't forget to collaborate locally; check the "Here we are" map and connect with nearby Dance for Health activities.
Good luck!
Fixsen, D. L., et al. (2009) Core implementation components, Research on social work practice, 19(5), 531-540.
dance for health - practical implementation
The intervention is provided in collaboration with the student health service twice a week after school (the dance is optional, i.e. not graded). Recruitment and initial assessment of who is to be offered a place in the group is carried out by staff in the student health service/relevant health service. Feel free to use Dance for Health's films to spread information about the initiative. The group is led by 1-2 trained Dance for Health instructors who follow the structure and key factors. The number of participants in the group can vary from 4-20 based on local conditions. After 8 months (two semesters), there is an exit to another activity and space can be given to someone else who needs it.
Key documents to download (click on the text):
Any questions? Contact anna.duberg @ dansforhalsa.se