Alabama Regional Medical Services (ARMS) is a Federal Qualified Health Center that provides primary care for the whole family, including OB/GYN in Birmingham, AL since 1985. There are five medical sites, a dental clinic, and a pharmacy. ARMS also manages a permanent housing choice 48-unit single resident occupancy (SRO) in partnership with the local housing authority.
ARMS collaborated with the housing authority to provide smoking cessation groups and inform tenants in the SRO and participants in substance use disorders’ (SUD) housing support group of the availability of smoking cessation services. The participants in the SUD group were seeking housing choice vouchers in housing partners with the county housing authority.
Because smoking and smoking cessation services were discussed during SUD support groups, many clients expressed the desire to stop smoking. A mother of four who had been drug free for six months decided to stop smoking after 16 plus years as a smoker and has been smoke free for three weeks at the close of this report. The mother attended a SUD group during the Tips® Campaign pilot project period where the importance of smoking cessation was highlighted.
For more information, go to Promoting CDC TIPS®Campaign Materials to Public Housing Residents.