What is the program about?
The Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Program (DPTP) offers a twelve week employee wellness program to help employees stay healthy and well and make healthy lifestyle changes. Sessions are offered a number of times throughout the year. Hitevi Kari means Healing House as it began for Health Department employees, but other tribal employees are also welcome. The program also helps participants to use what they learn in their own homes and families. We use an adapted version of a curriculum from the CDC called “Prevent T2”. It takes a comprehensive approach to promoting healthy lifestyles through nutrition education, physical activity, mindfulness activities and sustainable weight loss techniques to prevent diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases and improve well-being.  Participants work towards their individual fitness and wellbeing goals and receive support from the group. Instructors also offer support and coaching between sessions.

Who can attend?
Hitevi Kari is open to Health Department and other tribal government employees. Sessions are also offered in the evening and are open to employees and their family members. This is because taking steps towards healthier lives is a family affair. The program’s Registered Dietician and Outreach Workers lead the sessions in an interactive, fun and casual way. Each week participants engage in topic discussions and hands-on activities including cooking demonstrations and physical activity sessions. Guest speakers and community members who are champions of healthy eating share tips and pitfalls they learned on their journey towards sustained lifestyle changes.

A light meal is provided to introduce participants to healthy meal alternatives and address one of the major barriers to participation: convenience. Staff regularly prepare the healthy lunch/meal before the classes in the commercial kitchen at the Wellness center. Recipes of the meals are available for attendees so they can try them at home. Incentives may also be earned by participants who attend consistently and meet their fitness goals including cooking equipment, journals, and other exercise promotional items.

For more information contact Stacy Peercy, Community Dietitian at (520) 879-6137 or stacy.peercy@pascuayaqui-nsn.gov