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National CarFit/We Need to Talk (WNTT) Conference Call Summary  
Thursday, April 30, 3:00 to 4:00pm
Frank Carroll, DSP Senior Project Manager, fcarroll@aarp.org 727-592-8023 led the call. 
More the 35 (from NJ to HI) listened and learned what is happening with CarFit and the WNTT programs in 2009 and beyond.  The call attracted DSP RC/SC, new CarFit/WNTT State Coordinators, DSP Marketing Specialists, other interested DSP volunteers, and AARP State Staff involved in these programs. 
Frank reviewed the purpose of the call as a
General overview
Status report
Highlight of 2009 Plans, and provide
Examples of work in states
 
For more information on CarFit visit the www.car-fit.org.  Also search on aarp.org for CarFit and We Need to Talk for additional information.
Current CarFit/WNTT Status:
 
CarFit in 2008 had 4,058 participants in 276 events.  This brings a total of more than 8,305 CarFit participants since its start in 2005.
WNTT in 2008 had 1,097 participants attending 86 seminars or trainings.
So far in 2009 we have 393 participants in CarFit events and 112 in WNTT seminars
CarFit website is very active.
AARP national staff meet monthly with AAA & AOTA about CarFit.
Limited funding in 2009 is available.  All expenses will be paid directly by the national office and not charged against the sate DSP allocation.  Before incurring or submitting expenses pre approval is required from Frank Carroll.  Send all expense reports to Nina Hunter at the DC office.
All forms and reports also should be sent to Nina.
About 20 states have already appointed CarFit/WNTT State Coordinators.  Be sure the VMIS manager in the state adds this title.
A WNTT Facilitator Guide may be ordered # D18792 (note the DVD in this guide is not a true
DVD and will not play in a DVD player, just in a computer)
A new WNTT State/Host guide will be available soon.  (This will have a full playable DVD)

2009 CarFit/WNTT strategies/tactics:
The CarFit/WNTT Strategy for 2009 is to maintain these two programs as integral and important brand extensions of the Driver Safety Program while growing the program’s outreach and range of services.  We will begin redesign work with program models to have CarFit/WNTT to become more efficient and effective that will have greater potential for reaching large numbers of people over the next 5 years.
Selected Tactics:
1.      Strengthen the relationship of our partnership with AAA and AOTA through monthly calls, etc.  Work with AOTA on training OT in WNTT
2.      While using existing Event Coordinators (EC) increase the number of events by at least 10%.   Begin to use the email capabilities of the CarFit database to communicate with EC and Technicians
3.      Build a volunteer structure at the local and state level to support the programs.
4.      Working with DSP State Coordinators recruit volunteers as CarFit/WNTT coordinators in states. 
5.      Maximize the use of the CarFit website for efficiency, record keeping, communications, and program growth. 
6.      As resources allow train, develop, and deploy additional Event Coordinators, instructors and supplies.
7.      Increase promotion of DSP courses at CarFit events.
8.      Explore, develop, pilot test, and expand other delivery methods and locations for CarFit to include one-on-one checkouts, checkouts tied to DSP courses, and events at car dealers.
In addition in 2009 we are repurposing the current CarFit video on aarp.org (putting into the 12 checklist segments).  Also the WNTT video used in the seminar is being broken into clips and will be posted to aarp.org.
Building a state wide CarFit structure:
Jennifer Baier, Program Coordinator, AARP Wisconsin, 608-286-6300, JBaier@aarp.org
discussed statewide structure for WNTT in WI.
Partner organizations include:

• Local AAA
• State Occupational Therapist Association
• Aging list serve and disability list-serve used to communicate with people who want to be trained.
  

Promote at statewide conferences – TRIAD and Occupational Therapist
Work with AARP state offices’ Communications staff (story in AARP Bulletin) promoting CarFit in May.
State office – eNewsletter
Access to Global Opt-In email list to all members in the state a few times a month.
News release templates across the state
Online classified at Craiglist.org (reaches younger AARP demographic)
Community locations – Fire stations, local car dealerships, at the end of a DSP class, festivals, and at “child car seat events”
Many CarFit templates are available from AARP Wisconsin.  This is a large file Jenn has provided to Frank Carroll, some of these are available to trained person on the CarFit website or you can contact Frank Carroll.
Working with DSP volunteer with CarFit and WNTT in building the program:
Suzanne Lafollette-Black, Associate State Director-Community Outreach, AARP-North Carolina, 919-508-0269, sblack@aarp.org
AARP NC has done trainings at DSP annual meetings.
Outreach includes college alumni’s, Chamber Expo, AAA open houses, CarFit signage.
AARP NC developed CarFit in a box and CarFit in a bag.  
CarFit in a BAG is folder with a set of various AARP materials/brochures.  The CarFit in a BAG folder is placed in an AARP plastic bag with other partner resources, bottled water, some give-away, etc for an event.
Publication items in the AARP NC CarFit in a Bag are:
Left side of folder-

• We Need to Talk brochure (The Hartford )
  
• The Time is Now( DividedWeFail.org )-D # 18821
  
• AARP Benefits Directory- D #17166
  
• At the Crossroads (The Hartford )
  
• We Need to Talk (The Hartford )
  

Right side of folder:

• AARP membership brochure- C# 192
  
• AARP ID Theft- D# 18052
  
• AARP Driver Safety program- D# 17286
  
• CarFit brochure- Stock-2715
  
• Family Care giving in NC- D# 18929
  

AARP NC also adds the following resources: Prepare to Care D# and the NC specific State brochure as a handout.

CarFit in a BOX:  When the CarFit Event Coordinator wants to do an event, they call AARP NC and they assemble the CarFit in a BOX (according to the number of CARFIT participants for certain items*) as follows:

• Dozen rulers
  
• Dozen clipboards
  
• Dozen pens
  
• CarFit assessment checklists(NCR paper)-according to the number of folks attending*
  
• OPTIONAL and available-Signage for the event- CARFIT EVENT signs(2), registration sign; check in and out signs; Exit with arrows( left and right )In sign with arrows both ways; CARFIT station 1,2,3 signs ( Three signs for CARFIT lane designation i.e. CARFIT Station 1, CARFIT Station 2, CARFIT Station 3
  
• Roster for participants and volunteers
  

At this time these two items are not standard stock items at the AARP Fulfillment Center.  Based the great work AARP NC has done with these items and as budget dollars allow we are considering making these a standard items in the AARP Fulfillment Center.
Another state example:
MN DSP State Coordinator & Deputy Bill Adams and Rich Dohrmann.  Bill (mnstatecoordinator@hotmail.com) and Rich (rfdohrmann@comcast.net) discussed working with OTs and AARP state office on various events around the originally scheduled AARP Day of Service.
Questions and Answers:
We had time for about 8 questions, mostly about supplies and who to contact in my state.  See below for contact suggestions and a list of related inventory items.  Several commented the call was helpful and asked for follow up calls.
State contact suggestions:
For CarFit: 
·        Contact local AAA and see if the have any plans
·        Contact state AOTA organization
·        Local universities that train OT
·        Names on CarFit website
·        If no luck with these contact Frank Carroll For WNTT:
·        Contact Frank Carroll
CarFit/WNTT Inventory items:
D18576 CARFIT EXAM CHECKLIST
D18819 CARFIT PROGRAM BROCHURE
Note other CarFit documents can be downloaded by Event Coordinators/Technicians from www.car-fit.org website.
D18791 WE NEED TO TALK – PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE
D18792 WE NEED TO TALK – FACILIATOR GUIDE
D18863 WNTT STATE/HOST GUIDE (Not available yet)