Sacramento non-profits learn about consumer privacy

Consumer Action held a train-the-trainer session alongside the Sacramento River near the California State Capitol Building on Dec. 10. Community groups from the Sacramento area were trained on Consumer Action’s “Sensitive Information: Privacy and Your Medical Records” booklet and on our Freeze Your Credit File module. The program was presented with funding from Consumer Action’s Privacy Information Project. The 2008 edition of the medical records privacy booklet has become one of Consumer Action’s most popular publications. It’s one of the few sources of medical records privacy information available in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean, in addition to English and Spanish. Consumer Action Community Outreach Manager Nelson Santiago, who conducted the medical records privacy session, explained that in light of the booklet’s popularity, Consumer Action continues to develop companion teaching tools that community agencies can use to educate their clients. In addition to addressing such topics as what medical records contain and how to protect their accuracy and privacy, Santiago introduced participants to a new set of PowerPoint training slides and an interactive game based on the popular booklet. Community Outreach Manager, Linda Williams, conducted the Credit Freeze portion of the Privacy Information Project training. Williams shared many real life examples and anecdotes that helped illustrate the concepts contained in the credit freeze materials. She described, for example, the challenges faced by pro golfer Tiger Woods as he attempted to unravel his widely publicized identity theft case. Williams also walked participants through the full complement of training tools that are part of the Freeze Your Credit File module. These include a brochure for clients, a manual for trainers, a seminar lesson plan, and PowerPoint slides. To test participants’ understanding of the material, Williams asked them to break up into three teams to play a game she created based loosely on the popular Jeopardy game show. During the lively, and at times fiercely competitive, session, participants demonstrated that they knew what types of personal information crooks can use to commit identity theft, how a security freeze can help prevent identity theft, what steps identity theft victims can take, and other key information relating to the credit freeze module. Community Outreach Manager Jamie Woo was also on hand during the Sacramento training. Woo, who conducts outreach primarily in the Chinese community, was able to network with Asian/Pacific Islander organizations and answer questions from those agencies looking to use Consumer Action’s materials in the area’s Chinese community. At the conclusion of the training, Outreach and Training Director Mikael Wagner provided participants with information on how their agencies can apply for stipends or mini-grants of up to $4,000 per organization. Successful applicants can use the grants to help carry out community education programs using Consumer Action’s privacy materials. To join our free publications list, or to find out more about our stipend programs, click the link to send an email to the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (If the link doesn't work for you, send an email to OUTREACH AT CONSUMER-ACTION.ORG.)