Webinar: Who's Leading the Leading Health Indicators? Access to Health Services

Join the Healthy People 2020 initiative on Thursday, January 24, at 3 pm EST, to learn about the success of one statewide partnership in securing coverage for over 500,000 previously uninsured children through advocacy and community outreach. This 45-minute webinar  will be led by HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. Howard Koh, and will include a roundtable discussion on the impact of this critical Leading Health Indicator topic.

Strengthening our Response for Improved Refugee Mental Health

“There is no health without mental health”

                World Health Organization

Monday, August 13, 2012

Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina

700 Settlers Landing Road

  Hampton, VA 23669

(757) 727-9700

9am to 4pm

Register here- http://tinyurl.com/6v4aswf

Although refugees benefit from protective factors such as spirituality and strong family support, they face enormous social and economic factors that expose them to higher levels of stress and disadvantages due to poverty, unemployment, lack of English proficiency, discrimination and the trauma associated with the immigrant experience.  As many states become more diverse, it challenges providers in the mental health system to adopt culturally and linguistically competent ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and address barriers to appropriate and timely mental health services.  DBHDS is hosting a free training for mental health providers, refugee staff, volunteers dedicated to exploring critical topics in refugee mental health.

Who should attend this conference?

This conference is ideal for all professionals providing service, formally or informally, to immigrants and refugees.  These professionals include health care practitioners, policymakers, settlement practitioners, volunteers, sponsorship agreement holders, educators, general practitioners, psychiatrists, multicultural liaison workers, translators, other human-related service providers, immigrants, refugees and consumers interested in the practice of Mental Health.

Outcomes

·         To gain an understanding of the protective and risk factors associated with mental health issues that refugees experience while resettling in the US.

·         To understand the cultural nuances and their impact on stigma and mental health treatment for refugees in the US

·         How to build stronger working relationships culturally and linguistically to diverse individuals in mental health programs

·         Explore specific topics of concern for refugees in Virginia

Understand the importance of and strategies for language services for refugee individuals

This conference will be offered for FREE under the Office of Newcomer Services -Virginia Refugee Health Prevention Grant and hosted by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and Virginia Council of Churches, Refugee Resettlement Program.  Six contact hours will be provided by DBHDS.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 6, 2012

·                     Welcome

·                     Overview of Issues in Refugee Mental Health- Saara Amri, LPC

·                     Break

·                     CAN

·                     Lunch

·                     Interviewing Clients Across Cultures - Lisa Fontes, Ph.D

·                     Break

·                     Breakout Sessions

·       Suicide Prevention among Refugees- Lisa Fontes, PhD.

·       Enhancing Language Services for Better Mental Health Outcomes- Vilma Seymour

·      Substance Abuse and Alcoholism among Refugees – Nhat Nguyen, MSW, QMHP

·      African refugees in the United States- Alimatu S Mustapha-Palmer,        NCC; LPC; SCAC; CCDVC

About the Speakers

Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD, has dedicated two decades to making the mental health, social service, and criminal justice systems more responsive to culturally diverse people. She is the author of Interviewing Clients Across Cultures: A Practitioner’s Guide and Child Abuse and Culture: Working with Diverse Families. She has written numerous journal articles and chapters on cultural issues in child maltreatment and violence against women, cross-cultural research, and ethics. She teaches at the University of Massachusetts. She has worked as a family, individual, and group psychotherapist, and has conducted research in Santiago, Chile, and with Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and European Americans in the United States. Dr. Fontes is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. She is a popular conference speaker and workshop facilitator. Dr. Fontes completed a Fulbright Foundation Grant in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a volunteer, Dr. Fontes worked for three years with Somali refugees in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Visit her website at:  www.LisaFontes.com

Saara Amri. LPC, A doctoral student in counseling at George Mason University, Saara Amri has been working with the refugee, immigrant, and torture survivor population for 11 years. Saara is a licensed bilingual mental health counselor and co-coordinator of the Program for Survivors of Torture and Severe Trauma, Multicultural Human Services at Northern Virginia Family Services in Falls Church, Virginia.

Alimatu S Mustapha-Palmer, NCC; LPC; SCAC; CCDVC

Alimatu S. M. Palmer is a licensed mental health and human services visionary professional who has consulted and worked in various capacities with a number of organizations for over 20years.  She was born in Freetown Sierra Leone and immigrated to the US as a student who left her country one day after her high school graduation.  She is currently the founder and executive Director of the Heritage Multicultural Programs and Services, Inc.   The agency is licensed and offers trainings, consultation and multiple programs and services, including cultural and diversity services, counseling and therapy, crisis intervention services, substance abuse/ addictions treatment services, grief and loss counseling, case management and other support services. Alima initially gained Certification in Substance Abuse Counselor in the State of Virginia, and a Registered Addiction Counselor in the District of Columbia respectively.  Mrs. Palmer then gained licensed and certifications in multiple states as follow: Licensed Professional Counselor in DC and Virginia respectively, Clinically Certified Domestic Violence Counselor, Clinically Certified Forensic Counselor, FEMA Certified Crisis/Disaster responder, Certified Social Work Practitioner. She is currently affiliated with several boards and organizations including, but not limited to APA, ACA, National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), and the American College of crisis and stress debriefing.  In her quest to contribute to the improvement of humanity internationally, Mrs. Palmer and her team have undertaken several projects in her native country Sierra Leone, which is recovering from a very brutal ten years (blood Diamond) civil war.  Under the Bridges Gap Project in Sierra Leone the team is currently mainly focused on the newly launched (2011) Orphanage and Youth Empowerment project center in Freetown.  They also continue to collaborate and support multiple projects including the UCC feeding program, Faith Orphanage Project, Totkeleh water well project, the Youth Literacy Project. 

Nhat Nguyen, MSW, QMHP, QMHCM

Along with his family in the 1975, Mr. Nhat Nguyen arrived to USA as a Vietnam War refugee.  After transplanting to Virginia, he completed his undergraduate in Clinical Psychology from George Mason University.  He obtained his Masters in Social Work from the Virginia Commonwealth University.  He is currently working for the Fairfax County Community Services Board.  He has worked various settings serving adults and youths with serious mental health, intellectual and/or substance using disorders.  Currently he is working as clinical supervisor with Adult Outpatient Services providing substance use and mental health co-occurring disorder treatment. He has a personal and professional passion and commitment to enhance cultural and linguistic competence throughout Fairfax County CSB.  He has been involved with the IDS Diversity Committee and CSB Cultural/Linguistic Competence Steering Committee.  Currently he is the vice-chair of the statewide Cultural and Linguistic Competence Steering Committee, and chair of the Policy subcommittee.  Nhat is serving on the Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center’s Interpretation in Mental Health Setting workgroup.  Currently he is responsible for the development of the Peer Recovery Support Services for Outpatient Services. He has presented various topics and training of cultural and linguistic competence including the Stigma of Mental Health among Asian-Americans, Competent Care and Cross-Cultural Communication, Interpretation in Mental Health System of Care, Disparities across Systems of Care, and debriefings on promoting and improving services to culturally and linguistically diverse individuals.

Vilma Seymour,

Vilma Seymour, President of Multilingual and Cultural Solutions, holds a BA in Foreign Languages/Spanish and is an experienced healthcare conference presenter because of her personal interaction with immigrants, refugees and limited English proficient populations. Her extensive research and collaboration with clinicians and community leaders led to her ability to develop and implement the first sustainable language services program within the only Level I Trauma Center in Central Virginia and its satellite clinics.  As an advocate for underserved populations, Vilma is passionate about ensuring compliance of federal mandates pertaining to providing meaningful access of oral and written interpreter/translation services to limited English proficient populations.  She is a licensed medical interpreter and cultural competency trainer for the following national programs created by Cross Cultural Healthcare Program (CCHP), Seattle, WA and The Medical Interpreter Project, (MIP) Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ.

For questions, contact Cecily Rodriguez at cecily.rodriguez@dbhds.virginia.gov or 804-786-5872.

           

Virginia Youth Sharing Public Health Stories

The Community Tool Box Bringing Solutions to Light

Work Group for Community Health and Development
University of Kansas – 2011

The Community Tool Box is a global resource for free information on essential skills for building healthy communities.
Promoting community health and development by connecting people, ideas and resources

English:
Available online at: http://bit.ly/lMvFse

Spanish:
URL: http://bit.ly/kEY9wF Caja de Herramientas Comunitarias - Recursos prácticos

Here there are the list of  6 Chapters through which you can reach nearly 300 different sections providing practical, step-by-step guidance in community-building skills. Other tools can be located from the purple tabs at the top of this page.

Part A. Models for Promoting Community Health and Development: Gateways to the Tools (Chapters 1 - 2)

·         Chapter 1. Our Model for Community Change and Improvement

·         Chapter 2. Other Models for Promoting Community Health and Development

Contains an overview of the CTB (Chapter 1, Section 1) and frameworks for guiding, supporting and evaluating the works of community and system change.

Part B. Community Assessment, Agenda Setting, and Choice of Broad Strategies (Chapters 3 - 5)

·         Chapter 3. Assessing Community Needs and Resources

·         Chapter 4. Getting Issues on the Public Agenda

·         Chapter 5. Choosing Strategies to Promote Community Health and Development

Contains information about how to assess community needs and resources (e.g. conducting listening sessions, analyzing problems) how to get issues on the public agenda (e.g., gaining public support), and how to choose broad strategies to promote community health and development (e.g., building coalitions).

Part C. Promoting Interest and Participation in Initiatives (Chapters 6 - 7)

·         Chapter 6. Promoting Interest in Community Issues

·         Chapter 7. Encouraging Involvement in Community Work

Contains information about how to promote interest in an issue (e.g., persuasion, press releases, and newsletters) and how to encourage involvement (e.g., among diverse groups).

Part D. Developing a Strategic Plan, Organizational Structure, and Training System(Chapters 8 - 12)

·         Chapter 8. Developing a Strategic Plan

·         Chapter 9. Developing an Organizational Structure for the Initiative

·         Chapter 10. Hiring and Training Key Staff of Community Organizations

·         Chapter 11. Recruiting and Training Volunteers

·         Chapter 12. Providing Training and Technical Assistance

Contains information about developing a strategic plan (e.g., vision, mission, action plan) and organizational structure (e.g., bylaws, board of directors) and hiring and training staff, recruiting and training volunteers, and providing technical assistance.

Part E. Leadership, Management, and Group Facilitation (Chapters 13 - 16)

·         Chapter 13. Orienting Ideas in Leadership

·         Chapter 14. Core Functions in Leadership

·         Chapter 15. Becoming an Effective Manager

·         Chapter 16. Group Facilitation and Problem-Solving

Contains information about the core functions of leadership (e.g., building relationships, influencing people), management (e.g., providing supervision and support), and group facilitation (e.g., leading meetings).\

Part F. Analyzing Community Problems and Designing and Adapting Community Interventions (Chapters 17 - 19)

·         Chapter 17. Analyzing Community Problems and Solutions

·         Chapter 18. Deciding Where to Start

·         Chapter 19. Choosing and Adapting Community Interventions

Contains information about analyzing community problems (e.g. thinking critically), designing an intervention (e.g. identifying those who can benefit and help), and choosing and adapting interventions for different cultures and communities.

Part G. Implementing Promising Community Interventions (Chapters 20 - 26)

·         Chapter 20. Providing Information and Enhancing Skills

·         Chapter 21. Enhancing Support, Incentives, and Resources

·         Chapter 22. Youth Mentoring Programs

·         Chapter 23. Modifying Access, Barriers, and Opportunties

·         Chapter 24. Improving Services

·         Chapter 25. Changing Policies

·         Chapter 26. Changing the Physical and Social Environment

Contains information on illustrative interventions using the strategies of providing information and enhancing skills, enhancing support and resources, youth mentoring, modifying access and barriers, improving services, changing policies, and changing the physical and social environment.

Part H. Cultural Competence, Spirituality, and the Arts and Community Building (Chapters 27 - 29)

·         Chapter 27. Cultural Competence in a Multicultural World

·         Chapter 28. Spirituality and Social Action (this chapter is under construction)

·         Chapter 29. The Arts and Community Building: Celebrating, Preserving, and Transforming Community Life (this chapter is under construction)

Contains information on building cultural competence in a multicultural world, spirituality and community action, and the arts and community building.

Part I. Organizing for Effective Advocacy (Chapters 30 - 35)

·         Chapter 30. Principles of Advocacy

·         Chapter 31. Conducting Advocacy Research

·         Chapter 32. Providing Encouragement and Education

·         Chapter 33. Conducting a Direct Action Campaign

·         Chapter 34. Media Advocacy

·         Chapter 35. Responding to Counterattacks

Contains information on principles of advocacy (e.g., recognizing allies and opponents), conducting advocacy research, providing encouragement and education, conducting a direct action campaign (e.g., personal testimony letters), media advocacy, and responding to opposition.

Part J. Evaluating Community Programs and Initiatives (Chapters 36 - 39)

·         Chapter 36. Introduction to Evaluation

·         Chapter 37. Operations in Evaluating Community Interventions

·         Chapter 38. Methods for Evaluating Comprehensive Community Initiatives

·         Chapter 39. Using Evaluation to Understand and Improve the Initiative

Contains information on developing a plan for evaluation, methods for evaluation, and using evaluation to understand and improve the initiative.

Part K. Maintaining Quality and Rewarding Accomplishments (Chapters 40 - 41)

·         Chapter 40. Maintaining Quality Performance

·         Chapter 41. Rewarding Accomplishments

Contains information on achieving and maintaining quality performance, obtaining and using feedback from clients, arranging celebrations, providing incentives to staff and volunteers, holding awards ceremonies, and honoring colleagues and community champions.

Part L. Generating, Managing and Sustaining Financial Resources (Chapters 42 - 44)

·         Chapter 42. Getting Grants and Financial Resources

·         Chapter 43. Managing Finances

·         Chapter 44. Investing in Community Resources

Contains information on writing a grant application, planning for financial sustainability, preparing an annual budget, accounting basics, contracting for service and establishing a micro-grants program for your community.

Part M. Social Marketing and Institutionalization of the Initiative (Chapters 45 - 46)

·         Chapter 45. Social Marketing of Successful Components of the Initiative

·         Chapter 46. Planning for Long-Term Institutionalization

Contains information on conducting a social marketing effort (e.g., promoting awareness, interest and behavior change), and planning for the long-term sustainability of the effort (e.g., becoming a line item in an existing budget).

Mayor’s Healthy Richmond Campaign

The Official Kickoff for the Healthy Richmond Campaign 

Expo opens at 10 a.m., Kickoff begins at 10:30 a.m.Presented by: Mayor Dwight C. Jones

Join us and our very own Dr. Remley the Commissioner of The Virginia Department of Health at the  Get Healthy-Stay Healthy Health Expo.,  and Chick-fil-a cow walk, part of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy!

The Mayor established a Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy as a direct result of his concerns about disparity in health outcomes across the Richmond community. The Commission -- which is made up of health experts including physicians, hospital executives, mental health and clinical providers, and members of the community -- worked together to identify critical health issues facing the City of Richmond. Focus areas to improve Richmond’s health:

The Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy identified numerous factors that contribute to disparity and poor health, but they were able to prioritize and agreed on five recommendations to forward to the Mayor that they believed would make the most impact on improving the health and well-being of Richmond residents:

•      Healthy Richmond Campaign - promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors and participating in various initiatives to improve the health of Richmond’s residents,
•      Health and Social Equity - impacting policy by creating an infrastructure that promotes healthy living,
•      Behavioral Health - addressing prevention and intervention for at-risk youth and families,
•      Medical Homes for the Uninsured - eliminating barriers that impact access to health care,
•      Support for Healthcare Providers - encouraging health care providers to practice in underserved areas of  the community.

Cow Walk:  April 28, 2012 starts at 8:30 a.m  Click here and learn more

Expo Information:

Date and Time:                    April 28, 2012, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Location:                              Greater Richmond Convention Center

                                             403 N. Third Street, Exhibit Hall A

         Richmond, VA 23219


(Click Below to Learn More)

Advance Health Care Directive Registry

Advance Health Care Directive Registry

Without advanced planning, medical care decisions are often left to family members when a loved one becomes incapacitated and unable to speak for themselves. The Advance Health Care Directive Registry relieves loved ones of that burden and ensures that those loved ones, as well as doctors, know a person’s wishes and whom they want making medical decisions for them. There is no cost to users or to taxpayers for this service. Learn more and register here https://www.virginiaregistry.org/

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program

2011-2012 Call for Applications

Deadline: February 29, 2012, 5:00 PM EST

Program Area: Human Capital

Purpose:
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) collaborate to foster the development of physicians who will lead the transformation of Americans’ health and health care through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars program. These future leaders will conduct innovative research and work with communities, organizations, practitioners and policy-makers to address issues essential to the health and well-being of all Americans.

To apply and learn more click here http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21381

Worry-Free Advocacy: Understanding the Rules of Nonprofit Advocacy & Election-Related Activity

Early Registration: $40, REGISTER NOW AND SAVE!

Thursday, September 24, 2009 | 8:30 - 2:30pm

Appomattox Regional Library System

209 E Cawson Street

Hopewell, VA 23860

Special guest instructors from Alliance for Justice, the national leader in providing informative and entertaining trainings on the rules of advocacy for nonprofit organizations. During this one-day workshop for nonprofit managers, staff, and volunteers; our attorney-trainers will teach you the rules so that you can answer questions such as:

• What is the definition of lobbying and how is it different from advocacy?
• How much can our 501(c)3 lobby?
• What are the disclosure and registration requirements for lobbying in VA?

Learn More...

Student National Medical Association Launches Letter Writing Campaign

We always encourage people who care about important issues that affect our communities to get involved. A question these caring individuals always ask is, "How?"

The Student National Medical Association has created a great model for other organizations encouraging advocacy.

Their letter writing campaign not only encourages people to write a letter, but provides a template for the letter and specific people who should receive it.