Exciting New Partnerships for 413Cares | |
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Addiction Treatment and Recovery Services
413Cares has partnered with the Greater Springfield Opioid Crisis Collective (GSOCC) to help improve connection to available addiction treatment and other services across western Massachusetts. Our region has been significantly impacted by opioid overdoses. The goal of this partnership is to help reduce one of the many barriers to getting connected to appropriate services. Learn more and find resources at www.413Cares.org/addiction.
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Mentoring Resources
413Cares is the home of a Hampden County Mentoring Movement campaign started by the Hampden County Community Health Improvement Plan and continuing on through the Springfield Youth Mental Health Coalition (YMHC). An ad is currently running on WWLP to promote mentoring resources and invite adults to get involved in mentoring and youth-serving organizations. Learn more about the campaign and connect to mentoring programs to become a mentor or mentee!
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Youth Working to Reduce Mental Health Stigma | |
Beat the Odds (BTO) is the youth advisory board of the Springfield Youth Mental Health Coalition (YMHC). There are two BTO groups- one at Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services and the other at the South End Community Center. The YMHC recently held a kick-off event for the 2022 cohort of BTO youth advisors. Over the course of the year, they will raise awareness and learn about youth mental health. | |
Meet the BTO program leaders: | |
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Zena Murray
South End Community Center
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Simbrit Paskins
Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services
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MA Housing Code Updated
The Department of Public Health’s Community Sanitation Program (CSP) has amended its housing code regulations, 105 CMR 410.000 with specific requirements for pest management and mold caused by excess moisture, as well as flexibility for local boards of health to address emergent issues, including climate change variability.
The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts and Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition joined with other advocacy organizations in giving testimony on the Sanitary Code changes in 2017 and 2019 to address mold, pest management and other issues that impact health. Although the new code is much improved, it does not include a focus on integrated pest management and additional best practices that were suggested to reduce asthma triggers in the home.
DPH is delaying the effective date of these Housing Code amendments until April 2023 to give sufficient time to prepare for the changes. During this time, CSP plans to conduct stakeholder outreach and training, and provide guidance and tools for local health.
Read the approved clean and redline versions of the regulation.
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Dr. Szegda Presents at APHA’s 2022 Annual Meeting
Kathleen Szegda and Erin Hennessy from Tufts University presented at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting and Expo. Their presentation was called At the Intersection of Community Engagement and ROADS: Lessons learned from the Research on Active Design in Springfield Research Study. It explored the strengths and challenges of participatory community-research partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The R.O.A.D.S. Study was initiated in 2018 at the request of Live Well Springfield and was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The research aims to evaluate Complete Streets changes and their impact on health. The term “Complete Streets” refers to streets that are designed with all users in mind, including cyclists and walkers. The City of Springfield adopted a Complete Streets Policy in 2016, which has led to changes throughout the city. Data collection for the study is complete, and analysis is currently underway.
Kathleen Szegda also participated in a poster session at APHA’s Annual Meeting, sharing findings from our health impact assessment about the use of CORIs in housing decisions, particularly among older adults in Hampden County.
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A New Pilot Program to Support Household Income
After several years of steady pushing, a coalition of advocates and legislators succeeded in getting the Massachusetts Legislature to pass (and the governor to sign) legislation that creates a pilot program designed to end what is deemed by social service agencies to be the ‘cliff effect.’ The ‘cliff effect’ occurs when a family suddenly loses public benefits (e.g. SNAP, rental assistance) if they take a higher paying job or receive a raise. Often, the increase in income is not enough to make up for the lost benefits, creating a continued challenge for household revenue, aka the cliff effect. The new pilot program—to be managed by the MA Department of Transitional Assistance—will enroll 100 eligible households and create new strategies that gradually reduces public benefits as income increases. Many thanks to the Food Bank of Western MA and Springfield Works for leading what grew from a regional to a statewide coalition and to Sen. Eric Lesser, Rep. Patricia Duffy, and Rep. Carlos Gonzalez for their leadership to pass this legislation within the economic development bill.
More information | A personal story
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Investments in Local Public Health Still Needed
In July 2022 the Massachusetts Legislature unanimously passed a bill, Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community Act (SAPHE 2.0), to support and modernize the Commonwealth’s local public health system. Gov. Baker sent the bill back to them with proposed changes that advocates and legislators felt would severely weaken it. This bill establishes minimum standards for all communities, creates a uniform data collection and reporting system, and provides incentives for communities to share services. Ideally, the Legislature will take up this bill once again, and override the Governor’s objections. Please thank your state representative and senator for their support of the SAPHE 2.0 bill and urge them take it up again—before January—to make it the law. Many thanks to the MA Public Health Association for leading the SAPHE 2.0 Coalition and to Sen. Jo Comerford and Reps. Hannah Kane and Denise Garlick for championing this important bill.
More information | Letter signed by scores of Western MA leaders
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Respiratory Viruses on the Rise
We are seeing a rise in respiratory viruses across the county as they make a resurgence now that COVID shutdowns are no longer in place. Viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu are ramping up and COVID is still spreading as new variants are on the rise. Preventive practices that we know well, such as hand washing, masking, and staying home if sick, are helpful tools to help us prevent the spread of these viruses.
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Virus respiratorios en aumento
Estamos viendo un aumento en los virus respiratorios en todo el condado a medida que los cierres por COVID ya no están vigentes. Los virus como el virus respiratorio sincitial (RSV) y la gripe están en aumento y todavía se está propagando las nuevas variantes de COVID. Las prácticas preventivas que conocemos bien, como lavarse las manos, usar cubrebocas y quedarse en casa si está enfermo, son herramientas útiles para ayudarnos a prevenir la propagación de estos virus.
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Get your flu shot
There are early signs that this flu season could be severe. Flu hospitalizations in the US are higher at this point in the season than they have been in a decade. Learn more about the flu here. The best time to get vaccinated is now. Vaccines are easily available at local pharmacies, health centers, and primary care offices.
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Obtenga su vacuna contra la gripe
Hay señales tempranas de que esta temporada de gripe podría ser grave. Las hospitalizaciones por influenza en los EE. UU. son más altas en este punto de la temporada de lo que han sido en una década. Obtenga más información sobre la gripe aquí. El mejor momento para vacunarse es ahora. Las vacunas están fácilmente disponibles en las farmacias locales, los centros de salud y las oficinas de atención primaria.
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Don’t forget your COVID booster
Pfizer and Moderna have updated their boosters to offer better and broader protection against COVID-19 infection. They target the current Omicron subvariants that are very contagious. Have questions about the boosters? Find answers to frequently asked questions.
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No olvides tu refuerzo COVID
Pfizer y Moderna han actualizado sus refuerzos para ofrecer una mejor y más amplia protección contra la infección por COVID-19. Apuntan a las subvariantes actuales de Omicron que son muy contagiosas. ¿Tiene preguntas sobre los refuerzos? Encuentre respuestas a las preguntas más frecuentes.
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Turn Data into Action
The Public Health Institute of Western MA is the technical assistance provider for the COVID-19 Community Impact Survey (CCIS) for Western MA. The CCIS has a wealth of data related to housing, employment. healthcare, intimate partner violence, substance use, youth, mental health, and more. Learn more here and send us a data request.
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Upcoming Events
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Roadmap to Behavioral Health in Western Massachusetts, December 1, 2022, 10:00am - 11:30am: This forum will examine the depth and causes of the crisis and potential solutions. It will also look at recently passed Mental Health ABC: Addressing Barriers to Care and the state's Roadmap for Behavioral Health. Speakers include our Executive Director Jessica Collins, along with Secretary Marylou Sudders, Mark Keroack, President & CEO of Baystate Health, Audrey Shelto, President & CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, Tania Barber, President & CEO of Caring Health Center, and Steven Winn, the President & CEO of Behavioral Health Network. Learn more and register.
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Free Transit and Other Announcements
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Give Transit a Try, November 25, 2022 through December 31, 2022: No passes or fares will be needed to take a bus or van operated by one of the regional transit authorities in the Commonwealth from November 25 through December 31, 2022. Fares have been prepaid by the MA Legislature!
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Scholarships for CHWs to Complete Masters in Counseling Psychology: The Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers (MACHW) is partnering with Framingham State University for their Graduate Counseling Psychology Program, a three-year, part-time program with a practicum and internship requirement, staring in Fall 2023. MACHW has 20 full scholarships available for CHWs to complete their Masters in Counseling Psychology. The deadline for submission is December 31, 2022. For more information or assistance with application email rnath@machw.org. Click here to apply.
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Franklin Regional Council of Governments is hiring: The FRCOG is hiring for several positions. Learn more.
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