Dear Colleague,
For patients and staff alike, mental health is a key concern. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing burnout in the CHC workforce at the same time as it intensified stressors and social determinants of health for patients in medically underserved areas. And as National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 4-10) approaches, it is crucial not only for healthcare teams to take a holistic approach to supporting their patients, but also for health center leaders to support their staff's mental wellbeing.
To advance both those efforts, this week the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is debuting a new webinar and toolkit on suicide prevention in primary care, a guide to help CHC leaders better support staff wellbeing and a learning collaborative to improve recruitment of mental health clinicians, as well as a webinar on how to better recruit specific populations in staff and a spotlight on our members.
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New Webinar Explores How Primary Care Providers Can Help Prevent Geriatric Suicide
Tuesday, Sept. 27: 1-2 p.m. ET
Elderly individuals are at the greatest risk for completed suicide of all age groups in the U.S. However, primary care providers and teams working with geriatric patients have vital opportunities to intervene to help prevent suicide. Join nationally recognized suicide expert Dr. Virna Little, Chief Clinical Officer at Concert Health, to learn about unique factors in geriatric suicide, as well as how to recognize warning signs and implement evidence-based interventions.
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Read Our Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Providers & Teams Caring for Geriatric Patients
Geriatric suicide risk and depression often go under-identified and treated in primary care. ACU's new Suicide Safer Care toolkit details unique considerations in geriatric suicide, as well as applied suicide prevention strategies for primary care providers and teams at CHCs and elsewhere. Read the toolkit to learn about the scope of the crisis, depression and suicide screening in health settings, and evidence-based interventions.
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Fact Sheet Explores How CHC Leaders Can Support Staff Wellbeing & Mental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic and other events have exacerbated mental health challenges in the healthcare workforce, and health center leaders must be prepared to support their staff. Our STAR² Center's fact sheet, "The Emotional Toll of Caring for Others," highlights the role that CHC leadership can play in supporting staff wellbeing and helping to address staff mental health challenges through compensation equity and inclusive benefits.
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Join Our New Learning Collaborative on Recruiting Mental Health Clinicians at CHCs
Apply by Tomorrow, August 25
We invite health center workforce, human resources, clinical, and C-Suite staff to apply by tomorrow, Aug. 25, to join our Recruitment Boot Camp: Mental Health Staff Edition learning collaborative. In four sessions in September-October, the collaborative will explore how to recruit a diverse, mission-driven, and patient-centered mental health workforce with STAR² Center experts and Dr. Adijat Ogunyemi, a social worker and professor with extensive CHC experience.
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Learn How to Conduct & Respond to Staff Satisfaction Surveys in Our Collaborative
Apply by September 8
Staff satisfaction surveys can make a powerful impact on health center workforce retention, engagement, and trust. In September-November, this five-part learning collaborative will help you to explore best practices for conducting these surveys and responding to their findings to improve employee engagement and CHC operations.
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New Webinar Series: Recruitment and Retention of Specific Populations
Sept. 22 at 1-2 p.m. ET & Sept. 29 at 1-2 p.m. ET
Join us for a two-part series on recruiting and retaining veteran and LGBTQIA+ individuals in the workforce. National experts will provide insights and tangible steps on how to build more inclusive, welcoming organizations that better meet the specific needs of these highly skilled employees while building more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces.
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Don't Forget: Our Upcoming Webinar Explores Communicating Across Generations and Resolving Intergenerational Conflict
Thursday, Sept. 8: 2-3 p.m. ET
Register now to learn how we can better communicate across generations and resolve conflicts in this session with ACU's Dr. Michelle Fernández Gabilondo and Alex Rohlwing.
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Share Your Perspective on the STAR2 Center Talks Workforce Success Podcast
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New in Our Allying for Health Equity Blog:
Addressing Food Insecurity to Improve the Lives of Patients with Diabetes: How ACU Member Janani Arangan Created a CHC Grocery Voucher Program
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Welcoming Our Latest Member
ACU welcomes our community's newest member: Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton, NJ. The largest non-hospital ambulatory care provider in Trenton, Henry J. Austin Health Center delivers person-centered and high-quality care. In 2020 alone, the CHC reached 17,800 patients and administered over 8,000 COVID-19 vaccines. Are you committed to achieving health equity for all? Learn about ACU membership, contact us, or join us.
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Revisit Moments from Our 2022 Conference: Awards, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson's Remarks, & More
Our 2022 Conference spotlighted the resilience and innovation of our community, and we were excited to capture a variety of the event's highlights on film. View a few key moments below or read our Conference recap. Thanks again to all who joined us in D.C. or online, and please save the date for our 2023 Conference in Washington, D.C. on July 23-25!
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Beth Wrobel , HealthLinc CEO, wins the 2022 Marc Wetherhorn Advocate of the Year Award |
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Carole Johnson pays tribute to the CHC Workforce and NHSC at the NHSC 50th Anniversary Gala |
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Dr. Theodore Ross, CMO of SIHF Healthcare, receives the Outstanding Scholar Award |
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Spotlight on Civic Health Month:
Learn Why Empowering Patients for Civic Engagement Is a Clinician Imperative
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Note: ACU Members receive free Journal access by logging into our member portal and using the link to JHCPU on the left menu bar.
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NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) Applications Open Soon
The National Health Service Corps' S2S LRP application cycle opens soon! Open to students in their last year of medical, nursing, or dental school, the program offers up to $120,000 in loan repayment in return for serving for at least three years at an NHSC-approved site in medically underserved areas. This is an excellent opportunity to pay off loans while expanding access to care for under-resourced communities.
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The Latest from ACU's Career Center
Our Career Center is a great resource for job seekers or healthcare organizations looking to hire quality staff to serve under-resourced populations. ACU Members get premier access by logging in to our member portal and using the discount code. View recent postings:
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Funding Opportunities
HRSA
Deadline: Oct. 22, 2022
HRSA
Deadline: Nov. 22, 2022
HRSA
Deadline: Jan. 9, 2023
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Upcoming Webinars:
Archived Webinars:
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STAR² Center Talks Workforce Success Podcast: Seasons 1-3
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ACU is here to help: if we can do anything to better support your work to improve care and advocate for patients living in historically marginalized communities, please contact our Executive Director Amanda Pears Kelly with any feedback. Thank you for all that you do.
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