Innovating for Health Justice | |
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Friends and Colleagues –
Summer is here, bringing with it all the things – summer jobs, beach days, road construction, ice cream, vacations, new childcare challenges, outdoor festivals, and a zillion cicadas. June is a significant month as we celebrate two milestones in the fight against oppression, both inextricably linked to health justice: 1) Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in Texas, the last state to free its slaves after the Civil War ended, and 2) Pride Month, honoring the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan which was a tipping point for the gay liberation movement in the United States.
Here at PHIMC, we entered Pride Month with a note about Action Camp for LGBTQ+ youth in Illinois and marked HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day with a story of surviving and thriving by one of our staff. For Juneteenth, we will be closed to allow PHIMC staff to celebrate, reflect, and participate in some of the community events listed below.
Today, we are happy to share with you about expanding gender-affirming care in Illinois and opioid-impacted family support in Chicago. Our resource spotlight this month is a curated list of resources for healthcare providers seeking guidance and data on inclusive practices. You will also find here below a few summer invitations to support people with HIV, justice-involved individuals, and LGBTQ+ youth, followed by a warm welcome to our newest staff and interns.
PHIMC’s work relies on you, our allies in health justice. We invite you to make a donation to strengthen PHIMC and support our work to advance health justice and strengthen public health through innovation and partnerships that align people, strategies, and resources.
Do you have questions or feedback? Please share. If you reach out to info@phimc.org, someone on our team will respond.
Thank you, as always, for your support and partnership.
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Sincerely,
Karen A. Reitan
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Transgender and Gender Diverse Wellness and Equity Program | |
PHIMC is delighted to introduce the 15 sites that received funding for Illinois’ new Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Wellness and Equity Program: | |
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This statewide program includes training for healthcare professionals; a learning collaborative for providers to discuss challenges and successes; and a resource hub containing information about policies and procedures, tips for ensuring care that affirms everyone’s identity, and guidance on addressing discrimination, stigma, and harassment.
PHIMC serves as lead grantee, and funding is provided by Illinois Department of Human Services.
This new program equips organizations that are currently serving the TGD/LGBTQ+ community to provide culturally and medically competent gender-affirming care. It increases the capacity of organizations to provide care for more TGD/LGBTQ+ individuals, including counseling, resources to assist with gender expression, and voice therapy. It also expands the capacity of organizations currently providing gender-affirming care to address the social determinants of health, historical and contemporary trauma, and its unique impact on Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color in the TGD/LGBTQ+ community.
Please visit our website to learn how each site supports transgender and gender diverse members of their community, and check out this week's media coverage by NPR Illinois and 25 News in Peoria.
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Opioid Impacted Family Support Program | |
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The Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program (OIFSP) seeks to bring care and relief to neighborhoods that are most affected by opioid use disorder in Chicago.
Students complete coursework through Malcolm X City College of Chicago’s Community Health Worker program and are then placed with organizations serving as field experience partners or apprenticeship sites. This builds organizational capacity and increases community access to substance use prevention and behavioral health services. Learn more here.
How it's going:
Last summer, Malcolm X City College of Chicago (MXC) hosted a Community Health Worker (CHW) Summit, introducing their first class of Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program (OIFSP) students. These students completed their coursework and are now employed as CHWs at Gateway Foundation, Above and Beyond Recovery Center, and HAP Foundation.
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The CHW Summit convened substance use disorder treatment and recovery support organizations, behavioral health, and healthcare organizations to discuss the need for CHWs in the workforce, specifically CHWs who can offer peer support through their own experiences in the community. Malcolm X College OIFSP students shared their paths to community health work, noted how it has offered them professional development experiences, and expressed deep passion for their communities and a sense of resilience. | |
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Organizations participated in workshops on integrating community health workers in their staffing models and discussed how to address barriers in their efforts to employ more community health workers. With growing workforce challenges and staffing burnout, the CHW Summit offered hope, making space for providers to work together to set a path for community health workers and their professional growth.
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Employers: We need you.
As this program continues to grow, PHIMC seeks employers in the substance use prevention and/or behavioral health field to partner with OIFSP and employ an apprentice from the program. CHWs from OIFSP are trained and ready for job placements at organizations.
To learn more, please contact Alisha Jani, Program Manager - AmeriCorps & Workforce Development at alisha.jani@phimc.org.
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Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, marking a critical moment in African American history. Recognizing and honoring this history is essential for addressing long-standing health disparities experienced by African American communities. PHIMC is honored to celebrate Juneteenth as it reinforces our commitment to the principles of health equity and cultural competency, which are essential for addressing the social determinants of health.
This year, celebrations of Juneteenth will take place across Illinois and will bring together community, promote social connections, and ultimately support building stronger, healthier communities. Juneteenth events also serve as platforms for public health education, providing information on important health issues such as chronic diseases, mental health, and preventive care. We invite you to learn more about the history of Juneteenth here, and check out Juneteenth events happening in your community.
Following are links to a few Juneteenth activities that promote health equity and improve the overall health and well-being of African American residents and other marginalized groups in Chicago and Southern Illinois:
Bronzeville’s 2024 Juneteenth Celebration: Unity Rising
Saturday, June 15, 11a - 5p
Bronzeville, Chicago
Juneteenth Village Fest
Saturday, June 15, 2024, 12p - 5p
Douglass Park, Chicago
Freedom is Ours! Evanston's 5th Annual Juneteenth Parade & Celebrations
Saturday, June 15, 2024, 11a - 4p
Robert Crown Community Center to the Civic Center, Evanston
Juneteenth Celebration of Strength
Tuesday, June 18, 2024, 6p
Project VIDA Wellness Center, Chicago
Annual Accessible Juneteenth Celebration 2024
Tuesday, June 18, 2024, 4p - 7p
University of Illinois at Chicago
Emancipation Celebration: Empowering Our Community Juneteenth BBQ
Wednesday, June 19, 2024, 12p - 7p
Promontory Point, Chicago
Juneteenth Celebration 2024 - Health panel - Food IS Medicine
Saturday, June 22, 8a to 11a
Malcolm X College, Chicago
Juneteenth Celebration 2024 - Justice Panel - Pathways to Freedom
Saturday, June 22, 10a to 11a
Malcolm X College, Chicago
Southern Illinois Celebrates Juneteenth
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Visit PHIMC’s Affirming Care Resource Hub, a library of curated guides, tools, research studies, and fact sheets designed to support individuals, families, and healthcare professionals in understanding and accessing care that affirms all identities.
These resources are intended to foster inclusivity and respect and ensure that everyone has access to the affirming care they deserve.
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Tap Into Change
June * July * August 2024
Roscoe's Tavern
PHIMC has been selected as the beneficiary of Molson Coors’ Tap Into Change program. A portion of the proceeds from sales of Molson Coors products at Roscoe’s Tavern in Lakeview from June 1 through the end of August will be donated to PHIMC.
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Pride Month
June 2024
Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. The first Gay Pride Liberation March took place in 1970 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, which began on June 28, 1969. Learn more about the Stonewall Riot and how that gave rise to present-day Pride celebrations from Legacy Project Chicago or American University.
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Illinois PrEP Summit 2024: Disrupting Disparities and Advancing Access
Thursday, June 18, 2024
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Malcolm X College Conference Center
Curated by AFC, MATEC, PrEP4Teens, and Project VIDA, this conference focuses on advancing biomedical HIV prevention to help achieve Getting to Zero by 2030. Key summit goals include improving access, addressing disparities, fostering research, and promoting community engagement. Join in-person sessions covering strategies, policies, and implementation research, and bring your promotional PrEP materials to share on resource tables.
Register here.
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Juneteenth
June 19, 2024
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in Texas, the last state to free its slaves after the Civil War ended, and celebrates African American culture and freedom. To learn more about this national holiday, visit the National Museum of African American History website or browse these resources.
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AmeriCorps Opportunity:
National Health Corps Chicago
National Health Corps (NHC) Chicago members join unique public health teams by serving at federally qualified health centers, in hospital systems, at community-based clinics, and with other important organizations.
Become a Host Site: PHIMC seeks applications from organizations interested in hosting AmeriCorps members for 2024-2025 as part of the National Health Corps Chicago program. Read the full Request for Applications and consider applying here.
Become a Member: NHC Chicago members serve an average of 40 hours per week, and available positions are listed here. This is a great learning and professional growth opportunity for someone who wants a gap year with real-world experience before starting college, grad school, or a new career in non-profits, public health, human services, or the medical field. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
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Action Camp
July 28 - August 2, 2024
Our largest annual youth leadership convening, Action Camp, is a 5-day sleepaway camp that brings together youth leaders from across the state to learn from one another and shape the safer schools movement. Learn more here.
To continue creating such a magical space for our campers, we invite you to support Action Camp by purchasing supplies through our Amazon Wishlist or by making a donation.
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Summit of Hope
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Quincy, Illinois
The Summit of Hope is a community expo, bringing together local service providers to create a "one-stop" environment for invited parolees and probationers to obtain necessary assistance to move past barriers, which may prevent an individual from leading a successful life.
The Summit of Hope is a proven Illinois Department of Corrections and Illinois Department of Public Health sanctioned program, independently organized in individual communities throughout the state.
Vendors and volunteers must register here.
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Illinois Reentry Statewide Meeting
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
via Zoom
PHIMC convenes statewide meetings designed to enhance and increase resources and services provided by community-based organizations, local health departments, and stakeholders in Illinois regarding incarceration, reentry, and public health. These meetings cover a wide range of topics to strengthen the corrections and HIV workforce and share best practices, new research, and emerging trends in HIV and corrections statewide.
Please email reentry@phimc.org for registration details.
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Chicago Reentry Taskforce Meeting
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
via Zoom
Convened by PHIMC in partnership with AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC), the Chicago Reentry Taskforce focuses primarily on issues related to Chicago and Cook County for current and formerly incarcerated individuals. The taskforce prioritizes training and discussion around barriers to reentry and changes that are relevant in Chicago, Cook County, and high-prevalence areas statewide in order to provide a public health response to mass incarceration.
If you provide services in the Chicagoland area and would like to participate in the taskforce, please contact reentry@phimc.org.
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Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program Opportunities
The Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program seeks to bring care and relief to neighborhoods that are most affected by opioid use disorder in Chicago.
Learn more here about opportunities for individuals and organizations.
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PHIMC Welcomes New Staff and Interns | |
Please join us in welcoming the newest members of the PHIMC team. | |
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Braulio Puente Jr. (he/him) joined the team as a Program Coordinator for HIV Prevention and Gender Affirming Care. As a queer first-generation Latine Chicagoan, Braulio has a deep commitment to Chicago social justice and community engagement. He has a background in community-engaged scholarship, LGBTQ+ programming, HIV prevention, and sexual health facilitation.
Braulio is eager to continue his passion for health justice and work with transgender, gender diverse, and LGBTQ+ communities. He feels a profound affinity for the mission of PHIMC and is personally connected to expanding routine HIV screening and culturally/medically competent gender-affirming care. Getting to work with healthcare systems and community sites directly delivering care to these populations grounds him to the root of where the change is happening.
Braulio received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Health Promotion and Health Equity and Life Sciences Communication.
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Alexis Ebbrecht (she/her) has served for a few months now as an Alliance Intern. Public health is important to Alexis because even though it is a massive entity, she sees everyone in public health working towards a common goal of creating an equitable and healthy environment for all. She feels that PHIMC is at the epicenter, working toward sustainable and equitable change for Illinois communities. Ms. Ebbrecht greatly values working with the Alliance program to support LGBTQ+ young people by giving them space to be themselves, gain leadership skills, and help them find community.
Alexis grew up in Ohio, received a B.A. in Public Health from Roanoke College in Salem, VA, and then shortly after moved to Chicago to work at Northwestern University. She is passionate about community health and felt drawn to learn more about the intersection between health systems, public health, and community health, so she began Northwestern University's Master of Public Health (MPH) Program in September 2022 and will graduate in December 2024.
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“It has been a great experience and my MPH training has given me an invaluable perspective to never settle for the current system and always strive for equity.”
~ Alexis Ebbrecht (she/her), PHIMC Alliance Intern
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Do you like what you see? Your support ensures we can maximize our impact and expand our reach to improve health. | | | |
Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) advances health justice and strengthens public health through innovation and partnerships that align people, strategies, and resources. | |
Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago
Tel. 312.629.2988 | 180 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois 60601 | www.phimc.org
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