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What's Inside?
- 413Cares: Legislative Earmark Expands 413Cares Through Regional Partnerships
- PHIWM news: Farewell Board Members, Recognition from Healing Racism Institute
- Policy updates: Clean Slate Action Alert, Youth Mental Health Webinar Recording
- Research and evaluation: Data Can Be Fun!
- Coalition building team: Substance Use Prevention Partnerships
- Stay Healthy This Holiday Season | Manténgase saludable durante esta temporada
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Legislative Earmark Helps Expand 413Cares Through Regional Partnerships
413Cares.org is thrilled to receive funding from the state to continue its efforts to connect residents to critical services across the four counties of Western MA. This year we are expanding our work with four new regional partnerships- Hilltown Community Health Center, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Community Action Pioneer Valley, and Quaboag Hills Community Coalition. Together we will bring 413Cares further into Franklin and Berkshire counties and the Hilltown and Quaboag regions. Thank you to Representative Michael Finn and Senator Adam Gomez who helped secure this funding. Thank you to everyone else who came out to celebrate, including Representative Carlos Gonzalez, a staff member from Senator Velis’ office, and many other partners.
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Pictured from left to right: PHIWM Policy Director Andrea Freeman; PHIWM Project Coordinator Beyonca Twiggs; Kim Savery, Director, Community Programs and Family Support Services with the Hilltown Community Health Center; Frank Robinson, Vice President of Community Relations and Public Health at Baystate Health; Representative Michael Finn; Sarita Hudson, PHIWM Senior Director of Strategy and Development; Senator Adam Gomez; Jaymie Zapata, Senior Planner with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission; PHIWM Executive Director Jessica Collins; Ana Jaramillo, Program Supervisor, Holyoke Health Center; PHIWM Board Member Luz Lopez; Liv Anna Homstead, PHIWM Coalition Building Manager; Representative Carlos Gonzalez; Kevin Chambers, Aide to Senator John Velis; and Debra DiStefano, Chief People & Equity Officer for the Hilltown Community Health Center | |
Pictured from left to right: Michael Purdy, CEO with Hilltown Community Health Center; Liv Anna Homstead, Beyonca Twiggs, PHIWM Project Coordinator; PHIWM Coalition Building Manager; Francheska Bermudez, PHIWM Project Coordinator; Ana Jaramillo, Program Supervisor, Holyoke Health Center; PHIWM Executive Director Jessica Collins; Andrea Freeman, PHIWM Policy Director; PHIWM Board Member Luz Lopez; Jaymie Zapata, Senior Planner with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission; Debra DiStefano, Chief People & Equity Officer for the Hilltown Community Health Center; Sarita Hudson, PHIWM Senior Director of Strategy and Development | |
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Thank You For Serving On Our Board
As 2023 comes to a close, we are saying goodbye to several remarkable people who served on our Board of Directors: Soloe Dennis, Public Health Director, City of Worcester; Keith Fairey, Chief Executive Officer, Way Finders; Jennifer Lee-Rambharose, Senior Research Analyst, Brandeis University; Airín Martinez, Assistant Professor, UMass- Amherst, School of Public Health & Health Sciences; and Sarah Perez-McAdoo, Population Health Capstone Director, UMass Medical School–Baystate.
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Healing Racism Institute Gives PHIWM Partnership Award
The Healing Racism Institute (HRI) honored the PHIWM with their Partnership Award last Friday night. Executive Director Jessica Collins reflected the HRI has helped ground PHIWM’s work calling out racism as a root cause of health inequities. HRI is nearing its last push to close a million-dollar capital campaign, please consider donating to this important agent of change!
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Pictured left to right: Vanessa Otero, Healing Racism Institute Executive Director; Samantha Hamilton, PHIWM Director of Coalition Building & Community Engagement; Jessica Collins, PHIWM Executive Director; PHIWM Board Member Luz Lopez; and Modesto Montero, HRI Board President | |
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In the News
Our projects and staff often appear in the news. Check out some of the latest:
- 12/9/23, Amherst Bulletin, EPA grants to enhance air pollution monitoring in region
- 12/1/23, Grantmakers in Health, Building Community Power to Improve Climate Resilience and Health Equity: Learning What It Takes
- 12/1/23, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Regional roadmap seeks to address youth mental health ‘crisis’
- 12/1/23, Daily Hampshire Gazette, A mental health crisis: Youth are struggling like never before as experts grapple with ways to help
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11/30/23, Greenfield Recorder, Gender pay gap closing, regional report finds
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Action Alert: Speak Up For Clean Slate Legislation
The Joint Committee on the Judiciary is holding a hearing today to gather input about important legislation that PHIWM, LiveWell Springfield, and scores of others involved with the Clean Slate MA coalition want to become law. If you would like to provide written testimony (by December 22, 2024) please contact Andrea Freeman or Jackie Velez with “clean slate testimony” in the subject line.
Background
Having a CORI makes it hard to find a good job and affordable housing, which are so important for good health. After a few years, you can file paperwork to seal a CORI, but that is slow, cumbersome, and often requires legal assistance. The Clean Slate Initiative believes that your CORI should be sealed the very day you are eligible for it, without any red tape. In Massachusetts, this means changing a state law—the way 12 states already have—and we need your help to do that. Legislation fact sheet | One man’s story, 6 minutes
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What Can Western MA Do To Promote Youth Mental Health? | |
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Data Can Be Fun!
Victoria Hill, PHIWM Manager of Data and Equity, and Rob Crawford, Program Coordinator at the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services are facilitating a data-to-action monthly subgroup for members of Beat the Odds, a youth advisory group of the Springfield Youth Mental Health Coalition. They are prioritizing fun and relationship-building as they plan the meetings. Members are learning “data basics”, exploring findings from the 2023 Springfield youth health surveys, and will take action(s) to improve their community based on this data. The goal is to let the youth “steer the ship”. The team is thrilled that so many young people chose the data-to-action subgroup and can’t wait to see how things evolve!
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Victoria Hill and Rob Crawford leading a data visualization activity with the BTO data to action subgroup | |
- Reduce stigma of substance use, opioid use disorder, and mental health through the Break the Stigma/Sin Estigma campaign and Words Matter Pledge.
- Increase access to Narcan and harm reduction tools/resources through Narcan trainings, Naloxbox distribution, and improving harm reduction education and practices within Mercy’s emergency department.
- Improve capacity for first responders and providers to effectively respond to people with substance use disorder.
- Support a multi-sector post-overdose coordinated response through improving data infrastructure and sharing.
Part of this collective worked started on a smaller scale through the Hampden Community Health Improvement Plan.
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Stay Healthy This Holiday Season | |
Respiratory viruses are rising across the county. The Midwest and Northeast are seeing the sharpest increases in COVID-19 infection. RSV and Flu are rising in Massachusetts and expected to see similar peaks as last year. As we head into the December holidays where people will be gathering, remember these tips to reduce risk of infection and severe disease. Have questions about vaccine options? Refer to this chart. | |
Manténgase Saludable Durante Esta Temporada | |
Los virus respiratorios están aumentando en todo el condado. El Medio Oeste y el Noreste están experimentando los aumentos más pronunciados en la infección por COVID-19. El VRS y la gripe están aumentando en Massachusetts y se espera que vean picos similares a los del año pasado. A medida que nos acercamos a las vacaciones de diciembre, donde se reunirá la gente, recuerde estos consejos para reducir el riesgo de infección y enfermedades graves. ¿Tiene preguntas sobre las opciones de vacunas? Consulte este cuadro. | | | | |
