Innovating for Health Justice |
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Friends and Colleagues –
Fall has arrived. As we enter this new school year, I find I am still in awe of the young leaders who gathered for Action Camp last month, which I invite you to read more about below.
For some of you, it may have been a while since you’ve heard from us. PHIMC has focused on issue-specific communications this past year, including:
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Chicago Student Health: We’ve shared about the School Health Access Collaborative (SHAC), which we co-convene with Healthy Schools Campaign, and the incredible data-sharing project SHAC has embarked on with multiple partners to improve the health of Chicago students.
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Community Reentry: We’ve invited you to meetings, workshops, and our annual conference, all of which focus on support for people reentering Illinois communities after incarceration.
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Health Justice Innovation: We’ve announced opportunities for providers, students, community health workers, and career-changers passionate about public health available through multiple PHIMC initiatives.
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LGBTQ+ Youth: We’ve shared about the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, a longstanding organization that made its home at PHIMC in 2019, and its work to promote safety, support, and healthy development for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and allied (LGBTQIA+) youth in Illinois schools and communities.
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HIV Prevention and Treatment: We’ve reported on our work and resources for Routine HIV Screening and Affirming Care.
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Fiscal Services: We may have also mentioned that we provide fiscal support services to a wide array of organizations that impact public health.
Today, we want to catch up with you about multiple areas of work. PHIMC advances health justice and strengthens public health through innovation and partnerships that align people, strategies, and resources. Our work is far-reaching and each of you engages with us in unique ways.
Below, you can read about the Regional Implementation Group which addresses HIV prevention and treatment in suburban Cook County; the work of our Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, which equips students and school personnel with tools and information to ensure safe and affirming environments for LGBTQ+ young people; Team PHIMC’s fundraising goal for the AIDS Run & Walk; and a variety of current opportunities for you to get involved.
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Sincerely,
Karen A. Reitan
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Illinois Safe Schools Alliance |
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Inclusive Curriculum Implementation Guidance
As we enter a new school year, we want to be sure you and your allies at Illinois schools know that the new guidance for implementing the Inclusive Curriculum Law is out!
This guidance aims to support school administrators and educators in crafting and integrating an inclusive curriculum in the classroom. Through the use of specific frameworks and learning strategies, the goal is to meet the law’s requirements and enhance the learning of all students. It touches on the frameworks, implementation strategies, and examples for integrating LGBTQ+ inclusivity into the existing curriculum.
This guidance, along with a fact sheet and FAQ, was developed by the Inclusive Curriculum Advisory Council of Illinois (ICACI), a partnership between PHIMC's Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, Equality Illinois, and the Legacy Project.
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Action Camp 2023
Now in its eleventh year, Action Camp is a five-day sleepaway camp for rising 8th-12th grade LGBTQ+ students and their peers who want to build leadership skills to impact change in their home and school communities. This year, Action Camp ran from July 31 until August 4.
We had so much fun! We were joined in the woods by 46 campers, 33 counselors and staff, 16 youth leaders, and 8 partner organizations this year!
Thank you to Youth Services’ Pride Program, our co-host since 2018, and to our fabulous partners, Center on Halsted, Chicago Public Schools, Esperanza Health Centers, Nutrien, Discover, Wintrust Community Banks, and Trellus (formerly known as Asian Human Services). Huge shout-out, too, to our donors and sponsors, including Wilson Sporting Goods, Co., Exelon, Casey J. Horton, and Early to Bed.
Thank you to the many individuals, organizations, and businesses who made it possible for LGBTQ+ young people and their allies to gather in the woods, supporting one another in creating the world they want to see.
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HIV Treatment and Prevention |
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The Regional Implementation Group for Region 8 (RIG 8) allocates over $1.3 million in federal and state HIV prevention funds to 15 partner agencies in suburban Cook County for high-impact, targeted prevention initiatives. PHIMC serves as the lead agency, ensuring the successful implementation of high-quality and effective programs by building capacity, monitoring and reporting data, facilitating an advisory committee, and leading the community planning process for the region.
PHIMC and RIG partners play a critical role in “Getting to Zero,” a statewide initiative to end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030.
Our RIG partners work with passion and commitment, providing education, testing, linkage to treatment, and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis – otherwise known as PrEP – to those living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS in our most vulnerable communities.
Join us in celebrating our partners and the incredible work they do!
Here below are some of the people we have been able to meet with in person this year.
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South Suburban HIV/AIDS Regional Clinics (SSHARC)
Shavonda, Bryan from PHIMC, Suzie, Brianna, Kimberly, and Chamille
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Kenneth Young Center
Anton, Bryan from PHIMC, and Dan
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City of Evanston Health & Human Services Department
MJ, Elizabeth, and Bryan from PHIMC
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Chosen Family Network
Crystal, Deb, Derrick, Bryan from PHIMC, Wardrick, and Marcell
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Chicago Center for HIV Elimination
Michael, Bryan from PHIMC, and Noel
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Village of Oak Park Health Department
Lori, Chelly, Bryan from PHIMC, Veronica, and Sara
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AIDS Healthcare Foundation / CALOR
Alfredo, Melissa, Bryan from PHIMC, Jayla, and Grey
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Shout-out to partners not pictured:
Chicago House Social Services, Chicago Recovery Alliance, Christian Community Health Center, Corazon Community Services, Howard Brown Health, Open Door Health Center of Illinois, Proactive Community Services, and Puerto Rican Cultural Center
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AIDS Run + Walk Chicago 2023 |
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Show Up, Show Out: Let's end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030!
We know that connecting individuals to vital HIV treatment, prevention, and housing support will help them thrive and get us closer to zero new cases of HIV.
Getting to Zero is a plan built to improve the lives of all Illinoisans. From healthcare access to equity and social justice, among many other impactful initiatives, this plan will help not only end the HIV epidemic but also better prepare us for current and future healthcare crises like COVID-19.
PHIMC is proud to be a CommunityDirect partner for AIDS Run & Walk Chicago 2023, meaning that over 90% of the money we raise directly supports our work on HIV prevention and treatment, including Routine HIV Screening, suburban Cook County’s Regional Implementation Group for HIV and AIDS, and the Community Reentry Project which supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people with and at risk for HIV.
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Farewell
PHIMC offered a bittersweet farewell to two of our longstanding Board members last year.
Melissa Ockerman served for 12 years, first on the Board of Illinois Safe Schools Alliance while it was an independent organization, and then on PHIMC’s Board after the two organizations merged. Sidney Thomas joined the PHIMC Board in 2008 and served as Board President for eight of the 14 years he served.
At their last Board meeting, Karen A. Reitan, PHIMC President and CEO, had this to say: “Thank you, Melissa, for your kind heart and commitment to the work. Sidney, it's the end of an era. The Institute has been changed by both of you so much.”
Sidney agreed that PHIMC is a different place since he joined, and encouraged us all to be responsive and evolve with changing needs. He knows we can do it, and said about PHIMC’s future, “I see only good things.”
We offer a big thank you also to Richard Johnson for serving on the Board this past year, and wish him the very best in his move to the East Coast!
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Above: Melissa Ockerman
Below: Sidney Thomas
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Melissa Ockerman and Sidney Thomas |
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Welcome
It is said that when one door closes, another opens. We are eager to see what this next year brings.
Please join us in welcoming Michelle Turner, Katherine van den Bogert, and Dr. Dan Vicencio to the Board!
We thank them and we thank you for supporting PHIMC’s work for health justice.
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Corrections Discharge Planning Training |
Thursday, September 7, 2023
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
FULL
Join PHIMC and other thought leaders for a free one-day training designed to educate and inform providers in both community-based and healthcare settings, on medical and non-medical discharge planning for formerly incarcerated individuals.
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Chicago's School Health Access Collaborative Meeting |
Thursday, September 28, 2023
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Chicago’s School Health Access Collaborative (SHAC) brings together education and health stakeholders to identify ways to enhance student access to comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable healthcare, improve the health service delivery model for Chicago students, and elevate equity and well-being. Co-managed by Healthy Schools Campaign and PHIMC, SHAC leverages the knowledge and expertise of its members to envision a school health system that provides all students with the health and wellness services they need. New participants are always welcome.
To learn more about SHAC, please visit our website. To participate in this meeting, please contact Liz Wilson. |
Saturday, September 30, 2023
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Let's end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030! We know that connecting individuals to vital HIV treatment, prevention, and housing support will help them thrive and get us closer to zero new cases of HIV.
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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.
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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.
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Fiscal Management Services
PHIMC expands organizational capacity by providing fiscal and administrative services to a wide range of structures and collaboratives including non-profit organizations, non-exempt initiatives, and public and private bureaucracies. This eliminates operational barriers that often prevent effective program management and innovation.
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Julio Flores (he/him), Program Director – Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, provides strategic leadership for the Illinois Safe School Alliance, a statewide program that promotes safety, support, and healthy development for LGBTQ+ youth in Illinois schools and communities. Julio is a December Capricorn whose favorite color is blue and he loves to travel. |
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Kristy Kolzow (she/her), Program Manager – Community Reentry Project, oversees the Community Reentry Project, which coordinates reentry efforts in Illinois to ensure people leaving correctional facilities transition smoothly back into their communities. She manages Community Reentry Project activities, grants, and partnerships. In her spare time, Kristy enjoys running by the lake and chipping away at her never-ending list of Chicago restaurants to try. |
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Liz Wilson (she/her), Program Manager - School Health Access Collaborative (SHAC), co-manages SHAC with Healthy Schools Campaign to share school health service delivery models and best practices, identify and share lessons learned, and explore ways to increase coordination for the benefit of each student and school. Liz enjoys cooking, dancing, and rereading her favorite queer YA books from her youth. |
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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. |
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Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) advances health justice and strengthens public health through innovation and partnerships that align people, strategies, and resources. |
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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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