Meeting Minutes

May 21, 2020 Minutes

Location: Remote/Zoom

Find slides from this meeting’s presentations, several COVID-19 resources, a list of members, upcoming events, and past minutes at www.healthalliancesjc.org.

April 23, 2020 Minutes

Location: Remote/Zoom

Find slides from this meeting’s presentations, several COVID-19 resources, a list of members, upcoming events, and past minutes at www.healthalliancesjc.org.

Jim Baxter, Alliance coordinator, welcomed members. He has helped facilitate a number of COVID-related partnerships, many noted below. He expects the next meeting, May 21, to occur remotely.
Laura Jensen, United Way, reported that the agency raised more than $1 million in less that 2 weeks in support of COVID-19 initiatives, both immediate and long term. $344,000 has been distributed to 29 non-profit agencies focusing on food stability, utilities and rent and helping the staffs of agencies who work with the most disadvantaged. The next focus is to protect the county’s safety net with infrastructure grants. United Way is the recent recipient of a $1.6 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. The agency is preparing for a future that includes a cycle of: response, disease peak, downturn, resurgence, response. Also from Jensen, the Indiana 211 hotline is effectively managing COVID-19 responses. The hold time has reduced to 2 minutes; the service spends an average of 8 minutes with each client. It has become an effective source of information on problems and problem areas.

Becky Zakowski, H.R. Jung and Allie Sobieski of the St. Joe County Cares Consortium (addressing youth mental health) discussed the findings of a needs assessment survey requested by the Indiana Department of Mental Health regarding access and availability to a full array of mental and emotional health services. Slides attached, but some findings:
1. Most accessible resources were early childhood, educational, parental cafes and faith-based services. Less accessible were child advocacy or restorative justice. Formal mental health services were least available.
2. Parents most worry about their children’s anxiety and moodiness followed by hyperactivity and suicide. Two thirds surveyed said they sought help and 2/3rds who did found resources. They start with family doctors; 1/3 ask help from their schools.
3. Youth were surveyed through small focus groups, and their positive responses to the conversation mirrored their report that they just want someone to listen to them. They rely most on peers, less on schools and parents. These conversations were so successful, St. Joe Cares wants to continue to hold them.
4. The organization now approaches the challenge of how to move forward using remote tools.

Robin Vida of the St. Joseph County Health Department indicates their professionals don’t believe Covid-19 will go away without adequate testing and a vaccine (more than 6,000 tests administered locally thus far.) Physical distancing and frequent hand washing may become a way of life, which will greatly cut down on disease transmission. Vida asked alliance members to seek information from the county or state health departments and their social media outlets, and to share that information widely as a means of negating inaccurate information, a particular problem in minority communities.
Beacon’s Kimberly Green Reeves described testing sites opening in neighborhoods where health disparities are most persistent, including Harrison Elementary School and Goodwill on Western Ave. These sites provide assessment, testing and education. Michelle Peters adds that St. Joseph Health Center also is reaching out into neighborhoods in need, providing testing at Sister Maura Brannick and other sites. Map of St. Joseph Health System testing sites
Jim Conlin described Cultivate Culinary’s success in stockpiling frozen meals to address food insecurity that likely will extend beyond the stay-at-home mandate. Assisted by volunteers including 24 employees of the Parks Dept., South Bend Schools, the Northern Indiana Food Bank, they have prepared 35,000 meals and may eventually reach 60,000. They have been able to tap into food sources from the USDA and have financial support from United Way. They expect to deliver 15,000 meals a week, 10,000 through South Bend Schools and 5,000 from agencies helping other populations including the elderly, for at least six weeks.

March 12, 2020 – Presenter Information

Applications Encouraged for Community Health Partnerships Trailblazer Grants CHeP funding provides opportunities to explore new academic/community partnerships or to continue expanding an existing partnership. If you are a community organization wanting to engage in research and are seeking a faculty member(s) to work with you or if you have any questions about the funding process, please reach out to Heidi Beidinger, ND faculty, for assistance. She will assist in helping you to find a match. hbeiding@nd.edu
Living Lead Safe The city of South Bend is seeking applicants for grants. Families with children under 6 (including pregnant women), or where a child under 6 frequently visits who live in an older home in South Bend can qualify for $15,000 in repairs to make it a lead-safe environment at no cost to the occupant. Please help get the word out about this important health improvement program. People can request more information (including how to apply) by reaching out to Neil Mihalich, nmihalic@southbendin.gov or calling 3-1-1 and asking about the City’s Lead Grants. More information is available at: https://southbendin.gov/leadsafesouthbend/