Announcements

SUPPORT CHW – complete the CHW Sustainability Survey

Community Health Workers Association of Rhode Island Logo

SUPPORT CHW – complete the CHW Sustainability Survey! – CHWs Only Please!

CHWARI Needs to Hear From YOU!!!

The RI Department of Health and RI College have collaborated to develop a survey that will document and describe the presence of CHWs across healthcare and other community-based organizations in the state. We need your input to get an accurate picture and to work to ensure your great work is sustained long term!

This survey focuses entirely on the sustainability of CHWs. Your participation is invaluable to our understanding where there are gaps and where there are successes.

To complete the survey click below

Community Health Work Sustainability Survey

Please submit your survey on or before December 4, 2020

 If you have questions, please contact Tonya Glantz, the Project Investigator, at tglantz@ric.edu or by phone at 401-456-4626 or David Zuleta at dzuleta@ric.edu and Sarah Lawrence at slawrence@ric.edu.

Thank you for your partnership in this important work.

Link to the SURVEY HERE

Powerful Tools for Caregivers

Learn Self-Care With Others In An Award-Winning Workshop

This workshop allows caregivers to develop a wealth of self-care tools to reduce personal stress, change negative self-talk, communicate their needs to family members and healthcare or service providers, communicate more effectively in challenging situations, recognize the messages in their emotions, deal with difficult feelings, and make tough caregiving decisions.

First Session November 17 at 4pm. Sessions through December!  Note time change on Nov 24th session! Visit https://ripin.org/chn/#powerfultoolsforcaregiver for details! 

Women’s Cancer Screening Discussion

JOIN the Discussion, conducted by Brown University researchers!

See English Flyer Here!

See Spanish Flyer Here!


There is a Brown University research study to learn more about women’s cancer screening from female community members. We are interested in hearing about thoughts and experience.

You will receive a $20 gift card for attending the focus group!

To participate, you must:


*Be a female 40 years of age and older
*Live in an HEZ
*Attend a 1 – 1.5 hour scheduled virtual group meeting

If you would like to be a part of the focus group, please phone 401-863-1100 or email kelsey_mackinnon@brown.edu

We will confirm information and let you know the date/time.


Brown University Contact: Kelsey MacKinnon, kelsey_mackinnon@brown.edu Brown University protocol number: #2004002702

Mental Health Support Groups

NAMI of Rhode Island has now put their support schedule online!

The link is here, and the password is “support”.

We have also pasted it below, current as of 10/26/2020:

Online Groups:

https://namirhodeisland.org/connection-support-groups-links/
PW: support 
In-person groups https://namirhodeisland.org/meetings-schedules/support-groups/

Monday’s 10 am NAMI-RI Connection Group with Co-Host Oasis Wellness & Recovery Center

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/969828729?pwd=Q1UxdUJOYmQyckxSSUV6OTJuUHErUT09

Meeting ID: 969 828 729

Password: 459324

+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)

Monday’s 11:30 am Tammy’s Women Connection Group

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/120290851?pwd=M0Yzb25TZWNwdCtGbmZmK3QxWmY2Zz09

Meeting ID: 120 290 851

Password: 379107

+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)

Monday’s 6 pm Connection Group

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/421552644?pwd=Zkora0VSNTFUbktHTjZ4d2lsZnVXdz09

Meeting ID: 421 552 644

Password: 729959

+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)

Tuesday’s 10 a.m. NAMI Connection Group co-hosted by Hope Recovery Center-Westerly and Washington County Zero Suicide

https://us02web.zoom.us/my/hoperecovery

Password: 1234

You can also get the meeting by going to Zoom and typing in “hoperecovery” as the personal link name and entering Password 1234.

Tuesday’s 11:30 am Connection Group

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/802947818?pwd=d2RpRVQ5T2NsckNTc2wwdWt3WTRiQT09

Meeting ID: 802 947 818

Password: 001117

+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)Wednesday’s Oasis/NAMI Connection
Peer Support Group
Wednesdays at 2 PM Eastern Time 
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89623043555?pwd=MmQwQitrbFdSNGpqOTNpQ3RlUXY2Zz09
Meeting ID: 896 2304 3555
Password: 12802134   
+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)

Thursday’s 10:00 am Women’s Connection Group

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/676534178?pwd=NWtTQXE1SUFoSndaMmlmQ0w1TE5CUT09

Meeting ID: 676 534 178

Password: 171533

+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)Thursday’s 5:00 pm Connection GroupJoin Zoom Meetinghttps://zoom.us/j/218059586?pwd=aVoxM0FFQnZJWG9WTGpVbWNZVk1LQT09Meeting ID: 218 059 586Password: 059732+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)Fridays
10:00 am – 11:30 pmHope Recovery Center of Newport County26 Valley Road, Suite 201 Middletown, RI 02842In-Person

Friday’s 12:00pm East Bay Recovery Center’s Connection Group

In-Person, led by Erica Federico

31 Railroad Ave., Warren, RI 02885

Friday’s 2:00 pm Connection Group

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/589838335?pwd=MXBVb2FlYzNEZ3Rlc0VySkVla2h4UT09

Meeting ID: 589 838 335

Password: 461240

+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)

Saturday’s 1:00 pm NAMI-RI and Oasis Wellness & Recovery Center Coffee Hour Support Group

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/761075762?pwd=YTJPRUtRelR5cHVwanY0OHZCc2M4Zz09

Meeting ID: 761 075 762

Password: 373604

+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)

Sunday’s 12:00pm Lunch Session

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82135891589?pwd=TmNQWFFCQmE1RVI0cmxGMzExVTJLUT09

Meeting ID: 821 3589 1589

Password: 372961

+1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)Oasis and NAMI-RI Peers invite you to a Social Happening!
Sunday Social Hosted by Kayla
Sundays at 2 PM Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88250336831?pwd=UGxqNnNDRnFLL0dJSkFoVjlPQTVudz09
Meeting ID: 882 5033 6831
Password: TPL1280
1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)

Sunday’s Grief Recovery Support Group

Sunday’s at 4 pm EST

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89570938633?pwd=dm16azYzRi9IWk1ZeCtyTjZMaTc5UT09

Meeting ID: 895 7093 8633

Passcode: 753433

1 929 205 6099 US (for RI)Thank you and have a good day,
— 
Jeremiah Rainville |CCHW, CPRS and CCSP   o. | e. jeremiah@namirhodeisland.org

October News!

Tonight-Bilingual Google Classroom Workshop & Virtual Senior Resource Fair Oct 1! New email went out to subscribers today: Check it out.

Advocate CHWs to Congress and Secretary Azar!

Community Health Workers Association of Rhode Island Logo

Advocate CHWs to Congress and Secretary Azar!  Advocate CHWs to Congress and Secretary Azar!  New email went out to subscribers today: Check it out.

 Congressional Support for CHWs 

Outreach Initiative by Penn Center for Community Health Workers

What if there was a way to improve public health, create jobs and rebuild trust in America’s communities, all while saving taxpayer dollars?

Community health workers are trusted individuals who come from within the communities they serve and address a broad range of social, economic, behavioral, and health needs.  They battle eviction notices, support contact tracing, arrange doctor’s appointments, drop food off on porches – they do what it takes to improve health in their communities. This workforce can save Medicaid $4,200 per beneficiary and create jobs in hard-hit communities.
 

Thanks to the efforts of a broad coalition of advocates, Congress is increasingly recognizing the potential of community health workers in public health and health equity. A bipartisan group of lawmakers – Rep. Deutch (D-FL), Rep. Engel (D-NY), Rep. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Senator Casey (D-PA),  Senator Smith (D-MN), Senator Booker (D-NJ) and Senator Brown (D-OH) – have drafted letters to urge Secretary Alex Azar of the Department of Health and Human Services to more fully deploy community health workers in response to COVID-19, long-term improvement of public health, and lasting economic recovery. 
 

JOIN US and make your voice HEARD.

ORGANIZATIONS: In order to ensure that Secretary Azar hears from a diverse and enthusiastic group of lawmakers, your support is essential. First, please email Dr. Shreya Kangovi to have your organization’s name added as a supporter of the letter.

INDIVIDUALS:  Please consider sending a short message to your member of Congress and your Senators to ask them to sign these letters before the end of September. If you are not sure which member of Congress represents you, you can find out by entering your zip code here and you can also review a list of Senators by state here.
Thank you,
Penn Center for Community Health Workers
 See SAMPLE LETTER and SOCIAL MEDIA at below link

WRITE CONGRESS

RI Public Health Community Unites to Combat Rising Overdoses with Record Narcan Distribution!

On August 31st, over 100 volunteers, representing over 16 community partners including RICARES, Parent Support Network, Anchor Recovery, Community Care Alliance, East Bay Recovery Center, AIDS Care Ocean State, House of Hope, VICTA, Sojourner House, Brown University School of Public Health, PONI, West Warwick HEZ, CODAC, URI Community First Responder Program, and Thrive, spread out to 13 cities and towns across Rhode Island to distribute over 1482 Units of Narcan!

This event was the brainchild of our very own Ashley Perry, intervention case manager and outreach coordinator for our Providence street outreach efforts.  Her efforts as a street outreach worker and as a person in recovery led her to suggest that in addition to our considerable efforts to get Narcan into the hands of those directly using on the streets, it is important to connect with the friends and family members of those using, by meeting them at grocery and liquor stores, laundromats, bike paths, beaches, and barbershops. Ashley said, “The surgeon general recommends everyone carry Naloxone, and we have to be creative about how we get this into the hands of those who might use it to save a life!”

Partners and volunteers, all wearing t-shirts with the hashtag “EndOverdoseRI” distributed Narcan and talked to people about overdose prevention and the importance of carrying Narcan, in a year when overdose deaths are sadly expected to break a record.  

We are very grateful to all of our partners in harm reduction and recovery for collaborating on this life-saving event, and we look forward to next year when we can create something even bigger and more impactful!