Health

Community Seeks Emotional and Physical Wellness

Published

10 years ago

March 17, 2015

Oakland Post

Sledding (Wiley Price / St. Louis American)

by Sandra Jordan
Special to the NNPA from the St. Louis American

“It’s the stress of what we are going through as a community that is making us unhealthy,” said St. Louis Regional Health Commission CEO Robert Freund.

Through the Gateway to Better Health Program, RHC has connected about half of the St. Louis area’s uninsured population to primary care doctors at Federally Qualified Health Centers.

RHC data indicates about 60 percent of those persons have chronic illnesses. They have diabetes, they have hypertension or both.

“We’re doing a great job of trying to get them into medical care and managing those diseases so they don’t spin out of control and turn into strokes, turn into amputations – diabetes turn into blindness,” Freund said. “The question we started asking was: is there a way we can get the numbers down from 60 percent of those folks having a chronic disease before we get to them – before they hit our health centers?”

And they started thinking about what was really driving the development of those chronic conditions, as well as ways to strengthen community engagement.

Freund said community was telling the RHC that it needed to get back to stressing the importance of mental health. People are stressed-out. And resources to help are scarce.

“A lot of what is driving the poor health …, it’s not necessarily lack of access or not necessarily lack of medicine, it’s stuff that’s going on in our everyday lives,” he said.

And there is scientific data to support it. The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, found a direct link between childhood trauma and adult onset of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.

“Your body just gets so worked up until ‘fight or flight response,’ which releases chemicals in your body. And if it’s always in a fight or flight response, it’s going to jack up your blood pressure; it’s going to jack up your blood sugar levels,” Freund said. “And you know what that gives you? Diabetes and hypertension.”

The RHC started a collective conversation about what it takes to become a healthier community through its effort, Alive and Well St. Louis. The first conversations were heard on local radio through a series of health messages based on the commission’s 10-year review health status report and hosted by Integrated Health Network CEO Bethany Johnson Javois (who is currently on hiatus from IHN while she serves as the managing director of the Ferguson Commission).

Conversations expanded from the airwaves to back to grassroots level, where behavioral health professionals are training community members to become ambassadors – who will help others learn how to fight toxic stress in their lives to create a community that is not merely existing – it’s Alive and Well.

There are tools and techniques that individuals can use for personal stress reduction, including talking about it.

“People who are in community with each other and are connected with one another are much more likely to deal with stress better,” Freund said. “If you are isolated or are alone, if you don’t have a natural support group … you won’t get through the stresses as well as others.”

Something as simple as exercising or taking walks help deal with stress levels; making a decision to have a positive attitude; taking a few minutes to reflect; taking a deep breath and meditating are useful tools, Freund said.

“When you really find yourself being anxious and worked up, step back, take deep breaths,” he said. “Sounds easy, but people don’t do it.”

Persons who are profoundly depressed or anxious should seek professional help.

“What we are finding is, it doesn’t take an acute crisis for people to make themselves sick over stress, and that’s where counseling agencies come in handy,” Freund reminded.

Provident Counseling, Hopewell Center and Lutheran Family Services are some of the agencies in the St. Louis area, as well as community health centers.

“Talk to your doctor and say, ‘I need some help.’”

Freund admits there are not enough mental health professionals for the amount of people who are stressed.

“If it reaches a tipping point, we need to get people help,” he said. “Before that, work with each other. Just talking about it with a friend can a lot of times be the thing that is the difference between getting people through it or not.”

The next Alive and Well training is scheduled for March 24. RHC said it will be conducted by the Department of Mental Health.

If you are interested in joining the conversation, download the Bonfyre app and search for Alive and Well, or find out more at http://www.aliveandwellstl.com.

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Activism

A Student-Run Group Provides Critical Support Services to Underserved Residents

Those visiting The Suitcase Clinic can get legal advice, sign up for food assistance, receive housing resources, get medical help, or enjoy a hot, fresh meal. They can also get haircuts and foot washes from the student volunteers. Nilo Golchini, executive director of the clinic, said one of the goals for most of the students working there is helping bridge the gap of trust that exists between many unhoused people and the healthcare and social welfare systems.

Published

11 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

UC Berkeley Law Students help a clinic visitor with legal advice at their Tuesday night services. The Clinic offers a variety of resources, including medical, to those in the community who have little access to these services. Photo by Magaly Muñoz

Part One

By Magaly Muñoz

Every Tuesday evening, the dining hall of First Presbyterian Church fills up with dozens of people eating, laughing and moving from table to table, receiving much-needed services from UC Berkeley students – just a few blocks away from the university’s campus.

Individuals seeking support services can be found in this multi-stationed room on the south end of the church talking to law students, student case managers, or receiving medical attention in a corner by healthcare professionals.

This weekly event is hosted by Cal students through a volunteer-run program called The Suitcase Clinic.

The clinic, founded in 1989, was intended to offer free resources to underserved communities in Berkeley and surrounding cities. The majority of the clinic’s clientele are unhoused or low-income people looking for extra support.

Those visiting the clinic can get legal advice, sign up for food assistance, receive housing resources, get medical help, or enjoy a hot, fresh meal. They can also get haircuts and foot washes from the student volunteers.

Nilo Golchini, executive director of the clinic, said one of the goals for most of the students working there is helping bridge the gap of trust that exists between many unhoused people and the healthcare and social welfare systems.

During their tenure in the program, many of the students say they become strong advocates for homelessness rights.

Visitors of the Suitcase Clinic can receive haircuts and foot washing by student volunteers every Tuesday evening. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

“We’re also standing in solidarity with them. So, it’s not saying, ‘I’m going to help you, but I’m also going to stand with you,’” Golchini said.

Student volunteers get extensive training prior to working directly with clients. Those interested have to take a semester-long class to become versed in areas such as outreach, intersectionality, how to interact with unhoused people, how to sign people up for social services. and more.

Volunteers then get to pick from three different clinics: General, Women’s, or Youth and LGBTQ+.

The General Clinic is the most popular among visiting residents, while Women’s and Youth/LQBTQ+ have more specialized services for attendees.

The Women’s Clinic has many of the similar services to General, but also includes nail painting, childcare, and massages.

The Youth and LGBTQ+ Clinic offers a safe space for young people navigating living on the streets, with services that include housing referrals, wellness and recreation classes and employment resources.

Golchini explained that it’s important for them to keep these clinics separate because the different demographics experience poverty and homelessness differently than those who visit the General Clinic.

Suitcase Clinic student workers posing for a photo with a frequent clinic attendee. The Clinic is open to Berkeley unhoused and low-income residents who need medical or legal service, or a hot meal. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

“We’re able to provide spaces where people can come in and feel safe and not feel like they’re constantly worried that something’s going to happen to them,” she said.

An outreach team also visits encampments every other Saturday in the Berkeley area to provide hygiene kits and encourage people to visit the in-person clinic, if possible.

However, Golchini said engagement has been low for some time now due to a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that allows cities to ban and cite people for sleeping on the streets.

She said a lot of their clientele got displaced to other cities over time, making it difficult to stay in contact with the services the Clinic was providing for them.

But that hasn’t slowed down the students at the Clinic, if anything, it has pushed them to do more for the community they serve.

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Activism

Delta Sigma Theta Alumnae Chapters Host World AIDS Day Event

With members from Berkeley Bay Area, Oakland East Bay (OEB) and Hayward Tri-City chapters present, the event opened with Oakland City Councilmember Treva Reid sharing data and legislation that has passed to address the safety, health, and well-being of Black women in the state of California. Attendees were able to learn directly from expert guest speakers, including Shimere Harrington from ViiV Healthcare, Barbara Green-Ajufo, an epidemiologist from UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), and Dot Theodore, director of the HIV Care Program Division of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Alameda County.

Published

1 week ago

December 10, 2024

Oakland Post

Petrina A. Perteet, Takija Gardner and Oakland City Councilmember Treva Reid at the World AIDS Day event on Dec. 1. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

By Don-Neva E. Johnson and Petrina Alexander Perteet
Special to The Post

The International Awareness and Involvement (IA&I) committees of East Bay chapters of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. proudly hosted a successful World AIDS Day event on Dec.1, bringing together community members, healthcare professionals, and advocates to raise awareness and support the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Attendees were able to learn directly from expert guest speakers, including Shimere Harrington from ViiV Healthcare, Barbara Green-Ajufo, an epidemiologist from UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS), and Dot Theodore, director of the HIV Care Program Division of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Alameda County.

The speakers provided valuable insights into the current state of HIV/AIDS, advancements in treatment, and the importance of prevention and support.

L-R Petrina A. Perteet, Dr. Natalie Wilson, Don-Neva Johnson, Tracy Diop, Sonji Walker and Takija Gardner were part of the World AIDS Day event. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

“The outcome of this day is more than what we could have hoped for, and we are deeply grateful for the participation of our distinguished speakers and the support of our sponsors,” said Don-Neva Johnson and Tracy Diop, IA&I committee chairs for Berkeley Bay Area and Hayward Tri-City.

“Their contributions helped us create an informative and empowering event for our community,” said event organizer Dr. Natalie Wilson, associate professor of UCSF School of Nursing and IA&I committee chair.

Held at the Samuel Merritt Health Education Center at 400 Hawthorne Ave. in Oakland, the event was made possible by the generous support of sponsors ViiV healthcare, Gilead Sciences, and Good Health WINs. Attendees received gift bags and had the opportunity to engage with educational tables from Gilead, participate in a Q&A session with speakers led by Wilson.

Delta Sigma Theta Incorporated is an organization of college-educated women committed to the development of its members and offer public service with a primary focus on the Black community. We are dedicated to empowering our communities through education, advocacy, and support around the world.

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Activism

Outgoing D.A. Pamela Price Releases Report on County Gun Violence Epidemic

The 84-page report is divided into two parts: the Public Health Impact of Violence and the Contribution of Structural Inequalities; and the Public Safety Impact of Gun Violence and the Regulation of Firearms. Each section documents trends in rising gun violence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention to the rise in gun-related deaths of women and children in Alameda County. Each section advises innovative approaches for the County to address gun violence and build safe communities.

Published

1 week ago

December 8, 2024

Oakland Post

Exclusive interview with County D.A. Price days before recall election. Photo by Ken Epstein.

Pamela Price was recalled in the election on Nov. 5. File photo.

By Post Staff

Criminal Justice Reformer District Attorney Pamela Price, who is leaving office this week after losing a recall election, released a comprehensive report on the gun violence epidemic and public health emergency in Alameda County: “Tackling Gun Violence Epidemic in Alameda County: A Public Health Emergency (2019-2023).”

This report represents an unprecedented collaboration between public safety and public health partners and provides data and recommendations to guide the County’s continued work to reduce violence while advancing justice reform.

Each section documents trends in rising gun violence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention to the rise in gun-related deaths of women and children in Alameda County. Each section advises innovative approaches for the County to address gun violence and build safe communities.

“Between 2019 to 2023, an average of three residents were killed by firearms each week in Alameda County, and behind every statistic is a shattered family and community,” said Price.

“Under my administration, the DA’s office has taken bold steps to combat gun violence while promoting equity and healing for survivors,” she said.

The report highlights strategies for keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Last month, the DA’s office secured a $5.5 million grant from the California Judicial Council to help improve compliance and case management for gun cases and gun relinquishment orders —the removal of guns from people prohibited from possessing a firearm – with law enforcement and court partners.

This effort builds on Price’s work in 2023 and 2024 in attacking the gun violence epidemic.

“We launched an innovative Gun Violence Restraining Order Outreach Project to educate communities about the availability of tools to remove guns and ammunition from people who are a danger to themselves and others and the intersectionality of domestic violence and gun violence and convened gun violence roundtable conversations with our law enforcement partners and collaborated with the Alameda County Public Health Department to produce this comprehensive report,” she said.

“We supported Oakland’s CEASEFIRE program through its transition and implemented a pilot Mentor Gun Diversion Program with our collaborative court partners, offering non-violent youth in possession of a gun pathways to interrupt the potential for escalating harm.” added Price.