Updates for the Healthy Mendocino Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)
Inland Ukiah Regional Chapter
Family Wellness & Childhood Obesity:
The Family Wellness and Childhood Obesity Action Team is creating a morning movement toolbox for schools which includes:
- Promotional/educational materials for teachers and parents about the benefits of morning movement
- A checklist for how to start a Daily Dash or Walking School Bus, with options depending on the resources available to each site
- Ideas for incentives to increase individual, classroom and school wide participation.
- Ways to engage families and staff to participate
- Measurement ideas including a pre and post survey to track behavior change and potential reduction in referrals
- Potential sources of funding and/or estimated costs
They are working with Frank Zeek School to expand their morning recess to include incentives, invite family and staff participation and perhaps revitalize the walking school bus. They will use lessons learned from Frank Zeek to help revise the toolbox for other schools. Their goal is to promote more physical activity for the whole family, but also to help develop policies and practices that engage and support the school district to think about walkability and physical activity in unique ways. Their goal is to have a wellness champion at each school.
The team is also writing a letter to Assemblyman Jim Wood to outline what Healthy Mendocino believes to be the importance of a sugar sweetened beverage tax, what should be included and how we are calling on him to be more proactive in his stance. We will use this letter as a template to ask other organizations to do the same.
Meetings are the first Monday of the month, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, at NCO
Childhood Trauma:
The Childhood Trauma Action Team is developing a detailed capacity map to better understand where there are gaps and overlaps in prevention, intervention and program capacity. This map will be used to develop a long-term strategic plan for addressing childhood trauma. The intention is that each organization will use this map and plan to assess their individual strategic plans and institutionalize a collaborative, coordinated, and step wise approach, bringing new funding and capacity to address our current gaps. This is a countywide process and headed by the inland team but includes the entire county. They have built a collaborative events and trainings calendar to better coordinate training dates and spread.
Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month, 12:30 am – 2:00 pm at Public Health, 1120 S. Dora, Conference Room #1
Housing:
The Housing Action Team is currently working with the City of Ukiah and the County of Mendocino as they revise their Housing Elements. The Housing Element will outline proposed and necessary housing development for the next 8 years. It is key to getting new housing in Mendocino County. The team is helping to identify underutilized and vacant parcels and looking into sources of funding for all types of development.
The team also continues to bring in speakers on a range of housing issues to understand barriers to developing new housing.
They are working with Corporation for Better Housing and Winn Corporation to try and promote the Brush Street Farmworker Family Apartments. This project’s success is critical for our area in seeking future federal and state funding for low income housing.
Meetings are the third Thursday of the month, 9:00 am - 11:00 am at the Community Foundation, 204 S. Oak
Mental Health:
The Mental Health Action Team is working to pull together resources, policies and practices to develop a toolkit for end users and mental health providers. They are working in collaboration with RCS and MCOE who are developing and gathering resources for a grant to raise awareness and reduce barriers to service.
The Mental Health team is also working to identify key policies for a range of employers that will bolster the mental health of employees and their families while bolstering employee engagement and productivity. They are hoping to create a workshop for Human Resource professionals from employers throughout Mendocino County to provide promising practices, networking and professional expertise.
Meetings are the third Monday of the month, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm at the Community Foundation, 204 S. Oak
Poverty:
The Poverty Action Team has developed The Community Marketplace as a project for entrepreneurial development and community building and will have multiple components. There is a cohort of 30 applicants, (27 Spanish speakers, 2 English speakers and 1 bilingual person) who were recruited through UVA and applied through the ARC FRC. They will receive a 3-part training from West Company in marketing, business development and finance. Training starts April 5th and EDFC will make small business loads available to those who qualify.
In addition to the applicants, the Marketplace will also include entertainment and food booths, and educational workshops, with an associated fee to cover costs. The event will be held at Grace Hudson Elementary, and the Alex Rorabaugh Center will be open for kids activities. The tentative date for the pilot marketplace is June 2nd
The team is also working to promote and expand the Federal and State EITC and CTC to get more money in the pockets of low-income families with children. They are talking with VITA, NCO and United Way of the Wine Country to explore the most efficient and cost-effective ways of doing this.
Meetings are the fourth Thursday of the month, 3:30 am - 5:00 pm at HHSA, Shasta Conference Rm. 737 S State St.
North Coast Regional Chapter
Childhood Trauma & Mental Health:
These two teams our collaborating on a Community Resilience Campaign. The 2019 Coast Community Resilience Leadership Summit will kick off the campaign in April. On April 26th there will be the showing of the film, Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope, from 6:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m., at Fort Bragg Town Hall, Main and Laurel Streets. The film “chronicles the birth of a new movement among pediatricians, therapists, educators, and communities, who are using cutting-edge brain science to disrupt cycles of violence, addiction and disease.” Admission is free and open to the public. The following day, on April 27th, there will be a special workshop designed for local community leaders, first responders, health providers, behavioral health professionals, childcare providers, educators, law enforcement officers, faith leaders, and institutional policy makers.
Goal: Offer opportunities to explore skills and resources needed for responding and providing for ourselves and our community in a way that builds a resilient community of kindness, safety and support.
Objectives:
- Facilitate professionals to communities of practice, multi discipline service providers, about resiliency and trauma informed practices related to their job.
- Foster a platform for learning, sharing and removing barriers to create a community of and kindness, safety, and support through on going workshops and community of practice group.
- Promote conversations based on community resilience leadership that supports and facilitates this knowledge applied in the field.
The group is excited that Elaine Miller-Karas, internationally renowned trainer and executive director and co-founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, will attend in person to share her ground-breaking work and how to apply it to our daily lives and work. Ms. Miller- Karas, has co-created the Trauma Resiliency Model® (TRM) and the Community Resiliency Model® (CRM), along with its adaptations for active duty military and veterans.
This summit will provide an opportunity for community leaders to establish a shared language and together explore strategies that cultivate community resilience. Several organizations are sponsoring this event, including Healthy Mendocino, FIRST 5 Mendocino, Project Sanctuary, North Coast Opportunities, and Coast Community Resilience Leadership.
Childhood Trauma:
Meetings are the second Monday of the month, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at Redwood Community Services, 32670 Highway 20 in Fort Bragg
Mental Health:
Meetings are the last Tuesday of the month, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at the Healing Center, 544 South Main in Fort Bragg
Housing:
In the next couple of months they will be focusing primarily on the city and county Housing Element reports.
Other subcommittees are working on various projects:
- HUD
Have a future public meeting with prospective landlords. Learn about tenant rights from an attorney, security deposits, tenant/landlord rights, vouchers, property inspection to see if a place would qualify for HUD voucher, reimbursement for refund for property manager, the HUD rent and other issues. Rural Penny Housing have apartment that Section 8 programs.
- County Housing/2nd Unit Housing Workshop
A bulletin went to local papers for a survey regarding 2nd units and other additional residential units. Most recent report showed brand new residential structures cost $275,000 without any infrastructure. Cluster housing, co-housing and other multi-family dwelling units in the county need to be defined and discussed. Environmental health issues are the biggest concern with septic, water and other infrastructure concerns.
- Community Land Trust
Contact resources that know about community land trusts throughout the county.
- Planning Group
DANCO will build 69 units. The building will have wrap around services for people that need them (supportive housing). HEAP funding and funding from City of Fort Bragg has been approved. Supportive housing gives preference to local residents first. City’s 2nd Units program and plans are being revised and there will be at least four plans for both the county and the cities within the county.
Meetings are the second Thursday of the month, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm at Mendocino Coast Clinics conference room, 205 South St. in Fort Bragg
Inland Ukiah Regional Chapter
Childhood Obesity/Family Wellness:
The action team had merged their meetings with Food Policy Council for a trial period to see if it would work to reduce meetings for participants while maintaining momentum. It was agreed by most that the Action Team needs its own meetings. This first meeting the group discussed promising practices and identifying who might need to be invited to join the group. Team members agreed to contact key community members to expand the team.
Meetings are the second Monday of the month, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, NCO, 413 N. State.
Childhood Trauma:
The childhood trauma team has submitted an application to attend the 2019 Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Summit in San Diego. Only 20 counties will be chosen to attend, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that Mendocino County will be chosen.
Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month, 10:30 am – 2:00 pm at Public Health, 1120 S. Dora, Conference Room #1
Housing:
The December 6th meeting hosted a panel of representatives from three housing developments either in consideration or in progress. Information gathered at the meeting included a range of housing sectors: farm worker housing, market rate apartments, market rate houses, low-income housing and sweat equity housing. The panel shared information about the specifics of the projects – how many units, what demographic is served, how the funding was obtained, any obstacles to the project, etc. The team is compiling information on housing needs, opportunities and obstacles to focus their efforts in the future.
Meetings are the third Thursday of the month, 9:00 am - 11:00 am at the Community Foundation, 204 S. Oak
Mental Health:
The team did not receive grant funding for an online resource directory and is looking at other ways to create the resource, such as student interns or collaborative grants. They imagine the directory to be more than just a listing of resources, but a toolbox that will include evidence-based practices, policies and information. One example is providing an organizational policy regarding accommodations for people with diagnoses while maintaining parity for other employees.
Meetings are the third Monday of the month, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm at the Community Foundation, 204 S. Oak
Poverty:
Promotion for the Community Marketplace has started and there is a lot of interest from the community. Applications are being finalized and will be available soon. West Company will be developing workshops on marketing and branding for marketplace participants.
The Mendocino County Economic Summit: Charting a Path Forward will be held January 31, 2019 from 12:00 – 4:00 Pm at Willits City Hall Community Room. The cost is $15- $20 and includes lunch. The event will have expert speakers and breakout sessions intended to create a community plan for economic development. The intended audience is people and organizations working toward economic development in our county. For more information or to purchase tickets click HERE.
Meetings are the fourth Thursday of the month, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm at HHSA, Shasta Conference Rm. 737 S State St.
North Coast Regional Chapter
Family Wellness:
This team is currently not meeting but efforts are being done to reconvene the group.
Next meeting TBA.
Childhood Trauma & Mental Health:
The Coast Childhood Trauma Action Team, The Coast Mental Health Action Team, and FIRST 5 Mendocino are collaborating to present: The 2019 Coast Community Resilience Leadership Summit in April 2019.
This summit is the kick-off to a Community Resilience Campaign and will convene leaders from across disciplines including: institutional policy makers; first responders; health providers; therapists; educators; law enforcement officers; faith leaders; and others to discuss and understand the issues and conditions associated with trauma. There will be opportunities to explore skills and resources needed for responding and providing for ourselves and community members in a way that builds resiliency. Along with local professionals, a highly regarded trainer in the field of community resiliency will be presenting, Elaine Miller-Karas.
This is the first of a series of events focused on building community resilience through practices and applications in our personal and professional lives. Subsequent workshops will be led by trained leaders in the field of trauma informed practices linked to specific professions such as law-enforcement, education, and health care. These subsequent trainings will not only directly apply to a specific discipline, they will also help other service providers who attend the trainings to better understand the agencies and leaders with whom they work.
To create a continuum of knowledge and application of the resources learned, the action teams will facilitate professionals to join quarterly conversations about resiliency and trauma informed practices related to their job.
As part of the campaign the Fort Bragg City Council will be asked to adopt a resolution that the city is a Community of Resilience. This resolution will support the vision of creating a community that does not cause harm and is dedicated to improving services, interactions, and relationships.
The ultimate vision for the Community Resilience Campaign is to foster a platform for learning and sharing information to create a community of and kindness, safety, and support.
Childhood Trauma:
Meetings are the second Monday of the month, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at Redwood Community Services, 32670 Highway 20 in Fort Bragg
Mental Health:
Meetings are the last Tuesday of the month, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at the Healing Center, 544 South Main in Fort Bragg
The Coast Housing Action Team, in collaboration with the City of Fort Bragg and Mendocino County, led a Second Unit Workshop for the coastal community. Over 178 residents attended the workshop which was designed to support the goals of the Housing Action Team to create safe, decent and affordable housing, encouraging City and County policy makers to meet the demand for housing and engaging and informing the community about housing needs, challenges and opportunities.
The team is continuing to work towards the following actions:
The team is continuing to work towards the following actions:
1) Explore different affordable housing and work with officials on policy changes
2) Influence policy makers and identify a housing plan
3) Hold another workshop about housing
4) Work with landlords
5) Work on establishing a community land trust
In order to gather significant research and strategies, team members have formed five subcommittees including HUD, Public Relations and Outreach, Building Second Units in the County, Community Housing Plans, and Community Land Trusts. Two workshops are planned for 2019 on Building Second Units in the County on the coast and the second workshop will look at Community Housing Plans.
In addition, the team will continue working to influence policy makers to prepare a Community Housing Plan to identify: 1) current and future housing needs; 2) develop a housing vision; 3) identify a range of housing strategies to provide a range of housing types to meet the needs of a wider variety of people and households; and 4) identify funding strategies to implement the strategies.
Meetings are the second Thursday of the month, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm at Mendocino Coast Clinics conference room, 205 South St. in Fort Bragg
South Coast Regional Chapter
Mental Health & Childhood Trauma:
The Across Ages and Cultures Coalition is working on preventing child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, poverty, social inequities and other sources of ACEs, as a potent way to promote physical, emotional and mental health. Currently, AACPC is engaged in a 3 year grant to prevent abuse and misuse of opioids, other prescription drugs and methamphetamines in our youth ages 12-18.
Strategies have been identified as the following:
- Treating and healing those who have been exposed to, and are victims of, ACEs;
- Educating the community regarding the harm of ACEs and the connection between trauma and alcohol and other drug abuse and addiction;
- Developing policies and best practices in our schools and other agencies that encourage positive parenting, healthy living and nonviolent communication.
The Coalition has selected several key components to aid in prevention efforts:
- Restorative Justice and Peace Making (AKA Talking) Circles to heal harm done by violence and addiction in our youth and adults;
- College and Career Education and Coaching to give youth a pathway to financial and professional success;
- Friday Night Live activities to provide teens healthy alternatives to alcohol and other drug use and abuse.
Meetings are on Wednesdays at 3:30 pm at Point Arena Action Network, 200 Main
Author:
Patrice Mascolo
Resource Date:
December 2, 2016
Resource Type:
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