Funded Health Projects
Programs funded by United Way of the Columbia-Willamette that focus on health and well-being include initiatives and projects that provide family health, mental health and oral health services to people in need, and also work to prevent problems from happening in the first place.
The Community Investment Grants listed below are one-year grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 each year.
Asian Health and Services Center – Tri-County Mental Health Connection for Asians
| Target Population: | Asian Populations, specifically Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese Speaking populations in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington |
The Tri County Mental Health Connection for Asians will improve mental health education and awareness for Asian communities in the tri-county area. The project will train bilingual community-health outreach workers, who understand Asian cultures, to assist our mental health team conduct outreach to this underserved population. Outreach workers will prepare educational material, conduct community workshops, and interact with community health clinics and hospitals – engaging people in a culturally and linguistically appropriate approach.
Cascade AIDS Project – Youth HIV Education
| Target Population: | Primarily low-income, racially diverse and LGBTQ youth in Multnomah County |
The Youth HIV Education project will provide sexuality education, advocacy, and access to medical care for youth through three main components: 1) Peer education and youth development. Engage 14 – 19 year olds to become leaders and teachers in their community, by meeting regularly with them, sending them on a retreat and training them to give presentations and conduct community service projects. 2) Host monthly HIV testing nights open to all youth under 25 years old. Besides rapid HIV testing and client-centered counseling, the night offers games, entertainment, peer education and safer sex supplies. 3) CHATpdx reaches youth through new technologies: a youth-let sexual health blog; facebook; twitter; video channels; and tumblr. On these media, staff and peers pose questions about sexual health and share information.
Clackamas Women's Services – A Coordinated Community Response
| Target Population: | Domestic Violence Survivors in Clackamas County |
The Coordinated Community Response Project is a partnership with Clackamas Women’s Services (CWS), the Clackamas County Sheriffs’ Office, the Clackamas County Domestic Violence Coordinator’s Office and the District Attorney’s Victims Assistance Program and Catholic Charities’ El Programa Hispano’s Project UNICA to provide the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP). The LAP is an easy-to-use process that features an 11-question lethality screening tool and an accompanying response and referral protocol. The LAP is used by law enforcement officers, other first responders, and professionals to identify high risk domestic violence victims. If a victim screens in at high risk of being seriously injured or killed, a phone call is immediately made to the CWS 24-hour domestic violence hotline. The victim is encouraged to speak on the phone. Support line workers use LAP guidelines to encourage victims to consider supportive services, engage in safety planning, access shelter and so forth. Victims identified at high risk receive follow-up visits or telephone calls when appropriate.
Free Clinic of Southwest Washington – Adult Dental Access Program
| Target Population: | Low-Income adults in Clark County |
The Adult Dental Access Program will provide additional services through the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington’s (FCSW) dental project, which is the primary and largest safety net project for free urgent dental care for uninsured and low income children and adults in Clark County. These services will be coordinated with the medical services already provided at FCSW and include screenings, x-rays, urgent dental care and surgery in their fully equipped mobile dental van. Uninsured and low income individuals will access FCSW dental services through referrals from Clark County safety net clinics, community social service organizations and self referrals. Patients will complete a dental application upon referral and may be screened by a dental hygienist to determine priority/treatment plan. Information about FCSW dental services are provided in community clinics and organizations as well as at community fairs and other events.
Listen To Kids (Impact NW) – Parent Child Involvement Project
| Target Population: | Low-income survivors of domestic violence in Washington and Multnomah Counties |
The Parent Child Involvement Project (PChIP) increases the capacity of parent survivors, and Domestic Violence (DV), child welfare and social service providers to protect, nurture and promote the healthy development of children exposed to DV. PChIP aims to reduce the negative effects of DV on children by strengthening the parent-child relationship through parenting skills education, developmental guidance, emotional support, advocacy and assistance in creating safe and stable homes.
Luke Dorf, Inc. – Peer Supported Engagement
| Target Population: | Low-income, homeless individuals in Washington and Multnomah Counties |
The Peer Supported Engagement Project will approach the problem as a “bridge” for a population separated by systems barriers form services and help them to move out of poverty and homelessness into stable connections with the community. Trained and certified peer providers will travel to camps or other locations to provide connection and guidance. Peers accompany clients through the process of stabilizing including establishing treatment plans and identifying housing.
Lutheran Community Services Northwest (Portland Metro) – Pathways
| Target Population: | Low Income refugees from a variety of African nations residing primarily in Multnomah County |
The Pathways Project will increase awareness and utilization of mental health services through the expansion of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW) will adapt state certified mainstream peer specialist training project to work for refugees and train other providers on this model. LCSNW will educate mainstream providers about refugee health perspectives and reduce barriers to access. Peer –run recovery-oriented services will provide one-to-one peer support services, mental health education and peer led support groups.
Northwest Family Services – Access to Dental Care Program
| Target Population: | Low-Income individuals in Clackamas County with a specific emphasis on serving the Latino population |
The Access to Dental Care Program focuses on improving community oral health partly through outreach, education and referrals. Through an established partnership with Clackamas County and other service providers, Northwest Family Services (NWFS) will receive referrals and provide outreach to families at various events and service locations around Clackamas County. The bilingual and bicultural Navigation Specialists will conduct intake and enrollment activities, provide translation and coordinate follow-up care. NWFS will employ an Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist (EPDH) to provide the first level of preventative dental care and screen patients for urgent needs, specifically at the four Clackamas County Subsidized Housing Units. More urgent care will be provided by Medical Teams International (MTI) van.
The Wallace Medical Concern – Lasting Smiles
| Target Population: | Primarily Low-Income adults and youth with an emphasis on serving the Latino Population in East Multnomah County |
Through the Lasting Smiles Project, Wallace Medical Concern (WMC) will provide oral screening of primary care diabetic and pediatric patients by staff clinicians, who will refer to specialists as needed. They will prescribe fluoride and apply sealants for children and prioritize patients for on-site dental cleaning and treatment services. WMC will implement the “First Tooth” project to train their medical assistants, RNs and other providers to apply sealants. The “What to Do for Health Teeth” books will help staff and volunteer engage patients and families in oral health education conversations while they distribute tooth brushes, toothpaste and dental floss along with a copy of the book. Other partners, such as, Pacific University, Mt Hood Community College, Dental Reach and Medical Teams International will allow the project to provide assessments, note gum disease, provide additional care and serve patients needing fillings or extraction.
Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation – Enhancing Access to Oral Health Care for Low-income Children and Families
| Target Population: | Primarily Low-Income Latino Youth in Washington County |
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center (VGMHC)’s comprehensive dental project s designed to ensure that low-income children have immediate access to care that improves and protects their oral – and overall – health by providing culturally competent dental education and services in their clinics and School Based Health Centers (SBHCs). This project consists of three access points: 1) Clinic-based dental services for children at VGMHC’s dental clinics in Hillsboro and Cornelius. Services include preventive, restorative and urgent care. Children are provided linguistically and age-appropriate education and supplies as well. 2) Baby Days are interactive, monthly sessions for infants 0-24 months old and their new parents/caregivers and are designed to reach children (and educate their caregivers) as early as possible to get them on the road to good oral health. At Baby Days, new parents receive group education on oral hygiene and a dentist is also on hand to provide screenings and fluoride applications for the infants. 3)School-based Oral Health Initiative at VGMHC’s SBHCs in Forest Grove and Tigard will provide dental care through assessments, oral health education, fluoride varnishes, preventive care, referrals and treatment.
Youth Contact, Inc. – Rebuilding Family Alliance
| Target Population: | Low-income children of justice-involved families in Washington County |
The Rebuilding Family Alliance will provide a family mentor placed in the Washington County Community Corrections Department. The Family Mentor will work with families who have a family member involved in the justice system in coordination with the corrections department and other service providers. The project will provide a needs assessment, information and referrals for needed services via phone or in-person, help identify barriers to and successful methods for attaining services, assistance signing up for services, financial assistance, crisis intervention and individual and family counseling.