- Announcement - June 1, 2023
-
Monthly Celebration I CC Updates I Health Equity I COVID-19 I Resources
Community Collaborative is a collective comprising of members who are involved from many different sectors in partnership with DOH in uplifting communities that have experienced the devastating impacts of Covid-19 through co-designing recovery efforts focused on addressing the structural and social determinants of health with the goal of eliminating further harms on Black, Indigenous, communities of color and others facing harm due to systemic racism & oppression. Please join us in our monthly sessions by signing up below!
Monthly Celebrations
2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Month
The Community Collaborative joins our community in celebrating 2SLGBTQIA+ and Pride Month of June 2023. During this month we recognize and respect our vibrant 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their contributions to the health and wellness of Washington State. This special time we honor the 1949 Stonewall riots in Manhattan led by trans women of color, a tipping point of the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Happy Pride Month to all!
The Washington State LGBTQ Commission works to improve the state’s interface with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and ensures that there is an effective means of advocating for 2SLGBTQIA+ equity in all aspects of state government. Please check out their community events calendar for rural and urban celebrations.
Juneteenth Celebration
As we get into June, we also celebrate an incredibly significant moment in our history – June 19th, better known as Juneteenth. This day commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The freedom that came on June 19th, 1865, represents a vital part of our nation’s history, and serves as a reminder of the resilience, courage, and perseverance of those who fought against the chains of slavery.
Check out this amazing workshop in the continuing fight for liberation. Join Creative Justice Executive Director Nikkita Oliver (they/them) for an Abolition 101 workshop. This workshop will highlight the history of abolition, why abolition in 2023 and some ways that we can get to healthier, safer communities and a world beyond punitive and carceral systems. This is a virtual workshop.
Community Collaborative Updates
Carceral Health Equity Workgroup
The Community Collaborative would like to partner with formerly and currently incarcerated community members and allies in standing up a statewide workgroup that will focus on improving health and wellness and educational programming within carceral settings including prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, and detention center. The Covid-19 pandemic only highlighted the tip of the iceberg for vast health disparities for our members who are incarcerated. We are committed to centering equity to address policies, practices and funding that impact the health of incarcerated members.
Health Equity Updates
Dear Community Letter
The Department of Health is looking to recruit community members willing to participate in Community Focus Group Discussions to learn about the Dear Community Leader Letter Project (DCLL) and to provide valuable feedback that we can use to inform its development. This would include participation in three virtual meetings. Community will be compensated $45 for their participation. We invite anyone to participate in the focus-group discussion as individuals, no matter the organization they belong to (LHJs, other agencies, etc.), with priority given to most impacted populations (BIPOC communities, Tribal Communities, 2SLGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities, limited English proficiency, rural individuals etc..).
What is the DCLL?
The goals of the DCLL is to: make it easier for community members to receive information, to connect with the DOH programs and scope of work, and place greater emphasis on the subjects that are important to community members. We hope to make it easier to connect with each other around areas of shared interest.
RSVP to Kevin Stam at (kevin.stam@doh.wa.gov)
COVID-19 Updates
Care-A-Van Updates
The Care-a-Van comes with all the necessary equipment and supplies to host indoor and outdoor events and serves communities most impacted by COVID-19 and other vaccine inequities. Care-a-Van COVID-19 clinics have availability of the following services: Pfizer and Moderna, Flu, Monkey pox, and childhood vaccines. Other services provided are blood pressure and blood glucose screening. If no registration link is available, clinics will see patients on a walk-in basis.
COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19 testing remains ongoing. The following webpage includes links to our most up to date testing resources: https://doh.wa.gov/emergencies/covid-19/testing-covid-19.
The WA State Department of Health website maintains a directory of testing sites available in each county, with operating hours and requirements. You can also check with your local health department or district. For additional information on testing sites, call 2-1-1 or the State COVID 19 Information Hotline: dial 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available.
Community Resources
- Announcement - May 15, 2023
-
Facilitator Ι Briefing Ι Resource Ι Community Highlight
Please join us this Wednesday May 17th at 3:30pm to 5pm to hear critical updates from DOH. Formerly the Vaccine Implementation Collaborative, the Community Collaborative is a collective comprising of members who are involved from many different sectors in uplifting communities that have experienced the devastating impacts of COVID-19 through co-designing recovery efforts with the goal of eliminating further harms on most impacted communities by focusing on the structural and social determinants of health.
Register for Session Zoom Link Session Facilitator
Cyril Walrond, Community Thought Partner
The Community Collaborative welcomes Thought Partner Cyril Walrond as our Session facilitator for the month of May. Cyril is a committed Anti-Racist community organizer and advocate for racial and social justice. As someone that is formerly incarcerated and system impacted Cyril utilizes his lived experience to confront the perpetual harms that exist throughout the criminal legal system, work that includes fighting to remove barriers to successful reintegration for our returning community members. Cyril is the Outreach & Advocacy Manager for the University Beyond Bars and a member of the Black Prisoners Caucus Community Group. Currently embarking on his own journey of reintegration after having been incarcerated since the age of 17, Cyril continues to remain committed to healing and humanizing work within himself and the community he serves.
During our May 17 session, we will have the amazing opportunity of hearing from Lin Crowley, Chair of APIC South Puget Sound on what they are doing to honor AA & NH/PI Heritage Month. We will also highlight Tongan Artist Toka Valu to honor NH/PI contributions to the Pacific Northwest.
Agency Briefing
Public Health Emergency Ending
DOH leadership staff will be with us in this session to present on the impacts of the end of the federal Covid-19 public health emergency declaration and to provide space for community conversations. Come with questions and we hope to follow up with all community members regarding your concerns. Click on image to hear our gratitude for your partnership with DOH & the Community Collaborative.
End of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration | CDC
Heal Act
The 2021 HEAL Act is a historic step in eliminating environmental health disparities and promoting equitable distribution of health and environmental benefits among communities of color and low-income households. It's Washington's first law to establish a coordinated state agency approach to environmental justice. Leah Wood will be joining us at this month's session to discuss ways for community to engage in the process of standing up the HEAL Act.
Environmental Justice | Washington State Department of Health
1-page summary of HEAL Act deadlines and obligations: The HEAL Act
Resource Highlight
Care-A-Van Mobile
Care-a-Van is an advanced mobile health clinic in Washington, designed to deliver vaccinations directly to communities. By reaching people where they are, it ensures convenient access to this crucial healthcare service. We will provide latest updates in our Community Collaborative session this Wednesday.
Learn about Care- a-Van Mobile
Community Highlights
Join us for a presentation from our DOH Community Driven Outreach (CDO) Program Contractors. The CDO Program centers racial equity with an intersectional approach, resulting in five priority communities and six priority intersections based on a wide range of public health data. Expand each priority community dropdown below to get to know the CDO program contractors.
Health Commons Project – Sammamish, WA
Center for MultiCultural Health (CMCH) – Seattle, WA
Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) – Tacoma, WA
Momentum Professional Strategy Partners – Tacoma, WA
Yakima Valley Community Foundation (YVCF) – Central Washington
Centro Cultural Mexicano – Redmond, WA
Learn more about CDO Program Contractors -
Announcement - May 1, 2023
-
Formerly the Vaccine Implementation Collaborative, and envisioned jointly by community leaders and DOH staff in February of 2021, the Community Collaborative is a collective comprising of members who are involved from many different sectors in uplifting communities that have experienced the devastating impacts of Covid-19 through co-designing recovery efforts with the goal of eliminating further harms on Black, Indigenous, communities of color and all those facing harm due to systemic racism & oppression.
Our next Community Collaborative Session is set for May 17, 2023 and is set to occur monthly on 2nd Wednesdays from 3:30-5pm. Join us!
Register for Monthly Community Collaborative Session Zoom Links here
Celebrating AA & NH/PI Heritage Month
The Community Collaborative joins our diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in celebrating AA and NH/PI Heritage Month of May 2023. During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we recognize the innumerable contributions, vibrant cultures, and rich heritage of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NH/PIs) that continue to enrich our communities throughout Washington state.
When we categorize AA and NH/PIs as a single group, it masks the diversity of languages, cultures, and customs of Indigenous people from a US State, US territories, and migrants from the many countries and the regions of Asia and of Oceania that are represented. In fact, this monolithic view of AA and NH/PIs also makes it difficult to understand the disparities within the AA and NH/PI communities from heath, education to socioeconomic status. Let us lift up the diversities of our AA & NH/PI communities by honoring and acknowledging the uniqueness of all of our communities through shared learning.
National Strategy to Advance Equity for AA & NH/PI Communities
NH/PI Health Equity Workgroup
We at the Community Collaborative would like to partner with Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community caretakers in standing up a statewide workgroup that will focus on addressing the vast health disparities that plague Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander communities. We hope to create spaces for NH/PI community stewards across the state to partner with DOH and with each other in standing up collaborative efforts focused on improving the health and wellness of Pasifika communities most especially in rural settings.
Public Health Emergency Ending
Pubic Health Emergency Ending
The federal government declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) at the start of the pandemic. That declaration cleared the way for flexibility in funding and operating health and social service programs. COVID-19 remains a serious illness, but the “Public Health Emergency” label is ending in a recent announcement from the White House. Several programs connected to the PHE is changing in the months to follow.
More information regarding who will be affected, how states and communities are responding, and what people should do to adapt to the change will be forthcoming. For now, it’s important for outreach organizations to know about this upcoming federal action and take note of how it may affect the communities they serve. Here’s what we know so far...
Please see links to Vaccine Equity Cooperative webinar from April 11 to hear state and local experts shared their reflections regarding public health successes and barriers during the pandemic and provided hope for continuing equity centered work after the PHE ends.
- National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM) has lots of resources for organizations and communities on the end of the public health emergency, including translations in 20 languages
- New Jersey Department of Health hosts a online training program to bolster a robust community health worker (CHW) workforce
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gives a COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Transition Roadmap in this helpful fact sheet
- Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) hosts a page full of key resources examining how the eventual expiration of the PHE will affect the healthcare system
Community Catalysts created this guide to help navigate the unwinding of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), particularly related to healthcare coverage
Workshops & Trainings Updates
Compassion Fatigue Workshop, May 9
Join us for this workshop led by Dr. Yvonne Ito, DSW, with Care Connect Washington. Compassion fatigue describes the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others, due to lived realities or through exposure in work experiences.
Long Covid: Q & A for Community Providers, May 12
An opportunity for health care providers to ask questions to our panelists from The University of Washington Post-COVID Rehabilitation and Recovery Center.
De-escalation & Effective Communication Presentation, May 26
This presentation shares information and strategies about understanding when effective communication can and should take place from a neurological standpoint, being aware of obstacles, and engaging effectively (and reducing risk) when supporting people in crisis or those who are angry.
Covid-19 Vaccine Updates
Updates to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations have come out this week via the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and while there is a lot to digest, there is one thing we can say: vaccinating those 6 years and older just became a lot easier!
People who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine yet who are aged 6 years+ now only need a single COVID-19 bivalent dose. For those 6-65 years
+(who are not immunocompromised) who have already received a bivalent mRNA dose, vaccination is complete at this time.Individuals ages 6 years and older who have already received an updated mRNA vaccine do not need to take any action unless they are 65 years or older or immunocompromised.
Read below for further information on additional doses for specific populations.
Community Resources
-
Announcement - August 3, 2022
-
Dear Collaborative Partners,
In the practice of community care and rest – we will be having an August recess and will not hold a monthly Collaborative session on the first week of Wednesday. We will share updates as relevant via email.
In the meantime, as we move toward expanding our Collaborative space, we want to hear from you about where you would like the Collaborative to go.
As you know, the Collaborative launched in February 2021 with the intent to prioritize and center communities most impacted by COVID-19, while simultaneously creating space to foster partnership and collaboration with community-based organizations, impacted businesses, cross-sector partners, health care entities, and public health agencies. The Collaborative ensures an equity and social justice lens is applied in the Department of Health’s planning and decision-making opportunities related to COVID-19 vaccine and COVID-19 response. We are excited to expand beyond COVID-19 focus.
This space will continue to center COVID-19 while simultaneously making room to address other health topics and inequities Collaborative partners see fit. This space will continue to be open, and individuals can join an ongoing basis. As we move on to broader health topics, the intent of this space and whose voices the Collaborative priorities in DOH decision-making and planning opportunities will not change and will continue to center the needs, recommendations, and feedback of communities disproportionately impacted by health inequities.
Please take a few minutes to share your feedback with us utilizing the link below! Your input is very valuable for us to continue supporting & improving the Collaborative. Please complete the survey by August 15th EOD.
If you need the survey in an alternative format and/or additional language, please let us know at vax.collaborative@doh.wa.gov. We can provide the questions in plain text form, in a Word document, or conduct the survey with you by phone.
-
Announcement - April 12, 2022
-
Please see upcoming partner engagement opportunities and resources below.
Join an Evaluation Committee: COVID-19 Community-Driven Outreach – express interest by April 19!
-
We are in the process of establishing an Evaluation Committee to identify successful Bidders in response to the COVID-19 Community Driven Outreach RFQQ and to ensure the equitable allocation of funding (all related RFQQ material and amendments can be accessed on the Washington State Department of Health Contracts and Grants website). Collaborative Partners who represent Black/African American, African Diaspora, Hispanic/LatinX, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities or priority intersections* and who are interested must not be a representative of an organization that has submitted a bid or named as a partner by a Bidder. All Collaborative Partners serving on the Evaluation Committee must also sign a conflict of interest and confidentiality statement.
-
The Evaluation Committee is tentatively planned to launch the week of April 25th. If you are interested in serving on the Evaluation Committee, please contact Frances Limtiaco, Community Investments and Partnerships Manager, at Frances.Limtiaco@doh.wa.gov and/or directly respond to this email by April 19th, 2022! We estimate the time commitment to be a minimum of 2 hour and a half virtual meetings and approximately 20 hours for bid review. Collaborative Evaluation Committee members are eligible for compensation. (*See priority intersections outlined on page 7 of the RFQQ.)
Upcoming 4.14 LatinX Community Partner Space (workgroup name may change based on partner input)
-
Thank you to those who had a chance to drop by an informational session and learn more about the workgroup. As a reminder this space is intended to center and prioritize community members, leaders, and/or advocates identifying and/or directly serving LatinX population. The space will serve as an opportunity for partners to share concerns, needs, leverage efforts, resources and collaborate on community informed strategies. The workgroup is set to launch this Thursday on April 14th 11:00am-12:00pm. If you are interested in joining, please register here.
-
If you have not already, please fill out an interest form in Spanish or English to ensure you receive all ongoing workgroup communication including meeting details.
Upcoming 4.21 National Minority Health Month Webinar: Give Your Community a Boost!
Join Region 10 for a webinar highlighting Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) serving organizations providing accurate and timely COVID-19 vaccination information to community members. In addition, we will focus on best practices on translating vaccine and booster information for this community, encouraging community leaders to take an active rose in encouraging vaccinate, and addressing vaccine hesitancy in specific BIPOC communities.
Thursday, April 21, 2022 | 12:00 – 1:30 pm PT | https://bit.ly/NMHMRegion102022
Upcoming 4.21 Webinar: Questions about the COVID-19 Vaccines for Children under 5?
-
The FDA will consider authorizing the COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 this spring. If authorized, children 6 months and older will become eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. The panel of medical experts will discuss the most important issues surrounding COVID-19 pediatric vaccination, as well as answer any of your questions.
-
Thursday, April 21, 2022 | 5:00-6:00pm | Register here. ASL and Spanish interpretation will be provided.
Spotlight
-
Nisqually Tribe's COVID-19 Immunization Docu-Story in Partnership w/ American Indian Health Coalition Tribal and Urban Indian Health Immunization Coalition: Boosting COVID-19 Vaccine in their Community Upcoming Community Events
-
‘A New Beginning’ community celebration and building hosted by LatinX Unidos of the South Sound
-
April 15th, 2022 | 5:00pm- 9:00pm | Fife Community Center
-
-
COVID-19 Vaccination Pop-Up Clinic hosted by FMS Global Strategies x Tabor100 x Purpose Driven Girl
-
Saturday, April 16, 2022 | 11:00am– 3:00 pm | Register here.
-
-
For additional event details, please see attached flyers and/or check out the partner calendar for all upcoming events. Have an upcoming event - let us know!
DOH/DH Community Media Outreach (CMO) Highlights
-
The CMO Weekly Highlights (attached) share the efforts of community partners funded and supported by the DOH Community Relations and Equity Team, in collaboration with our statewide contractor, Desautel Hege (DH), to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 information, vaccines, and resources. Each week, we spotlight the phenomenal efforts of community partners and provide insights to better support communities though the community feedback section. You will also find a current list of funded community partners, community partner assets, events, materials in development and more.
Additional Resources
-
Do I need a COVID-19 booster? Updated Graphic in English and Spanish
-
I am immunocompromised – am I recommended to get these doses? Updated Graphic in English and Spanish
-
Uninsured Care Expansion Grant: Health Care Authority (HCA) has received $35 million in federal resources for the provision of health care services for uninsured and underinsured individuals under 200 percent of the federal poverty level, regardless of immigration status. For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the HCA website.
-
Care-a-Van is a mobile vaccination effort serving priority communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Since launching last summer, over 12,318 doses have been administered at 239 mobile events. If you are interested in partnering with the Care-a-Van, check out more details here.
-
-
Announcement - March 14, 2022
-
RFQQ 26833: COVID-19 Community Outreach
Dear Valued Partner,
This is a kind reminder that the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has issued RFQQ 26833 seeking the following services: COVID-19 Community Outreach.
We have extended the deadline for the submission of responses to this RFQQ. Interested Bidders who have already submitted a response do not have to re-submit. However, you may submit an updated response if you wish.
You may access and print a hard copy of RFQQ 26833 from the DOH Procurement Website at https://www.doh.wa.gov/AboutUs/BudgetContractsandGrants/ContractsandGrants or through the Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) at https://pr-webs-vendor.des.wa.gov/.
Please be sure to periodically check the DOH Procurement Website or WEBS in order to receive and review amendments and the most current and important information relating to this Solicitation.
If you have any questions, please contact the RFQQ coordinator, Maria Rogers, at Bids@doh.a.gov.Thank you for your interest and for sharing with any other partners, networks, or channels you have. Apologies for duplicative emails/announcements and cross-posting.
In partnership,
Frances Limtiaco, MPH
Community Investments and Partnership Manager
Frances.Limtiaco@doh.wa.gov
-
Announcement - March 3, 2022
-
Please see below partner opportunities and follow-up resources from our conversation on March 2.
Join the Access Functional Needs Disability Partner Space
Access Functional Needs (AFN) Disability Workgroup space is intended to center and prioritize people with disabilities and intersecting marginalized identities who experience compounded oppression such as BIPOC, queer, and/or unhoused persons with a disability. AFN Interest Form Link; Register for the March 7 AFN Workgroup Launch.
Join the LatinX Community Partner Space
LatinX Community Partner Workgroup space is intended to center and prioritize community members, leaders, and/or advocates identifying and/or directly serving LatinX population. The space will serve as an opportunity for partners to share concerns, needs, leverage efforts, resources and collaborate on community informed strategies. Latinx Partner Interest Form Link Want to learn more? Join an informational session on March 19th. Register here
Partner Spotlight - Dr. Abdul at Dunia Health Clinic
At Dunia Health Clinic, a private medical practice, board-certified advanced registered nurse practitioner Abubakar Abdul-Rahman DNP, ARNP-BC, and the team provide comprehensive general and preventative health care to adults and teens living in Seattle and throughout King County. Visit Dunia Health Clinic Duniahealthclinic@gmail.com.
Resources
Funding: Group Foundation - Community Learning Grant (March 10 - April)
Mentira Mariachi - Video campaign addresses vaccine misinformation with simple facts that empower individuals within Hispanic/LatinX community to choose to get vaccinated against COVID-19
WeConsider: Josephine's Story.
Here For Us - COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign. Our stories are honest and transformative portraits of the Black experience during the COVID-19 pandemic stories