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[CALL TO ORDER]
CALL THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION TO ORDER AT 2 33.DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES APPROVING THE MINUTES FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON MARCH 5TH, 2025.DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
CHAIR POINT DEXTER HERE, SECONDED.
ANY QUESTIONS TO THE MOTION? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL.
EVERYONE IN AGREEMENT RAISE YOUR HAND.
[5. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair.]
OKAY.SO BEFORE WE MOVE TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS, NOTING THAT SOME OF THE ONLINE FOLKS HAVE TO LEAVE EARLY, AND WE NEED TO HAVE THIS ACTION ITEM COMPLETED BY END OF MONTH, I WOULD LIKE TO REARRANGE THE AGENDA WITH APPROVAL OF THE BODY AND START WITH OUR ACTION ITEM NUMBER FIVE, CONDUCTING OFFICER ELECTION FOR THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR THE TERM TO EXPIRE.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED A SECOND.
LET'S PROCEED WITH THIS ITEM THEN.
UH, WE'LL FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS WE HAVE DONE IN OUR PAST ELECTION.
FIRST WE'LL START WITH NOMINATIONS AND THEN WE'LL PROCEED WITH A VERBAL ROLL CALL VOTE.
DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS FOR THE CHAIR? I'LL NOMINATE NATALIE POINDEXTER.
ANYONE ELSE? WAIT, UH, CHAIR POINT.
DEXTER, DO YOU ACCEPT THIS NOMINATION? YES, I DO.
IF THERE'S ONLY ONE CANDIDATE, DO WE HAVE TO PROCEED WITH A VOTE? NO.
WE NEED TO SAY THAT IT IS THE, UM, CONSENSUS VOTE WITH ALL PRESENT MEMBERS.
THIS IS A CONSENSUS VOTE WITH OUR PRESENT MEMBERS.
UM, CHAIR POIN DEXTER IS RECONFIRMED FOR THE NEXT TERM.
UH, ANY NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR? YES, I'LL, I'LL NOMINATE THE, UM, PERSON SITTING NEXT TO ME.
UH, AGAIN, WHO MADE SECOND? WHO MADE A SECOND? OH, IT NEEDS TO BE SECOND.
WE NEED SOMEONE TO SECOND THE NOMINATION.
I DIDN'T HEAR CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? I SECOND THE NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER.
[2. Presentation by Michelle Osorio with People Living with HIV Stigma Index on program structure and services provided. ]
DISCUSSION ITEMS THEN.UM, WE NOW HAVE A PRESENTATION BY MICHELLE OSORIO WITH ORGANIZATION PE-PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV STIGMA INDEX AND PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND SERVICES PROVIDED.
I'M A PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM COORDINATOR WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND WITH THE FAST TRACK CITIES INITIATIVE, OUR GOAL IS TO END HIV IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY BY THE YEAR 2030.
I'M JOINED HERE WITH MY FRIEND AND FELLOW COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, RICK REIDA.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
I'M RICK ASTRIDA HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE P-L-H-I-V STIGMA INDEX 2.0.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE DAVID POWELL CLINIC HERE IN AUSTIN, AND ALSO A PERSON LIVING WITH HIV.
SO OVER THE NEXT 15 MINUTES, WE WILL TALK ABOUT AN EXCITING PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF CALLED THE PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV STIGMA INDEX AND THE AUSTIN TRANSITIONAL GRANT AREA, WHICH COM, UH, IS COMPRISED OF BASTROP,
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CALDWELL HAYES, TRAVIS, AND WILLIAMSON COUNTIES.OKAY, SO OUR PURPOSE TODAY, WHY ARE WE HERE IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION? WHEN WE WERE THINKING OF WAYS TO INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT THIS PROJECT, WE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ALL HAVE EXPERTISE IN DIFFERENT FIELDS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AND WE FELT LIKE THE FEEDBACK AND INPUT THAT YOU GUYS COULD GIVE US ON THIS PROJECT OR WHERE WE'RE AT IN THIS STAGE OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL.
AND SO TODAY I WILL TOUCH ON THE BACKGROUND OF FAST TRACK CITIES.
UM, I'LL GET INTO SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT THE STIGMA INDEX ACTUALLY ENTAILS AND THE IMPETUS FOR LAUNCH IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
WE WILL GO OVER ASSESSMENT METHODS CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION AND TOPICS THAT ARE COVERED IN THE INDEX, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO OUTREACH STRATEGIES.
AND I THINK THAT WILL LEAD US IN PERFECTLY INTO WHERE YOU ALL AS, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSIONERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH THIS PROJECT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL.
SO FAST TRACK CITIES, FAST TRACK CITIES BEGAN ON WORLD AIDS DAY IN 2014 WHEN CITY LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE MET TO STRATEGIZE AND DISCUSS WAYS TO END THE HIV EPIDEMIC AT A GLOBAL LEVEL, BUT ALSO AT THE LOCAL CITY LEVEL.
AND SO THERE ARE NOW OVER 350 FAST TRACK CITIES ACROSS THE GLOBE.
32 OF THOSE ARE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WE HAVE FOUR FAST TRACK CITIES IN TEXAS.
SO THE FIRST FAST TRACK CITY WAS SAN ANTONIO, FOLLOWED BY AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY IN 2018, DALLAS COUNTY AND HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY.
MAYBE WE CAN JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF FAST TRACK CITIES IS TO END THE HIV EPIDEMIC BY THE YEAR 2030 BY ACHIEVING THESE 95 95 95 TARGETS.
THESE TARGETS FOCUS ON DIAGNOSING NEW CASES OF HIV CONNECTING PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV TO TREATMENT, AND THEN ACHIEVING VIRAL SUPPRESSION IN THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED.
UH, FAS TRACK CITIES ALSO HAS THE GOAL OF GETTING TO ZERO, UH, HIV RELATED STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION.
SO WHERE ARE WE AT IN THE AUSTIN TRANSITIONAL GRANT AREA IN ACHIEVING THOSE OUTCOMES? SO THESE NUMBERS ARE FOR AS OF THE END OF 2022, WE'RE AT 83%, 91%, AND 92%.
YOU CAN SEE WE ARE MAKING GREAT STRIDES AND ENDING HIV LOCALLY, BUT WE ARE STRUGGLING MOST WITH DIAGNOSING NEW CASES OF HIV.
UM, AND I WANT YOU TO FOCUS HERE ON THE STIGMA DISCRIMINATION ASPECT.
UH, WE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING IN ELIMINATING HIV RELATED STIGMA DISCRIMINATION.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DATA THAT WE CAN PULL FROM.
BUT AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED IN THE HIV FIELD FOR GOING ON EIGHT YEARS NOW, I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW THE FEAR OF A POSITIVE HIV TEST RESULT, UM, DE DETERS PEOPLE FROM SEEKING TESTING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND THEN EVEN WHEN WE HAVE DIAGNOSED INDIVIDUALS WITH HIV, THEY'RE OFTEN AFRAID TO CONTINUE TREATMENT OR GET TREATMENT BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA BE SEEN GOING TO THE HIV CLINIC AND KIND OF THE STIGMA THAT, UM, THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO COMBAT.
SO WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE P-L-H-I-V STIGMA INDEX? SO YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS A VERY IN-DEPTH QUESTIONNAIRE.
IT'S AN IN-PERSON INTERVIEW-BASED ASSESSMENT THAT WE'LL BE USING TO GATHER EVIDENCE ON HOW STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION IMPACTS THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.
OVER 100 COUNTRIES HAVE COMPLETED THE STUDY THUS FAR, AND 100,000 PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED.
THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN A COUPLE OF REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS ASSESSMENT.
UM, AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT AUSTIN WILL BE THE FIRST, UM, THE FIRST AREA IN TEXAS, UH, TO DO THIS STUDY IN THE STATE.
SO WE'RE WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UM, THIS ASSESSMENT WAS CREATED BY PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.
AND I THINK THAT'S A BIG STRENGTH OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, IT ALSO HAS BACKING FROM ENTITIES LIKE UN AIDS AND JOHNS HO, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY WHO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT, UM, AGAIN, INTERVIEWERS AND PARTICIPANTS OR INTERVIEWEES MUST BE PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.
SO IT KIND OF FOLLOWS THAT PEER SUPPORT MODEL WHERE, UM, TWO INDIVIDUALS ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES LIVING WITH HIV AND HOW THEIR HIV STATUS HAS IMPACTED THEIR LIFE.
UM, EACH INTERVIEW IS EXPECTED TO TAKE APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 90 MINUTES TO COMPLETE, AND WE WILL BE PROVIDING STIPENDS OF $100 TO EACH OF THE PARTICIPANTS.
WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR OUTREACH AND RECRUITING FOR OUR STEERING COMMITTEE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY TOLD US IS THAT THEY WANNA BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR TIME, UM, AND THEY WANNA BE COMPENSATED FOR SHARING THEIR STORIES WITH US AND WE FULLY SUPPORT THAT.
SO A LITTLE BIT ON THE PO PROJECT BACKGROUND.
UM, THIS PROJECT CAME, UH, CAME ABOUT IN AUGUST, 2023 THROUGH THE FAST TRACK CITY SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND EQUITY WORK GROUP.
SO OUR WORK GROUP AT THAT TIME RECOGNIZED THAT AGAIN, THERE'S A LACK OF DATA SPECIFIC TO HIV RELATED STIGMA AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE UPTAKE OF HIV AND SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES, ESPECIALLY FOR CENTRAL TEXAS.
AND SO THE DECISION WAS MADE AT THAT TIME THAT THE WORK GROUP WANTED TO, UH, FOCUS OUR WORK GROUP EFFORTS ON PLANNING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROJECT.
[00:10:01]
IMPLEMENTATION, AGAIN, MUST BE LED BY A NETWORK OF P-L-H-I-V.SO IN OUR CASE, THIS CAME FROM THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS WORK GROUP.
UM, SO WE FELT LIKE THERE WAS A NEED TO CREATE A STEERING COMMITTEE THAT SHOULD BE COMPRISED PRIMARILY OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV TO HELP SERVE AS AN ADVISORY BODY, AND ALSO TO HELP LEAD A, LEAD OUR PROJECT AND, UM, ADVISE US ON PROJECT DECISIONS.
SO WE CONDUCTED OUTREACH TO OVER 170 LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH P-L-H-I-V TO HELP US RECRUIT FOR APPLICANTS.
UM, OF THE 20 APPLICATIONS OR OVER 20 APPLICATIONS WE RECEIVED, WE IN THE END SELECTED 10 INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING ALMOST A YEAR LATER.
UM, IN JULY, 2024, THOSE STEERING COMMITTEE, THE FIRST STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING WAS HELD.
UM, AND THOSE, UH, SUBCOMMITTEES IN THE STEERING COMMITTEE AT LARGE CONTINUE TO MEET MONTHLY.
WE ALSO, UH, BROUGHT ON CARDEA SERVICES TO HELP US AS A RESEARCH PARTNER.
SO THEY ARE HELPING US WITH DATA COLLECTION, DATA MANAGEMENT, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
CARDEA IS A NATIONAL WOMEN OF COLOR LED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE DOING SOCIAL IMPACT EVALUATION.
THEY HAVE A STRONG BACKGROUND IN LONG HISTORY IN HIV ADV ADVOCACY AND SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION.
SO WE FELT LIKE THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, THEY ALSO HAD AN EXISTING CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHICH MADE IT VERY EASY TO BRING THEM ON BOARD.
AND THEY DO A LOT OF WORK WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES.
SO WE FELT LIKE THEY HAD THE CAPACITY AND THE KNOW-HOW TO MAKE THIS PROJECT SUCCESSFUL IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
SO WHY IS THIS PROJECT NEEDED? I'VE TOUCHED ON THIS ALREADY, BUT THERE IS A LACK OF INFORMATION ON HIV RELATED STIGMA AND ITS IMPACT ON PEOPLE SEEKING TESTING OR MAINTAINING CARE.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE AUSTIN TRANSITIONAL GRANT AREA.
THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES WITH DIAGNOSING NEW CASES OF HIV.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA END THE HIV EPIDEMIC, WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHY PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING TESTED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, HAVING WORKED IN THE HIV FIELD FOR SOME TIME NOW, I KNOW THAT THE FEAR OF STIGMA DISCOURAGES PEOPLE FROM TESTING IN THE FIRST PLACE OR FROM OBTAINING TREATMENT.
UM, AND WE'VE ALREADY SEEN HOW OUR STEERING COMMITTEE HAS HELPED TO EMPOWER, ENGAGE, AND CONNECT PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.
WE ARE RAISING AWARENESS OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES, THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND OUR AID SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV THAT ARE ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE ARE ABLE TO GIVE US DIRECT INPUT ON A PATH FORWARD TO IMPLEMENTATION, UM, AND TO MAKING THIS PROJECT SUCCESSFUL.
SO TAKING A LOOK, UH, WE JUST WANNA CENTER AROUND SOME NUMBERS HERE FOR THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY AREA FOR FOR THE TGA.
AND AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TGA, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAVIS COUNTY AND ALL THE COUNTIES THAT TOUCH IT.
UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INCIDENT INCIDENTS RATE OF A HU OF NEW INFECTIONS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE POPULATION, YOU'LL NOTICE ONE THING STANDS OUT RIGHT AWAY.
BLACK AND HISPANIC PERSONS ARE BY FAR AT THE TOP OF THESE INS OF THIS INCIDENCE RATE.
UH, AND IN FACT, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HISPANIC, UH, INCIDENTS, IT'S INCREASING RIGHT NOW.
AND A CRITICAL PART OF THE A-P-L-H-I-V STIGMA INDEX 2.0 IS REALLY FINDING OUT HOW STIGMA IS IMPACTING WHEN PEOPLE SEEK CARE, WHEN THEY STAY ON CARE, WHEN THEY STAY ON THEIR ANTIRETROVIRALS, AND WHEN THEY SEEK TESTING FOR HIV.
WE TRULY WANT TO GET INTO THE DETAILS OF HOW THAT WORKS AMONG DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AND DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THIS GIVES US REALLY DETAILED INFORMATION THAT AFTER THE PROJECT WE'LL GO OUT TO BOTH CITY STAKEHOLDERS, NONPROFITS, ASSOS AID SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, ET CETERA, AND HELP THEM FINE TUNE PROGRAMMING TO REALLY GET TO THESE POCKETS OF PEOPLE WHERE HIV AND AIDS IS STILL, UH, AFFECTING THEM EVEN MORE THAN THE REST OF US.
PLEASE LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR RESEARCH METHODS.
AS MICHELLE SHARED WITH YOU, THIS IS A 90 MINUTE INTERVIEW.
THEY'LL BE CONDUCTED WITH EACH PARTICIPANT.
WE WANT TO INTERVIEW 320 PARTICIPANTS, BUT WE'RE STARTING WITH A PILOT OF 102 PARTICIPANTS WITH THE BREAKDOWN YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN BY COUNTY.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT BASTROP, CALDWELL AND HAYES EACH HAVE, UH, A FAIRLY EVEN NUMBER.
THAT'S BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THE MATH, THEY ONLY HAD TWO TO THREE PARTICIPANTS ASSIGNED.
SO WE UPPED THAT TO 10 PARTICIPANTS PER COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET SOME EVEN REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE AREA.
NOW, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS STUDY? WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH HIV AT LEAST 12 MONTHS AGO? NO ONE LESS THAN A, WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF LESS THAN A YEAR.
YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.
YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN THE AUSTIN TGA.
SO THAT'S TRAVIS AND THE FOUR COUNTIES TOUCHING IT.
AND YOU MUST SPEAK ENGLISH OR SPANISH, AT LEAST IN THE, IN THE PILOT PHASE.
WE'RE GONNA DO THIS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
UH, THE MATERIALS ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL GROUP THAT PROVIDES THIS TO START US OFF.
UH, I'LL BRIEFLY GO OVER OUR INTERVIEWER QUALIFICATIONS.
THEY'RE THE SAME AS THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A PARTICIPANT.
AND I SHOULD MENTION, AGAIN, EVERYBODY HAS TO BE A PERSON LIVING WITH HIV, BOTH INTERVIEWERS AND PARTICIPANTS.
SO IT'S ALL THE SAME REQUIREMENTS.
PLUS THEY HAVE TO HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO GO DO THESE INTERVIEWS BECAUSE WE'LL CONDUCT ALMOST ALL OF THEM IN PERSON.
AND, UH, THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE AN APPROXIMATELY 15 HOUR TRAINING THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED, UH, BOTH WITH TOOLS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP THAT SPONSORS THIS AND LOCALLY CUSTOMIZED BY CARDEA.
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UH, THIS IS A VERY, VERY DENSE SLIDE WITH SELECTED QUESTIONNAIRE TOPICS.ALL OF THEM ARE IN THE APPENDIX IF YOU WANT TO SEE, BUT THE QUESTIONNAIRE COVERS, UH, SEVEN AREAS INCLUDING, UH, PARTICIPANT, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS, UH, DISCLOSURE EXPERIENCE.
SO WHAT'S THEIR EXPERIENCE BEEN DISCLOSING, UH, EXPERIENCES OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION? WHAT STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION HAVE THEY EXPERIENCED, UH, THEIR INTERNALIZED STIGMA? SO HOW IS INTERNALIZED STIGMA IMPACTING THEM AND THEIR ABILITY TO GET MEDICAL CARE AND TO TREAT THEIR HIV, UH, INTERACTIONS WITH HEALTHCARE SERVICES? A BIG ONE, LIKE WHEN THEY DID THIS STUDY IN LOUISIANA, THEY FELT WERE ABLE TO REALLY ZOOM IN ON PARTICULAR TYPES OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES WHERE PEOPLE WERE FINDING DISCRIMINATION.
IT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO BRING HERE.
UH, HUMAN RIGHTS AND AFFECTING CHANGE AND STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION EXPERIENCED FOR REASONS OTHER THAN HIV AND AIDS.
THAT'S A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TOPIC BECAUSE AS PART OF THIS, WE FOCUS ON, WE WILL HAVE FIVE FOCUS GROUPS THAT WHILE WE WANT EVERY PERSON LIVING WITH HIV AND AIDS TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THIS, WE PARTICULARLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ENOUGH REPRESENTATION FROM UNHOUSED POPULATIONS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY NOT A REQUIRED FOCUS GROUP.
WE'VE ADDED THAT ONE JUST FOR AUSTIN BECAUSE, OR FOR THIS AREA.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S A SALIENT ISSUE HERE.
UH, MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN, UH, SEX WORKERS, PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGS, AND TRANS INDIVIDUALS AND TRANS INDIVIDUALS.
SO THOSE ARE OUR FIVE FOCUS COMMUNITIES THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REACHING BECAUSE THOSE CAN BE HARDER TO REACH POPULATIONS.
IN ADDRESSING THE LOCAL CONTEXT, I'M SORRY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS SCREEN THAT'S A LITTLE CLOSER.
IN ADDRESSING THE LOCAL CONTEXT, THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP ALLOWS US TO ADD QUALITATIVE QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW.
SO WE REACHED OUT TO PROBABLY ACTUALLY ABOUT 10 DIFFERENT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE COMMUNITY CARE, UH, TEXAS HEALTH ACTION, UH, AL ALGO, ET CETERA.
WE REACHED OUT TO ABOUT 10 ORGANIZATIONS TO GET THEIR INPUT ON WHAT QUESTIONS DO WE NEED JUST HERE IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY AREA.
WE GOT ABOUT FIVE RESPONSES BACK WHERE THEY REALLY HELPED US CRITIQUE AND DEVELOP THE THREE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SEE.
UH, WE ASK PEOPLE, WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT LIVING SITUATION? 'CAUSE AGAIN, WE KNOW THERE'S A NEED TO FOCUS ON UNHOUSED POPULATIONS.
WE ASK, UH, IF PEOPLE HAVE TREATED THEM DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF HIV AND THREE THINGS THEY THINK WE COULD DO TO CHANGE THAT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
PARTLY BECAUSE AT THE END OF THIS, WHEN WE HAVE ALL THE DATA, WE'RE GONNA CONDUCT COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS TO BUILD AN ADVOCACY PLAN.
AND THIS HELPS US LAY THAT FOUNDATION.
SO WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY THINK COULD BE CHANGED AND IF A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, INCLUDING A DOCTOR, NURSE OR CLINIC STAFF HAS EVER TREATED THEM POORLY.
AND THEN WE'LL ASK THEM TO QUALITATIVELY TELL US ABOUT THAT SITUATION.
WE REALLY WANT TO GET A FINE PICTURE OF HOW STIGMA IS IMPACTING PEOPLE AND THEIR HIV TREATMENT HERE IN AUSTIN.
NOW THIS IS WHERE WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.
WE'RE, WE'RE PARTICULARLY EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY TO TALK ABOUT OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT STRATEGY.
WE NEED TO START BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT TO BOTH OUR PARTICIPANTS AND OUR INTERVIEWERS AND ALSO ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HOST THESE INTERVIEWS.
UH, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MICHELLE ABOUT OUR SAMPLING STRATEGY FOR HOW WE WILL GET THE PARTICIPANTS WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED.
UH, THIS, WE'RE PLANNING TO DO A 75% VENUE BASED SAMPLE.
SO VENUE BASED SAMPLING OF ABOUT 75% OF THE INTERVIEWEES WILL BE DONE AT PLACES WHERE PEOPLE LIKELY WILL BE, WHO ARE IMPACTED BY HIV, WHERE PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV ARE.
THAT COULD BE CLINICS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND SOCIAL VENUES.
THE OTHER 25% IS REFERRAL BASED.
SO PEOPLE WHO HEAR ABOUT THIS CAN REFER PEOPLE IN WHO MEET THE STUDY CRITERIA.
SO THIS IS JUST A SMALL SAMPLE OF SOME OF THE OUTREACH STRATEGIES THAT OUR STEERING COMMITTEE HAS BRAINSTORMED TO HELP US RECRUIT FOR INTERVIEWERS AND PARTICIPANTS OR INTERVIEWEES.
UM, WE'RE GONNA RELY HEAVILY ON COMMUNITY LIAISONS WHO CAN HELP CONNECT US WITH NETWORKS OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND ESPECIALLY OUR FIVE PRIORITY POPULATIONS.
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN TOUCH AND HAVE ENGAGED THE AUSTIN AREA, HIV PLANNING COUNCILS.
WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE PLAN TO ENGAGE SUPPORT GROUPS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND THE LO AT LOCAL ASSOS AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS VIANT, ASHEVILLE KIND CLINIC, ET CETERA.
UM, WE WILL BE LAUNCHING A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE CREATED SOME REALLY BEAUTIFUL GRAPHICS THAT WILL BE POSTING ON THE A PH INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK PAGE.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE HIV ENDS WITH U CAMPAIGN, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE.
THIS WAS A CAMPAIGN THAT WAS CREATED BY THE HIV RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION.
AND SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR US TO COMBINE OUR CAMPAIGN EFFORTS AND PUT THAT, UM, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS OUT TOGETHER.
UM, WE'LL ALSO BE CREATING AN EVENTS CALENDAR WITH CROWDSOURCED COMMUNITY EVENTS WHERE, UH, WE'LL LEARN OF, UH, DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE HOSTING AND SO WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO OFFER INTERVIEWS OR OFFER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT TWO MORE SLIDES TO WRAP UP.
ONE THING I DO WANNA MENTION BEFORE I GO ON IS HOW HAVE WE GOTTEN HERE? WELL, WE HAVE A BOARD OF PEOPLE WITH FOUR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND SIX PEOPLE WHO
[00:20:01]
HAVE EITHER NOT DISCLOSED STATUS OR ARE NEGATIVE, BUT, UH, WE INTENTIONALLY RECRUITED PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, INCLUDING MYSELF TO RUN THIS EFFORT.UH, WE DID THAT BY REACHING OUT TO 180 ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING EVERY MUNICIPALITY IN THE, UH, IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE FOUR COUNTIES TOUCHING IT TO, UH, TO GET A, A, A GROUP OF PEOPLE TO RUN THIS EFFORT OVER TIME.
SO, WRAPPING US UP WITH A COUPLE SLIDES, WHAT WILL WE LEARN? WE'LL GET A CLEAR PICTURE OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION AND HOW IT RELATES TO HIV AND ITS IMPACTS IN AUSTIN.
UH, WITH DETAILED INFORMATION WE CAN SLICE AND DICE BY COUNTY, RACE, SEX, ETHNICITY, AND GENDER, UH, AS WELL AS AGE.
I SHOULD NOTE, UH, THIS WILL HELP US WORK WITH THE CITY, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, FAST TRACK CITIES, HEALTH PROVIDERS, ET CETERA, TO ADDRESS STIGMA WITH TARGETED INTERVENTIONS AND PROGRAMS THAT LOOK AT THESE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS AND REALLY HELP TO FIND, HELP PEOPLE IN THOSE POCKETS WHERE THEY AREN'T FULLY BEING REACHED BECAUSE OF STIGMA.
THIS WILL HELP WITH ADVOCACY, PLANNING, ENGAGING IN SERVICES, ADVANCING EQUITY, AND ENHANCING HEALTH OUTCOMES.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? AND WE'D LOVE TO YOU, WE'D LOVE TO GET THIS FROM YOU GUYS, WHETHER YOU TALK TO US NOW OR REACH OUT TO US LATER, HELP US CONNECT WITH PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV WHO MIGHT WANT TO BE INTERVIEWERS.
WHO ARE PEOPLE LIVING WITH? HIV HELP US FIND VENUES TO CONDUCT THESE, UH, INTERVIEWS.
IF YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR VENUES THAT WILL HOUSE US, ESPECIALLY WITH A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY TO CONDUCT THESE INTERVIEWS, THAT'S GREAT.
WE'LL BE ASKING FOR HELP AS WE GO ALONG.
POKE HOLES IN THIS, WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT COULD WE DO BETTER? AND TELL US WHO ARE THE GREAT SUPPORTERS WE SHOULD CONNECT WITH.
SO THANKS AND WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MICHELLE AND RICK, UH, FOR THIS GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I DEFINITELY CAN SEE WAYS IN WHICH THE, UM, THE COMMISSION CAN HELP.
I DID WANNA START WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
THAT 83% THAT YOU MENTIONED, KIND OF CURIOUS HOW THAT, UM, COMPARES TO OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY AND WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING KIND OF SPECIFIC TO HERE.
I WOULD SAY WE'RE NOT TOO FAR OFF.
THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE GLOBE, UM, THAT HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED THEIR 95 95 95 TARGET.
SO I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M IN A LOT OF MEETINGS WITH, UM, COORDINATORS AROUND THE STATE WITH ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC INITIATIVE.
AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS AROUND TEXAS TRULY DO LOOK TO AUSTIN FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WHEN IT COMES TO COMBATING HIV AND OUR SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE THROUGH THE CITY.
SO, UM, I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE I AM AN A PH EMPLOYEE AND HAVE WORKED IN THAT IN THAT FIELD FOR A LONG TIME, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB HERE IN AUSTIN.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT PERFECT AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD ABSOLUTELY IMPROVE, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE 83% IS NOT TOO FAR OFF FROM OTHER, FROM OTHER AREAS.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE.
AND THEN A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT ACCESS VERSUS STIGMA WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT NUMBER? UM, FOR DI DIAGNOSING ACCESS, YOU MEAN? UM, ACCESS TO TESTING AND YEAH.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S A BIGGER ISSUE THAN STIGMA.
I WOULD SAY WE HAVE, THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES THROUGH THE CITY OR THROUGH OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE TESTED.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S AS MUCH OF AN ACCESS ISSUE, AT LEAST NOT WITH, NOT ACROSS THE BOARD.
OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE CERTAIN POPULATIONS THAT I THINK HAVE LESSER ACCESS OR NOT.
THEY DON'T HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SERVICES.
UM, BUT I DO THINK STIGMA IS A HUGE PART IN WHY PEOPLE DON'T GET TESTED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S EVEN STIGMA IMPACTS PEOPLE'S OWN SELF-ASSESSMENT OF THEIR RISK LEVEL.
IF I'M A HETEROSEXUAL MAN AND I, MY PERCEPTION IS THAT HIV IS A GAY DISEASE, WHY AM I GONNA GO GET TESTED FOR HIV IF I AM, IF I'M MARRIED AND I THINK THAT I'M IN A MONOGAMOUS RELATIONSHIP, THE DOCTOR'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA ASK IF YOU WANNA BE TESTED FOR HIV 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALSO MAKING ASSUMPTIONS THAT YOU WOULDN'T NEED TO BE TESTED FOR HIV.
SO I THINK STIGMA IS PERVASIVE AND THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON SO WE CAN BUMP THOSE NUMBERS UP.
AND IF I MAY, I'LL ADD REAL QUICKLY, THE MOST RECENT DATA WE HAVE ON STIGMA AT A DETAILED LEVEL IN AUSTIN COMES FROM A STUDY THAT WAS CONDUCTED DURING COVID WHEN ALL THE, AND, AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT THAT A COUPLE OF PROVIDERS REFERRED PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV TO BE PART OF THE, THE AREA ASSESSMENT THAT WAS TAKEN ON FOR THE TGA A DURING COVID.
BUT I BELIEVE THERE WERE ONLY 20 TO 30 PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV.
AND STIGMA WAS ABOUT A SINGLE QUESTION IN THERE.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCESS, THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS TO GROW OUR KNOWLEDGE OF STIGMA, WHICH IS ONE BARRIER TO ACCESS.
UM, THE LAST QUESTION BEFORE I OPEN THAT UP TO THE COMMISSION IS I WAS STRUCK BY ONE OF THE GRAPHS THAT WE HAD WITH THE BLACK POPULATION SHOWING A DECREASE OF ABOUT 10% OVER 10 YEARS.
KIND OF CURIOUS IF THERE WERE TARGETED INTERVENTIONS FOR THAT POPULATION OR SOMETHING THAT COULD EXPLAIN KIND OF THAT DROP IN A NEW DIAGNOS DIAGNOSIS.
INCIDENTS IN THE BLACK POPULATION.
UM, SO THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BLACK MSM POPULATION IN TEXAS IS ONE OF THE PRIORITY POPULATIONS THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES HAS IDENTIFIED.
SO THERE ARE TARGETED, UM, OUTREACH SERVICES AND TESTING
[00:25:01]
SERVICES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED.ONE GROUP THOUGH, THAT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE EFFORT IN REACHING IS THE BLACK, BLACK WOMEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN.
UM, THEY HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATE, UM, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? THEY'RE MORE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK OF KIND OF THE, THE CAMPAIGNS FOR ACCESSING PREP, PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS.
A LOT OF THOSE COMMERCIALS YOU'LL SEE ARE KIND OF LIKE A GROUP OF, UM, GAY MEN, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT REALLY SEEING MEDIA AND CAMPAIGNS THAT ARE FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON HETEROSEXUAL WOMEN OR WOMEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN.
AND SO I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE EFFORT IN KIND OF REACHING THOSE OTHER POPULATIONS 'CAUSE THEY ARE AT RISK.
UM, WOULD THAT 10% DECREASE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE GRAPH ALSO REFLECT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE FEWER, UM, BLACKS BEING TESTED DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME? THAT COULD BE.
UM, I'LL BE PERFECTLY HONEST, I AM NOT A BIG DATA PERSON, BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SPEAK WITH OUR EPIDEMIOLOGIST, WHO'S ONE OF OUR STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND HAS HELPED PUT TOGETHER THIS DATA.
AND I CAN ABSOLUTELY SEND AN EMAIL TO YOU GUYS AND KIND OF GIVE YOU MAYBE A DEEPER LOOK AT, AT THAT DATA.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE ARE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH.
AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, I'LL SAY WE, WE'VE BEEN SO LUCKY TO HAVE THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS IN THE WORKS.
IT STARTED WITH FIVE PEOPLE, INCLUDING MICHELLE, UH, FLO HERNANDEZ AYALA, WHO IS AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST FOR THE CITY.
I'M SO PROUD TO HAVE TWO CITY STAFF WHO'VE BEEN WITH US FROM DAY ONE.
AND THEN VANESSA, CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER FOR CARDEA HAS BEEN WITH US FROM DAY ONE AS WELL.
AND NOW THEY'RE CONTRACTED ON IT.
UM, I'LL OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I THINK WE CAN START MAYBE ONLINE.
I WOULD FIGURE THAT COMMISSIONER WITTY WHO HAS EXPERIENCE HERE, MIGHT HAVE SOME, UH, FEEDBACK AND HELP AS WELL THAT HE CAN PROVIDE.
I HAVE A FEW THINGS, UM, TO DISCUSS.
THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE AND SPEAKING WITH US ABOUT THE HIV STIGMA STUDY.
I'VE BEEN, IT'S BEEN EXCITING TO WATCH IT, UM, COME TO FRUITION OVER THE PAST YEAR OR TWO.
UM, ARE Y'ALL OFFERING INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE THAT COMPLETE THE SURVEY WITH Y'ALL? YES.
UH, SO FROM THE BEGINNING WE'VE BEEN INSISTENT THAT THERE BE A, AN INCENTIVE TO COMPLETE THE SUR THE, THE INTERVIEW.
AND THEN FOR REFERRING SOMEBODY, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL ONE TIME $25 AVAILABLE EVERY INTERVIEWER WHO ALL HAVE TO BE PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV WILL BE COMPENSATED $125 PER INTERVIEW.
SO BOTH PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV ARE BASICALLY GETTING AT LEAST 225 INTERVIEW DOLLARS EVERY TIME AN INTERVIEW IS DONE.
I WILL MENTION FRIENDS OF DAVID POWELL CLINIC IS FUNDING $20,000 OF THE INCENTIVES, UH, AS A COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
ALSO WANTED TO THAT'S GREAT HEAR.
I WANTED TO SHARE TOO THAT WE ARE COMPENSATING, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE TRAINING AS WELL TO, TO SERVE AS INTERVIEWERS.
SO WE ARE ALSO, UM, PROVIDING THAT STIPEND FOR THEIR TIME TO TAKE THAT 15 HOUR TRAINING AS WELL.
OH, AND OUR BOARD, OUR OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OUR STEERING COMMITTEE IS COMPENSATED, UM, UH, IS COMPENSATED AS WELL, I THINK $60 A MONTH FOR STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ATTEND THE MEETINGS.
SO FOLLOWING, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT FOR EQUITY.
AND I THINK, UM, WHAT Y'ALL SHARED ABOUT HOW YOU'RE DOING OUTREACH AT COMMUNITY SPACES AND CLINICS IS TOTALLY ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
IF Y'ALL WANT TO EMAIL ME FOR ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK, FEEL FREE.
UM, AND THEN MY FEEDBACK FOR WHERE YOU CONDUCT THE INTERVIEWS, I THINK WITH PATIENTS THAT FEEL SAFE IN THEIR CLINICS.
'CAUSE ALL THE HIV CLINICS ARE SAFE SPACES FOR OUR CLIENTS LIVING WITH HIV CONDUCTING THOSE INTERVIEWS IN THE CLINICS.
I'M SURE THE LOCAL AGENCIES WOULD BE HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH Y'ALL TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AND CONFERENCE ROOMS, UM, ET CETERA.
SO THAT'S SOME FEEDBACK I HAVE.
HI, I'M VANESSA SADIA, CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER WITH CARDIA.
I WANTED TO ADD TO THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ENGAGING IN SERVICES, UH, AND BECAUSE OF STIGMA.
AND SO WE ALSO SEE THAT THE VALUE OF THIS PROJECT IS ALSO USING THIS CAMPAIGN AND USING NETWORKS OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV TO FIND THOSE INDIVIDUALS SO THAT WE CAN CONNECT, THEY CAN CONNECT WITH SOMEBODY THAT HAS A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AND DIAGNOSIS, AND THEN HELP 'EM CONNECT TO SERVICES.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK BEYOND THE EXISTING CLINICS INTO THE OTHER, INTO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
YEAH, I THINK ON THAT NOTE, UM, MAYBE COMMISSIONER LUHAN, UH, YOU CAN SPEAK TO THIS, BUT WE, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
UM, YOU DID SEE AN UPTICK IN THE HISPANIC POPULATION.
UH, SO I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS FOR THIS.
YEAH, ACTUALLY CARDIA HAPPENS TO BE A TRAINING PROVIDER FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE ARE CERTIFIED FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT.
WE, WE, WE DO A LOT OF TRAININGS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND HAVE AN EXTENSIVE NETWORK.
AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT NETWORK.
I WANTED TO SHARE TOO, THAT LAST YEAR,
[00:30:01]
LAST JULY, ACTUALLY FAST TRACK CITIES DID A COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE HEALTH EQUITY UNIT.SO WE HOSTED AN HIV 1 0 1 TRAINING AND WE TRAINED 14 COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ON THE BASICS OF HIV SO THAT THEY CAN THEN KIND OF SPREAD THAT INFORMATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE, I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, OBVIOUSLY TO BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
YOU DO NEED TO BE SOMEONE LIVING WITH HIV, BUT I THINK COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS CAN ABSOLUTELY BE LEVERAGED WITH, UM, SHARING OUR MESSAGES, UM, WITH THEIR NETWORKS.
UH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER LUHAN.
I'M LOOKING FOR SOME PLACES BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE NOT, UM, PARTICIPATING IN CLINICAL SETTINGS.
UM, I DO HAVE TWO SUGGESTIONS, WHICH WOULD BE THE HARM REDUCTION AND ALSO SUNRISE, UM, HOMELESS NAVIGATION CENTER.
UM, I FEEL THAT BECAUSE THE, THE SAME WAY THAT YOU HAVE YOUR PROGRAM SET UP AS PEER, MEANING THAT EVERYBODY THAT HAS BEEN PARTICIPATING IN THE CREATION OF THIS, UM, HA IS IS CONSIDERED A PEER.
RIGHT? IT'S A PEER IN THE HIV.
SO I THINK THAT THESE WOULD HELP A LOT BECAUSE WHEN WE TALKING ABOUT PEER, I THINK THE CONNECTION AND A LOT OF THE VOCABULARY WILL BE DIFFERENT.
AND I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE A GOOD TURNOUT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE ALSO MOBILE AND THEY ALSO GO TO CAPS AND THEY ALSO GO.
SO YOU JUST ARE ABLE TO LIKE, BE ABLE TO REACH COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD NOT COME TO SOME OF THESE CLINICS.
UM, THOSE ARE MY TWO SUGGESTIONS, UM, THAT I FEEL THAT WOULD HELP A LOT, UM, FOR SOME OF THE COMMUNITY THAT IS NOT BEING REACHED.
AND I WANTED TO ADD, YOU KNOW, RICK MENTIONED THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO, TO INFORM THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS WE SHOULD BE ASKING.
AND WE DID CONNECT WITH COMMUNITIES FOR RE RECOVERY, WHICH IS VERY MUCH CONNECTED TO, UH, PEOPLE USING SUBSTANCES.
THEY HAVE PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SPECIALISTS.
SO IN ADDITION TO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, I THINK THE PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SPECIALIST COULD BE OF GREAT HELP.
SO THANKS FOR YOUR SUGGESTION.
SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I GOT ONE GLARING CONCERN AND THEN A COUPLE OF, UH, QUESTIONS, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY WANNA COLLABORATE WITH DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND REACH TO THEM TOO.
UH, AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT LOCATIONS THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO, TO FULLY BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THE POPULATION.
HOW ARE YOU WORKING WITH, OR I RECOMMEND LET WE CHANGE THAT.
'CAUSE THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION.
SO I RECOMMEND WORKING WITH, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, ENTITIES LIKE COMMUNITY CARE, BUT FOCUSING MORE INTO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE UTILIZING THE RYAN WHITE HIV AIDS, UH, PROGRAM THAT CAN HELP FURTHER TARGET THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THEY CAN BE ABLE TO SEND AN INVITE AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS VERSUS MORE OF A WIDESPREAD, HERE'S A LOCATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FIT OR NOT A ASPECT.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE TOO IS, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE IS IS THIS WORK GROUP OR COMMITTEE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME ONE THAT COMMUNITY CARE HAS AS WELL? NO, THIS IS SEPARATE FROM COMMUNITY CARE, SO I'D RECOMMEND COLLABORATING WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, THAT'LL ALSO THEN GET YOU FURTHER ACCESS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DAVID POWELL CENTER.
UM, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED, UH, VIVID, UH, VIVID, UH, PROBABLY THE WRONG NAME, BUT WHAT ABOUT, UM, AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION AND THOSE OTHERS? RIGHT.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE DOING 18 AND OLDER, YOU STILL HAVE KIDS LIVING WELL THAT'S LED BY, UM, INTEGRAL CARE AND THE COLLABORATIONS THERE.
SO THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OF COLLABORATION OR DISCUSSION.
UH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE SPACE OF ENGAGING WITH THE FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE? UH, THE WIC PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE WITHIN, UH, A ECHO, YOU HAVE NOT JUST THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, BUT YOU HAVE THE COMMITTEES THAT ARE THERE AS WELL, UH, TO INCLUDE THE, THE PROGRAMS LIKE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND A NEW GRANT OFFER.
WELL, THE SOLE REPRESENTATIVE, RIGHT.
SO WHERE COULD THERE BE INCLUSIONS, WHERE THERE'S INTENTIONAL BY NAME INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY'RE GETTING ON A MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY BASIS WHERE THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S ADDED OR OFFERED TO THAT INDIVIDUAL VERSUS KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NARROWING DOWN, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU'RE NARROWING DOWN ENOUGH TO WHERE THERE'S ALREADY GONNA BE SPECIFIC FOLKS AND INDIVIDUALS COMING THROUGH WHERE THAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE A ADDED RESOURCE OR ADDED OPPORTUNITY TO A ONE-ON-ONE ENGAGEMENT THAT'S ALREADY GONNA BE OCCURRING IN DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTY.
UM, NOW THE ONE GLARING PIECE I HAD WAS, I THINK YOU'RE WITH THE SELECTION OF
[00:35:01]
THE POPULATION THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE IDENTIFYING, YOU, YOU BASICALLY JUST RE ALSO TOLD ME IF I WAS A HETERO WITH POTENTIAL AIDS OR HIVI DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF THE STUDY OR LET SOMEONE KNOW BECAUSE YOU BASICALLY JUST MADE A STIGMA THAT IT ONLY REALLY HAPPENS WITH L-G-T-B-Q POPULATIONS.SO IS THERE A WAY TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE? YOU STILL HAVING YOUR PRIORITY, YOU STILL HAVING YOUR FOCUS, BUT IT DOESN'T UNINTENTIONALLY CREATE A STIGMA FURTHER HIGHLIGHTING WHY SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE IT'S MAKING IT SOUND LIKE THIS IS ONLY A-L-G-T-B-Q ISSUE.
AND I HOPE WE DIDN'T COME OFF THAT WAY.
IN FACT, I DON'T THINK I, WE HAVE DIVERSITY, UH, ON OF, OF SEXUAL IDENTITIES ON OUR, ON OUR PLANNING BOARD, WE MADE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT WE EXPLORED WHEN WE DID THAT.
WE MADE SURE THAT WE HAD GAY, STRAIGHT, BISEXUAL, ET CETERA.
SO WE HAVE, UH, ENSURED THAT WE DO THAT.
AND OUR, OUR APPROACH TO RECRUITMENT IS AGNOSTIC TO MM-HMM
TO, YOU KNOW, LGBT STATUS, WHILE THAT'S ONE GROUP TO CONSIDER MM-HMM
IN A WAY THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, FOCUS OURSELVES.
IT IS COMPLETELY AGNOSTIC FOR US.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE EVERYBODY WHO IS AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS THAT INCLUDES HETEROSEXUAL PERSONS.
JUST, YEAH, I JUST WANTED MAKE, BUT THANK YOU.
THAT, THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED AS A CONCERN WHEN YOU'RE LISTING WHO WAS ELIGIBLE FOR IT, THAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A TURNOFF OR IT COULD INSINUATE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT IN, THAT IS NOT INTENDED AS IT COMES TO QUESTIONS AND CUT ME OFF WHEN I GO TOO LONG MM-HMM
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO QUESTIONS, UM, WHAT IS THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT FROM THE DATA THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE UTILIZING? RESEARCH IS GREAT, BUT I ALSO TELL YOU THERE'S A CONCERN THAT, UH, RESEARCH HAPPENS AND THERE'S NO IMMEDIATE ROI IMPACT, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE OCCURRING.
THAT'S WHY UT AUSTIN CREATED THE TEXAS, UH, CENTER FOR EQUITY PROMOTION TO BETTER MAKE SURE RESEARCH THAT IS HAPPENING HAS AN ACTUAL IMPACT WITHIN LIKE THAT NEXT 60 90 DAYS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING AN INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR ALMOST 60 TO 90 MINUTES, WHICH IS A LONG TIME, THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, SO IT'S NOT VIRTUAL, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, SO I MEAN, I GET IT A HUNDRED, 125, BUT IS THAT ALSO ENOUGH TO ENTICE SOMEONE TO COME OUT, SPEND ALMOST 90 MINUTES, AND THEN WAIT FOR A REPORT, WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO PICK AND CHOOSE AT IT TO MAKE SURE IT'S VALIDATED AND SO FORTH, TO MAYBE HAVE A RESOLUTION IN THREE TO FIVE YEARS, WHICH HAS USUALLY BEEN A TREND WITH RESEARCH.
SO IS THERE ANY IMMEDIATE MORE EXPEDITED PROCESS IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING? YEAH, I'LL TAKE THAT ONE.
I THINK FOR US, AND IN MY DAY JOB, I'M, I'M A PROFESSIONAL RESEARCHER, UH, SO I'VE, THIS IS ONE REASON THAT THIS PROJECT FASCINATES ME IS THE ABILITY TO TAKE THIS DATA AND GET IT INTO APPLICATION AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
SO NUMBER ONE, WE WILL, OUR REPORT FOR THIS WILL BE DRAFTED.
I, I KNOW VANESSA, YOU KNOW THE PLAN PRETTY WELL.
I THINK TWO OR THREE MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVIEWS ARE COMPLETE, WE'LL HAVE A REPORT.
SO WE WILL HAVE A REPORT WHEN WE DRAFT THAT REPORT.
WE'VE BUILT IN TIME, BECAUSE THIS IS AN AUSTIN FAST TRACK CITIES INITIATIVE, AND I ALSO SIT ON FAST TRACK CITIES.
THIS WILL BE REVIEWED WITH FAST TRACK CITIES AS WE GO THROUGH IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS APPLICABLE TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
SO WE ARE NOT PLANNING TO SIT ON THIS DATA FOR MORE THAN THREE MONTHS.
MAYBE WE WILL HAVE A REPORT ON THE STREET.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ARE PLANNING ANOTHER PROCESS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHERE WE WILL TAKE THE DATA FROM THIS AND HELP THE FAST TRACK CITIES AND THE COMMUNITY BUILD AN ADVOCACY PLAN FOR THIS.
SO USING THIS DATA, SO THIS IS NOT GOING TO BECOME SHELFWARE IN ANY WAY.
AND THE, THE LAST QUESTION I HAD, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FIVE COUNTIES, UH, WITH HAYES AND BASTROP, KNOWING BASTROP IS CREATING, OR IS STILL IN THE PURSUIT OF, UH, CREATING THEIR OWN HEALTHCARE DISTRICT.
AND HAYES HAS MINIMAL FUNDING BASED UPON HOW THEIRS IS CREATED.
UH, HOW, I GUESS HOW ARE Y'ALL OPERATING? AND I KNOW THIS GOES OUTSIDE OUR TRAVIS COUNTY AREA, BUT THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU INTER INTERCONNECT WITH THEM, BUT ALSO WORK THROUGH THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE, I THINK IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR BASTROP TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT CAN FURTHER SHOW AND DEMONSTRATE THE IMPACT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO HAVE AS BEING A NEW COUNTY HEALTHCARE DISTRICT THAT HASN'T BEEN CREATED IN FOR WHAT, 20 YEARS IN THE US.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, HOW CAN THIS POTENTIALLY LEVERAGE TO BRING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE HAYES COUNTY KNOWING THAT THEY DON'T RECEIVE THE SAME TYPE OF, UH, TAX INCOME COMING TO THEM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES EVEN FOR THEIR LOW OR NO INCOME POPULATION? DO YOU WANNA TAKE THAT, MICHELLE? I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK WE, WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONCERNS AND, UM, THINKING ABOUT THOSE MORE RURAL AREAS AND HOW ARE WE GONNA REACH PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, I THINK OUR APPROACH AT THIS TIME IS TO FOCUS ON DOING OUTREACH TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK THAT HAS A PRESENCE OUT THERE POTENTIALLY IF THERE ARE PUBLIC HEALTH FOLLOW-UP STAFF.
SO, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DOING DISEASE IN INVESTIGATION FOR H-I-H-I-V
[00:40:01]
AND SYPHILIS BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE OF ORGANIZATIONS OR, UH, PEER SUPPORT GROUPS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE IN THOSE AREAS.I THINK PFL HAS A COUPLE OF PEER SUPPORT GROUPS THAT THEY HOLD IN CHURCHES AROUND THAT AREA OR IN THOSE AREAS.
AND SO, UM, IF IT MIGHT COME DOWN TO US DOING SOME ROAD TRIPS AND KIND OF JUST SEEING A LAY OF THE LAND AND SEEING WHAT'S OUT THERE, UM, BUT AT THIS TIME THAT'S OUR APPROACH, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'RE CONSIDERING.
I ALSO WANNA NOTE BOTH THOSE COUNTIES WE'RE INCLUDED IN OUR LIST WHEN WE SOLICITED MEMBERS FOR THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
UH, WE DIDN'T GET ANY RESPONSES.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S ON US AT THIS POINT TO ALSO REACH OUT A LITTLE BIT HEAVIER TO COUNTY GOVERNMENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM THAT ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO THAT'S A POINT WELL TAKEN FOR US, I THINK, TOO.
THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION.
UH, I THINK THINKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW CAN THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION HELP AND MAYBE SOME OF THE ACTIONABLE, UH, THINGS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, DISCUSSED.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD COME BACK ONCE YOU'VE HAD THE RESULTS OF THIS INTERVIEW AND KIND OF DISCUSS YOUR ADVOCACY PLAN.
AND THEN WE CAN ALSO EXPLORE WAYS IN WHICH WE COULD SUPPORT, UM, MOVING FORWARD TOO.
WE'D LOVE TO SHARE THOSE RESULTS.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION IF WE HAVE THE TIME.
UM, SO I KNOW THIS IS THE HIV SIGMA FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND A METRIC THAT YOU SHOWED US THAT AUSTIN IS NOT MEETING IS NEW DIAGNOSES.
UM, AND PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT GETTING TESTED FOR HIV BECAUSE OF HIV STIGMA.
SO JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE, IS THERE PLANS TO DO THESE KIND OF STUDIES IN HIV NEGATIVE PERSONS TO GET A ASSESSMENT OF THEIR FEELING TOWARDS HIV STIGMA AND WHAT'S PREVENTING THEM FROM GETTING TESTED OR THEIR LACK OF EDUCATION ABOUT U EQUALS UI WAS GONNA SAY, I DID A PRESENTATION AT THE TEXAS, UM, AN AGING HIV AND AGING CONFERENCE BACK IN DECEMBER, AND THERE WAS A ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO MENTIONED KIND OF TAKING A STATUS NEUTRAL APPROACH.
AND I THINK WE WOULD LOVE TO TAKE THAT APPROACH IN THE FUTURE.
WHAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A QUESTIONNAIRE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD GO ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A STANDARDIZED TOOL THAT IS AN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WHO, YOU KNOW, CREATED THIS QUESTIONNAIRE.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE LOGISTICS OF HOW WE WOULD DO THAT, BUT I LOVE THAT IDEA AND DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO EXPLORE, I THINK, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE IF AFTER YOU'VE DONE THIS, UM, STUDY WHETHER THERE ARE CERTAIN QUESTIONS THAT, UM, HOLD TRUE AS BEING MORE INDICATIVE OF, UM, A PERCEPTION OF STIGMA FOR THE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING SERVICES.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, UM, WE'VE DONE SOME WORK AND PRESENTED IT TO FAST TRACK CITIES IN PARIS AT A PH ON PROVIDERS DOING, UM, TESTING OF ALL INDIVIDUALS BETWEEN THE AGES OF, UM, 15 AND 65, REGARDLESS OF RISK.
AND THERE'S BEEN A DECLINE IN TESTING.
AND SO, UM, MAYBE FOR FUTURE, JUST LOOKING AT THAT AS A POSSIBLE PLACE WHERE WE CAN HAVE SOME IMPACT IN MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE, UM, BEING TESTED SO THAT THEY WILL KNOW THEIR STATUS AND WE CAN MOVE TOWARD YOU EQUALS YOU.
AND WHILE THIS WON'T PROVIDE STATISTICALLY VALID DATA ON THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THE PEOPLE WE INTERVIEW, I THINK IT WILL PROVIDE US INSIGHTS BECAUSE WE ARE ASKING THEM ABOUT EXPERIENCE, THEY'VE EXPERIENCED EXPERIENCES THEY'VE HAD WITH STIGMA IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
AND WE SPECIFICALLY ADDED A QUESTION THAT RELATES TO THAT TO EXPLORE THAT IN OUR AREA.
SO I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS GONNA PROVIDE US SOME VALUABLE INSIGHTS THAT COULD BE A STARTER FOR MORE WORK IN THAT SPACE.
UH, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SCHEDULE SOMETHING, UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER YOU'VE ANALYZED THE, THE RESULT, IT, UH, I THINK IT ENGAGES AND EDUCATES THE COMMUNITY REALLY WELL.
AND I, I'LL ADD SOMETHING SINCE THE OTHER EX OFFICIOS ALSO SUSPECT, UM,
UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS AND I'M REALLY, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I THINK I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE RESULTS OF THE EFFORT TO, AND I THINK IT WILL HELP US, UM, DETERMINE HOW BEST WE CAN DO OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT TO OUR PATIENT POPULATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR COMING.
UH, AND FOR THIS PRESENTATION, UM, I DID SEE THAT YOU MENTIONED YOU MIGHT SEND US EMAILS, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE AS YOU CONTINUE THIS EFFORT.
[00:45:01]
MOVING ON[3. Presentation by David Clauss with American Youth Works on organizational structure, programs and services provided. ]
TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION.WE HAVE DAVID KLAUS, UH, WITH AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS ON ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES PROVIDED.
I'M THE CEO FOR AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH OUR TEAM.
WE'VE GOT, UM, IKA BORMAN IN THE BACK AND THESE GUYS WILL INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, BUT DAVID AND OIT HERE WITH ME AS WELL, UM, WHO ARE RUNNING THE PROGRAMS. I THOUGHT I'D GIVE YOU JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS BEFORE I KICK IT OVER AND WE DIVE DEEP INTO OUR HEALTH CORE PROGRAM.
UM, SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND ADDRESS YOU GUYS AND JUST SHARE SOME OF THE REALLY GREAT WORK THAT'S GOING ON FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ACCESS, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER INTO HEALTH CAREERS.
WELL, AMERICAN YOUTHWORKS WAS FOUNDED IN, UM, 1975 IN EAST AUSTIN, UH, SMALL HOUSE OVER ON THE EAST SIDE, 11TH AND NAV 12TH AND NAVASOTA, AND WE ARE SLIDING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, BUT, UH, REALLY FOCUSED ON GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE THEIR LIVES THROUGH EDUCATION, JOBS, TRAINING IN THE MOST IN DEMAND CAREER FIELDS IN OUR REGION, AS WELL AS, UM, SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE THOSE SKILLS WHILE MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TYPICALLY PAID.
UH, THEY'RE, WELL, THEY'RE ALL PAID TO, UH, AS THEY LEARN THESE SKILLS AND, AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE DO THESE, UH, A WHOLE VARIETY OF, OF, UM, CAREER TRAINING ASPECTS FROM, BUT THESE ARE ALL INTENDED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY WHILE THEY GAIN SKILLS AND CERTIFICATIONS THAT HELP IMPLEMENT THE, THE IN ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ADDRESSING THINGS LIKE HOMELESSNESS BY BUILDING HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS WHILE LEARNING CONSTRUCTION SKILLS AND, UM, HELPING, YOU KNOW, LOW INCOME FAMILIES WITH HOME REPAIRS.
WE, WE HAVE TEAMS OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT DO DISASTER RESPONSE WORK, UH, THAT, THAT DO CONSERVATION PROJECTS.
WE HAVE OTHERS THAT ARE, UM, ADDRESSING HEALTHCARE NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE'LL GET TO HEAR ABOUT A LOT IN JUST A MINUTE.
AND, AND OTHERS WHO ARE HELPING BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE FOR LOW INCOME FOLKS TO ACCESS, UM, THE INTERNET, UM, IT SKILLS AND TO ENTER CAREERS IN, IN IT.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GO ONE MORE BOOM THIS WAY.
SO, LIKE I SAID, WE STARTED IN 1975 AND, UM, AND WE'VE BEEN PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THE 50 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS BEING OUR 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, UH, OF SERVING YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HELPED OVER 10,000 YOUNG PEOPLE ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO ENTER CAREERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH THE, UM, PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER.
AND I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM STARTED IN 1997.
UH, THIS IS A, A REAL, A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED COUPLED WITH THE JOB SKILLS.
I'M GONNA LET DAVID TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO WE'LL GET DEEPER INTO THAT.
BUT THEN AROUND 2010, WE CREATED THE HEALTH CORE PROGRAM AND THAT, UH, ALLOWED PEOPLE TO, WE'VE REALLY SEEN THE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY.
AND SO WE EMBARKED ON THIS ENDEAVOR TO DO INTRODUCTORY CAREERS IN HEALTHCARE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ADVANCEMENT OF CAREERS WE'VE SPREAD OUT.
WE'VE, UH, NOW GOT PROGRAMS OPERATING IN LOUISIANA AND OKLAHOMA AND ARKANSAS.
UM, THESE, THESE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN REALLY EFFECTIVE AT HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE GET THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO THEN MOVE INTO CAREERS.
AND, UH, VERY EXCITING THAT THIS LAST YEAR WE STARTED, UH, UH, UH, OUR YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM EXPANDED INTO THE RURAL COMMUNITY AROUND HERE.
WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED A PROGRAM IN TAYLOR, TEXAS.
AND, UM, AND SO THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE FOR ME TO KICK THE MIC OVER TO DAVID CLAUS TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THE YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM.
AND THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING US.
AND LET ME SEE IF I, I'M SUPPOSED TO POINT IT THIS WAY AND YOU BACK UP THAT ONE.
[00:50:01]
THIS ONE? HEY.FORWARD OR HERE? YOU DID JUST GO TO THE RIGHT ONE.
SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US AND TO SHARE, UH, WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT OUR YOUTHBUILD PRO PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY OUR HEALTHCARE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, UH, KNOWN AS HEALTHCORP.
AND SO THE YOUTHBUILD PRE-APPRENTICESHIP MODEL IS, UH, FOCUSED AROUND, IT'S AN INTEGRATED EDUCATION AND TRAINING, UH, MODEL THAT INCLUDES, UM, UH, ACADEMICS, SO HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED PROGRAM COMBINED WITH, UM, UH, VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND THEN WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR YOUNG ADULTS WHO'VE EXPERIENCED BARRIERS TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING, UH, AND, UH, ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED, UH, ONCE THEY GET BACK INTO SCHOOL TO CONTINUE SUCCESSFULLY, UH, TOWARDS GRADUATION AND BEYOND.
UH, AND SO PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING IS A VERY UNIQUE, UH, EDUCATION AND TRAINING MODEL.
WE DO THIS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AS PART OF THEIR ADULT EDUCATION, UM, COMMUNITY CONSORTIUM.
AND SO OUR PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED AROUND THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
SO WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION IN THE SKILLED TRADES, HEALTHCARE, MANUFACTURING, AND IT PROGRAMS. AND, UH, AS PARK MENTIONED, THEY ARE UNIQUE IN THAT THEY ARE, THIS IS AN EARN AND LEARN PROGRAM.
SO ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, MANY OF WHOM HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN WORKING AND GOING TO SCHOOL NOW ARE ABLE TO COMBINE THOSE AND NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE THAT OR HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL AND THEN WORK A SECOND JOB AFTERWARDS AND ALLOWS 'EM TO FOCUS MORE ON SCHOOL.
IT'S ALSO COMBINES THAT HANDS-ON COMPONENT, SO IT'S NOT JUST IN A CLASSROOM, SAY IN OUR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM.
THEY'RE NOT JUST IN A CLASSROOM EARNING CERTIFICATIONS, WHICH THEY DO.
THEY'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKING MODELS OUT BEHIND THE SCHOOL BUILDING, BUT THEY'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HELPING, UH, UH, OUR COMMUNITY ADDRESS HEALTHCARE AND, UM, OTHER INEQUITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE DO THIS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO HEALTHCARE IS OUR PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THERE, UH, FOR, UH, THE HEALTHCARE, UM, UH, IN THE HEALTHCARE FIELD.
AND, UM, IT WAS LAUNCHED, UH, BACK IN 2010.
AND, UM, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY STARTED IT BACK THEN, IT FOCUSED ON THE CNA, UH, CERTIFICATION.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT OTHER YOUTHBUILD PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TYPICALLY, UM, DID, UH, IN HEALTHCARE.
UM, AND, UM, SO IN, UH, YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM, STUDENTS ARE SPENDING HALF OF THEIR DAYS IN, UH, ACADEMICS AND HALF OF THEIR DAYS IN THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING PORTION OF IT.
UM, AFTER, UH, AS PART OF THAT, AFTER THEY'VE GOTTEN THEIR CERTIFICATIONS, THEY USUALLY ARE DOING UP TO 300, AT LEAST 300 HOURS, UH, OF PRACTICAL SKILLS TRAINING ON COMMUNITY-BASED, UH, SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS.
UH, AND THEN WE COMBINE THAT WITH, UH, THE ADDITIONAL KINDS OF LEARNING THAT HELPS YOUNG ADULTS, UH, PREPARE FOR LIFE.
SO LIFE SKILLS, FINANCIAL LITERACY, EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING, PARENTING CLASSES, ALL SORTS OF KIND OF WRAPAROUND, UH, UH, PROGRAMS TO GO WITH THE BASIC ACADEMICS AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD OFFERED THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH AHEC, WE HAD OFFERED COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS AS KIND OF A SECONDARY THING, BUT, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC WE HAD TO PIVOT AND MAKE THAT OUR EXCLUSIVE FOCUS, UM, UH, FOR, FOR A VARIETY OF PRACTICAL REASONS IN TERMS OF DELIVERING THE TRAINING.
UM, BUT WHAT WE FOUND THAT WAS THAT IT WAS A REALLY, UM, UH, A, UH, A GREAT PIVOT MOMENT FOR US BECAUSE WE FOUND AS WE DELVED DEEPLY, AS WE FOCUSED MORE ON THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, UH, TRAINING, THAT THIS WAS A WAY TO INCORPORATE SO MUCH MORE INTO THEIR TRAINING THAT A CNA PROGRAM DOESN'T REALLY OPERATE.
WE'RE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
WE'RE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT HEALTHCARE INEQUITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKE THOSE PART OF THE CURRICULUM.
AND FOR YOUNG PEOPLE COMING FROM MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, UH, WHOSE LIFE HISTORY HAS OFTEN BEEN SEEN AS A LIABILITY OR A DEFICIT, THAT NOW BECOMES A STRENGTH FOR THEM AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THEIR ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH THAT COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE REALLY FOUND FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH WHO ARE PRIMARY FOCUS, THAT THIS WAS, UM, THIS WAS JUST, UH, UH, SO MUCH BETTER AND WE NEVER WENT BACK TO, TO C UH, CNAS.
AND THAT WE'VE NOW MADE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TRAINING THE FOCUS OF OUR, UH, TRAINING AND WHETHER THEY WANT TO GO ON IN A MORE CLINICAL, UH, UH, TRACK OR, OR STICK WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, IT REALLY PROVIDES THEM
[00:55:01]
WITH THAT BROAD BASED UNDERSTANDING OF HEALTHCARE THAT WE FELT WAS THE BEST KIND OF FOUNDATION TO OFFER THEM.AND SO, AND THEN IN 2010, UH, WE ADDED OUR FULL-TIME PUBLIC HEALTH AMERICORPS PROGRAM, UH, UH, TO THIS, UH, SO THAT WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES IN ADDITION TO FOLKS WHO HAVEN'T YET COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THE YOUNG PEOPLE WE WORK WITH ARE THE BASIC FOCUS FOR OUR HEALTH CORE PROGRAM.
UH, AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, WHO THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE.
UH, THEY'RE OUR PRIMARY CUSTOMERS IN ADDITION TO THOSE WE SERVE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THIS, OUR, AGAIN, OUR MAIN FOCUS IS ON THOSE 16 TO 24, BUT WITH NOW THE PUBLIC HEALTH AMERICORPS PROGRAMS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GO, UH, UP TO AGE 25.
I THINK OUR OLDEST ONE IS AGE ALMOST 40 NOW.
UM, AND THERE, AND YOU CAN SEE THERE, UH, ABOUT 70% OF OUR PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL, THE YOUTHBUILD HEALTH CORE PROGRAM.
AND THEN OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH CORE PROGRAM IS ABOUT 30% OF THOSE, UM, UH, IN THAT PROGRAM, UH, FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, UH, SOME OF WHOM ARE GRADUATING OUT OF THE YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM INTO THAT PROGRAM.
AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, THIS IS KIND OF, UH, SOME DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWNS THERE.
UH, OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, 94% OF THEM, UH, TEND TO BE, UH, LOW INCOME, 200% OF, UH, FPIG, UM, OR, OR LOWER.
AND THEN, UH, PREDOMINANTLY FEMALE AND HISPANIC, UH, BUT AGAIN, UH, A BROADER RANGE OF, OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THERE AS WELL.
UM, AND WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, WORKED ON GETTING THOSE NON-TRADITIONAL, ESPECIALLY MALE, UH, YOUNG, UH, YOUNG MEN, UH, INTO THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO AS SATAN TO DIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPER INTO THE, THE DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, PARK AND DAVID FOR STARTING US OFF.
UM, I MAY RELY ON NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, BECAUSE THIS IS SCARING ME, UM,
UM, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW SLIDES, SO I'M GONNA KIND OF GO OFF OF THEM AND CARRY ON THAT WAY.
SO, FIRST OF ALL, MY NAME'S ASAN.
I'M THE PUBLIC HEALTH AMERICORPS COORDINATOR FROM 2023 TO 2024, AND I AM NOW THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE COORDINATOR FOR THIS YEAR'S TERM.
UM, THE CURRENT SLIDE WE HAVE THAT REFLECTS OUR PARTNERSHIPS, UM, A LOT OF OUR WORK THAT WE DO WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE HAVE TWO FACETS TO IT.
ONE IS GOING TO BE BRINGING THE COMMUNITY INTO OUR AGENCY, AND THE OTHER ARE MEMBERS GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THIS WAS ORIGINALLY ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, BUT I'LL TAKE IT.
SO, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE BY VIN HEALTH, UM, THE RED CROSS, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THEM TO COME TO THE SCHOOLS AND PROVIDE RESOURCE AND INFORMATION TO OUR CL UM, OUR MEMBERS AS WELL AS TO ALSO ALSO FUNCTION AS A HOST SITE.
SO, UM, WE ALLOW THEM TO HAVE CERTAIN DAYS WHERE THEY COME IN AND THEY PROVIDE THEIR SERVICES.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN SIGN UP TO DONATE OR TO GET TESTING DONE, AND IT JUST ALSO ALLOWS OUR STUDENTS TO ALSO HAVE EXPOSURE TO HOW THOSE PROCESSES SHOULD BE, UM, TO HELP BOOST THEIR INFORMATION UNDERSTANDING.
UM, WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD AS WELL TO PROVIDE EDUCATION RESOURCES, UM, AS WELL AS AHEC CAPITAL REGION.
UM, SO THEY ARE THE MAIN BODY UNDER WHICH WE ARE CERTIFYING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, BUT THEY ALSO HELP THE STUDENTS GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AND HEALTH.
UM, LAST IN THAT CATEGORY WOULD BE STOP THE BLEED COALITION.
SO, UM, OUR INSTRUCTOR COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY, HE IS TEACHING MEMBERS, UM, BUT HE'S CERTIFIED AND COLLABORATES WITH THAT COALITION TO PROVIDE STOP THE BLEED TRAINING TO ALL OF OUR MEMBERS AS WELL.
NOW, IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH THAT WE DO, UM, A LARGE PORTION OF OUR MEMBERS' HOURS THAT THEY EARN IN OUR TERM IS SERVICE-BASED.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY CARE EXTERNSHIP WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS IN THE EXTERNSHIP, ONE OF WHICH WILL BE GRADUATING SOON.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HER A BIT MORE LATER.
UM, WE ALSO WORK WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AS WELL.
SO MEMBERS GO OUT AND DO GROUP SERVICE THERE AND JUST CONTRIBUTE TO HELP, UM, ADDRESSING THE FOOD DISPARITIES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, ONE OF OUR MAJOR PARTNERS IS WITH AUSTIN TRAVIS, EMS. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE AUSTIN TRAVIS MS POPUP RESOURCE CLINICS.
UM, WE GO OUT REGULARLY WHENEVER THEY HAVE MONTHLY POPUPS, AND WE'RE WORKING THERE WITH PATIENT NAVIGATORS, AND OUR STUDENTS REALLY THRIVE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.
AND OUR STUDENTS REALLY THRIVE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO DO DIRECT AND HANDS-ON SERVICE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR TRANSITIONING.
UM, SO HERE WE HAVE A PHOTO OF SOME OF OUR MEMBERS, UM, BUT THEY, THEY REALLY ENJOY WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY, BEING ABLE TO HEAR THEIR STORIES AND UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF CLIENTS AND THAT HANDS-ON DIRECT ELEMENT.
UM, AGAIN, LIKE DAVID MENTIONED, CLASSROOM LEARNING IS AMAZING, BUT IT'S REALLY GREAT TO GIVE THEM THAT HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE.
AND WE'VE BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR MAYBE THE PAST OH, FIVE, SIX YEARS DOING POP-UP CLINICS.
UM, SO HERE IS A QUOTE, UM, FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS WITH VIANT HEALTH.
UM, BUT AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, UM, THEY COME INTO OUR SPACE AND THEY PROVIDE, UM, TESTING SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE JUST OPERATE AS A HOST SITE FOR THEM, UM, TO
[01:00:01]
PROVIDE MORE TESTING SERVICES.ONTO MY SPECIALTY COMMUNITY HEALTH CORE.
SO, UM, WE INITIALLY STARTED AS PART OF A PUBLIC HEALTH AMERICORPS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CDC AS WELL AS AMERICORPS.
UM, THE TWO MAIN GOALS BEING TO ADDRESS HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES, AS WELL AS TO ALSO OPERATE TO PROVIDE THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO REGIONAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ACTUALLY ENTER HEALTHCARE AND ADDRESS THOSE DISPARITIES DIRECTLY.
SO NOT JUST HAVING PEOPLE EXTERNALLY COME IN, DO A SERVICE TERM, AND THEN KIND OF CARRY ON, BUT ALLOW THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GET THEIR RESOURCES AND TRAINING AND SKILLS AND SERVICE THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE AND CONTINUE ADDRESSING THEIR COMMUNITY NEEDS.
UM, SO WE HAVE MEMBERS SERVING 1700 HOURS, WHICH IS A FULL-TIME TERM OF SERVICE, ROUGHLY ABOUT A YEAR.
AND THEY ARE PLACED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AFTER ROUGHLY A MONTH OF ORIENTATION, SO TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION WITH THEIR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TRAINING TO THEN GO OUT AND SERVE IN COMMUNITY CENTERS.
THAT COULD BE WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT COULD BE IN, UM, COMMUNITY OUTREACH CENTERS, THAT COULD BE WITHIN CLINICS, UM, ANYWHERE REALLY THAT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH DISPARITIES.
SO WE'VE HAD VARIOUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, THIS IS OFFICIALLY OUR SECOND YEAR IN OUR PROGRAM.
UM, LAST YEAR WAS OUR PILOT YEAR.
AND SO, UM, WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, I HAVE SEVERAL OF THEM LISTED HERE, SOME PHOTOS FROM VOLUNTEERING AND SERVICE THAT'S TAKEN PLACE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A VERY INFORMATIVE AND ENCOURAGING EXPERIENCE SO FAR WORKING WITH THE MEMBERS.
UM, THEY TAKE A LOT OF JOY FROM THE SERVICE TERM THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN.
UM, MOST OF OUR MEMBERS GO ON TO EITHER WORK IN HEALTHCARE SPECIFICALLY OR TO PURSUE DEGREES IN HEALTHCARE.
AND FOR THOSE WHO DON'T PURSUE THAT, UM, PARTICULAR PATHWAY, UM, A LOT OF THEM HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN COMING BACK TO CONTINUE ANOTHER SERVICE YEAR, EITHER IN THE SAME SPACE WHERE THEY SERVED BEFORE OR IN A DIFFERENT FACET, JUST OUT OF THEIR GENUINE CURIOSITY AND PASSION TO CONTINUE IN THE HEALTH FIELD.
SO, UM,
SO, UM, PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LOOK.
UM, IN OUR FIRST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES TO OVER 1,600 CLIENTS.
UM, OUR MEMBERS COMPLETED OVER 15,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WE'VE NOT ONLY MET, BUT EXCEEDED OUR METRICS FROM THE FIRST YEAR.
UM, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH ON TRACK TO DO THE SAME FOR THIS YEAR AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE HAD OUR MEMBERS PRIMARILY SERVING, UM, I WOULD SAY WE'RE ROUGHLY EVENLY SPLIT BETWEEN SERVICES FOR, UM, FAMILIES AND YOUTHS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH, UM, AUSTIN VOICES WITH, UM, A ISD SCHOOLS, OR THAT'S THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH CENTERS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF OUR RESOURCES GOING TO ADDRESS, UM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCING, UM, HOMELESSNESS.
SO HERE WE HAVE A QUOTE, UM, FROM ONE OF OUR MEMBERS SITES.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE MEMBERS WORK REALLY WELL WITH OUR STAFF AND SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL TO HELP FAMILIES APPLY FOR STATE BENEFITS.
THEY WORK AS A TEAM, ARE RESPONSIBLE, ACCOUNTABLE, AND DO THEIR WORK REALLY WELL.
FAMILIES ARE BEING CONNECTED TO MEDICAL MEDICAID AND SNAP, WHICH IS LIFE CHANGING.
AND I HAVE TWO OF OUR MEMBERS SHOWN HERE.
UM, I HAVE MARIA WHO WORKS WITH THEIR FAMILIES, UM, IN NORTH AUSTIN AS WELL AS AMERICA.
AND THEY'VE BEEN WITH OUR PROGRAM NOW, MARIA, GOING ON TWO YEARS, AND AMERICA, THIS IS HER FIRST TERM.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE QUOTES FROM MISSION ACCOMPLISHED AND ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, ON DAYS WHERE WE ARE SHORT STAFFED, OUR CHC JUMP IN AND MULTITASK.
CH HC IS COMMUNITY HEALTH CORE MEMBER FOR SHORT.
UM, THEY'RE ALWAYS ENGAGED WITH NEW VOLUNTEERS AND DEMONSTRATE EXCELLENT SERVICE WITH CLIENTS.
THEY CONTINUE TO BE A VITAL PART OF OUR TEAM, AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT IS NEXT LEVEL.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO MEMBERS ACTIVELY SERVING WITH MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
UM, THIS IS THEIR SECOND YEAR AS OUR PARTNER WITH US, AND IT'S JUST BEEN AMAZING TO SEE THE MEMBERS GROW, UM, TO SEE HOW THE COMMUNITY HAS RESPONDED TO THEIR SERVICE.
THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THEM, THEY'RE VERY COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH THEM.
UM, I ACTUALLY WENT TO VISIT SITE TODAY, UM, WITH MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, AND I HAD A WHOLE HOUR CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THEIR SUPERVISORS.
AND, UM, JUST REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC AND EXCITED TO SEE HOW FAR THE MEMBER HAS PROGRESSED, AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW SHE'LL GROW IN THE COMING YEAR AS WELL.
UM, CONTINUING WITH AWESOME PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE STILL HAVE, UM, QUITE A FEW SLIDES, BUT, UM, WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS CURRENTLY SERVING WITH AWESOME PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, IN THE COMING MONTH, WE'LL LIKELY HAVE FIVE MEMBERS ACTIVELY SERVING BETWEEN THE ST.
JOHN'S EAST, NEIGHBORHOOD, BLACKLAND, AND SOUTH LOCATIONS.
AND SO, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE GOOD UPDATES FOR Y'ALL WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
SO THESE ARE A LITTLE HARDER TO SEE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE AT HOME, UM, FEEL FREE TO ZOOM 'EM IN.
UM, BUT EARLIER WE HAD SLIDES WITH CERTAIN STUDENTS.
UM, THESE ARE ALL MEMBERS WHO GRADUATED FROM OUR PROGRAM, HAVE HAD EXEMPLARY SERVICE DURING THEIR, UM, CLASSROOM AS WELL AS THEIR EXTERNSHIP.
UM, ONE OF OUR MEMBERS IN PARTICULAR, HONESTY IS ACTUALLY EXTERNING WITH COMMUNITY CARE.
[01:05:01]
AND, UM, SHE'S ABOUT TO FINISH HER SERVICE, AND IT ACTUALLY HAS A JOB OFFER.SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS HERE.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, THE BREADTH OF TRAINING AND SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE AT A YW AND THROUGH YOUR PARTNERS.
UM, BEFORE WE OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS, I'M CURIOUS, BASED ON THE PRESENTATION, IF YOU COULD COMMENT A LITTLE BIT ON HOW YOU THINK THE COMMISSION CAN, UH, BEST SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR WORK? SURE.
UM, THE, UH, I, I THINK YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, THE YOUTHBUILD AND A YW TRAINING MODEL IS VERY COMMUNITY ENGAGED AND COMMUNITY BASED.
SO WE CAN'T DO THIS TRAINING MODEL WITHOUT COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WHETHER THAT'S AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN VOICES, OR THE OTHER BLACK MOUNT HEALTH CLINIC, THE, THE, THE VARIETY OF PARTNERS.
SO AS WE LOOK TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM MODEL, WE WILL CONTINUE TO NEED TO EXPAND OUR PORTFOLIO, UH, OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, WHO, WHO CAN, UH, PROVIDE THAT, UM, KIND OF, UM, SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR A YOUNG PERSON WHO'S STARTING OUT ON THEIR HEALTHCARE CAREER, CAN PROVIDE, UH, MEANINGFUL WORK FOR THEM TO DO, HELPING THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO IN A WAY WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GET, UH, SUPPORTIVE SUPERVISION AND MENTORSHIP TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING AS A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL.
SO, UH, FINDING PARTNERS THAT, UH, HAVE THAT, THAT MIX OF, UM, UH, ELEMENTS FOR US IS, IS ONE OF OUR KEY, UH, KEYS TO CONTINUING TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM.
SO, ANY SUGGESTIONS, UH, OF, UM, PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BE GOOD PLACEMENT SITES FOR OUR, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, IS ALWAYS VALUABLE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S WAYS FOR THE CITY TO, UM, THIS IS A PAID TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, AS WE EXPAND THE PROGRAM, WE, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE, UH, FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FROM ONE STAR FOUNDATION, UH, AND FROM, UH, GREATER TEXAS FOUNDATION, UM, AND OTHERS.
BUT, UM, WE DON'T GET ANY DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL KNOW OF WAYS THAT WE COULD APPROACH THAT, UH, I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE MUCH MORE, UM, EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS WITHIN THE CITY.
SO ANY ADVICE Y'ALL WOULD HAVE IN THAT, UH, RESPECT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
UH, I WORK FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, FULL DISCLOSURE IN THE IMMUNIZATIONS UNIT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU IT'S BEEN A ROUGH COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, JUST FUNDING WISE.
SO IT'S VERY INSPIRING TO HEAR WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING AND THAT Y'ALL ARE MAKING A GREAT DIFFERENCE, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH.
SO, UH, I'M GLAD THAT Y'ALL WERE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT.
UM, YOU MENTIONED YOU DON'T RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE CITY.
WHAT ABOUT FROM THE COUNTY? UH, WE DO HAVE A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT WITH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY THROUGH TRAVIS COUNTY, HHS, UM, AND, UH, UH, I THINK, AND, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR THE YOUTHBUILD, UH, TRAINING PROGRAM.
AND PART OF THAT DOES HELP, UH, PROVIDE FOR THE YOUTHBUILD, UH, FOR THE HEALTH CORE PROGRAM.
AND THEN YOU, UH, REQUESTED POTENTIAL SITES OR WHATEVER OPPORTUNITIES? UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS.
NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S MADE UP OF VOLUNTEERS, UH, TO ASSIST A PH OFTEN WITH IMMUNIZATION CLINICS OR OTHER THINGS WE HAVE GOING ON OR TO HELP RESPOND TO DISASTERS.
UH, SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN, IN EXPLORING.
YEAH, WE, IF YOU HAVE A CONTACT WITH THAT PROGRAM, UH, WE'D LOVE TO, TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND, AND, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.
I, I KEEP MY COMMENTS SOMEWHAT RESERVED.
UH, I DO SIT ON THE BOARD FOR THEM, AND AS THEY MENTIONED, UH, WE DO HAVE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DOING THEIR HOURS AT BLACK MEN'S HEALTH CLINIC.
SO, UM, I WON'T ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR PROGRAM, BUT I DID WANT TO AT LEAST HIGHLIGHT AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS, UH, WORKING WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TRANSPARENCY.
OUR, OUR TEAM WAS KIND OF LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHY AND IS ADDED WORK, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE SOMEONE NEW ON, UH, BUT EVEN DIRECTLY FROM DONNIE, DOMINIQUE COLEMAN, WHO'S OUR, UM, NAVIGATION MANAGER, IT WAS LIKE, HEY, THIS, ONCE THEY FIGURED IT OUT, THIS WAS A DEFINITELY ADDED RESOURCE AND BANDWIDTH.
AND I PERSONALLY DON'T KNOW, AND MAYBE Y'ALL DO, I I PERSONALLY DON'T KNOW OF OTHER RESOURCES WHERE IT'S NOT JUST TRAINING INDIVIDUALS INTO A NEW PROFESSION,
[01:10:01]
BUT IT'S, IT'S ALSO GIVING A RESOURCE OR PROVIDING A RESOURCE TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS ALSO TRYING TO PROVIDE A SERVICE.AND I KNOW THERE'S, AND, AND AGAIN, COMMISSIONER LUHAN, YOU PROBABLY, THIS IS DEFINITELY YOUR SPACE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE CHW TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS, I KNOW IT'S EITHER YOU ARE ALREADY WITH AN ORGANIZATION AND YOU'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT TRAINING OR YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THAT TRAINING TO THEN TRY TO BE ABLE TO GET A JOB.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I LIKE AT LEAST ABOUT THIS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LEVERAGING RESOURCES.
IN A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD IN JUST AROUND CHWS AND BEING ABLE TO GET MORE CHWS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE A WAY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY NOT KNOW THE BENEFIT OF HAVING
UH, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, LESS OF A, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CREDENTIAL TO BE ABLE TO GET THE JOB.
AND MORE OF ME SEEING THE INDIVIDUAL, SEEING WHAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF WHILE THEY'RE GETTING A CREDENTIAL, THAT POTENTIALLY LEADS ME TO WANTING TO OPEN ADDITIONAL DOORS FOR THEM OR CARVE OUT FUNDING.
SO WHEN THEY DO GET DONE, I'M PROBABLY GONNA BRING THEM ON.
COMMISSIONER WALLACE, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
I DO THANK, ACTUALLY, THIS PLACE IS EVEN THE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH BOARD AND COMMISSIONERS IN A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY SINCE YOU DO SIT IN THAT BOARD.
UM, BUT I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, I THINK, UM, I KNOW MS. ASAN, UM, WE GOT TO WORK TOGETHER WHEN I USED TO BE WITH UT, UM, I GOT TO SHARE MY FEEDBACK WITH HER ON SOME OF THE CLIENTS.
UM, I WAS, WHEN I SAW THAT EMAIL COME THROUGH FOR INTERNSHIPS, I WAS ECSTATIC AND REPLIED RIGHT AWAY AND SIGNED UP.
BUT I'VE SHARED MY, MY VIEWS AND, UM, MY CERTAIN CONCERNS THAT WE HAD.
UM, BUT THE PRO, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IS AMAZING.
THERE'S A REASON WHY YOU GUYS ARE STILL STANDING FOR 50 YEARS AND WITHOUT CERTAIN FUNDING, LIMITED FUNDING.
SO, AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS AMAZING WORK.
UM, THERE IS JUST PARTICULAR THINGS THAT I DO FEEL THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED SOMETIMES WITH, WITH, UH, LIKE YOU MENTIONED ABOUT WHO ARE YOUR STUDENTS.
I'VE BEEN THERE MYSELF COMING SOME, UH, COMING FROM SOMEONE FROM THE PROJECTS, UM, FROM EL PASO, UH, BEING PUT IN PROGRAMS THAT COME DO, LIKE, THINK THE FIRST PROGRAM I WAS PUT IN WAS CALL CENTER WHEN ALL THE CALL CENTERS WERE BEING BROUGHT TO THE BORDER.
UM, WHICH I FEEL THAT THIS IS KIND OF ALMOST LIKE WHEN THERE'S A BIG NEED BASED ON COVID.
WE, WE STARTED, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, BIG BUZZ.
I KNOW WHAT IT IS TO COME INTO SOME OF THESE, UM, NEW AREAS THAT WE ARE EX UM, EXPOSED TO.
UH, SOMETIMES WE COME WITH SYS LIKE CERTAIN THOUGHT PROCESSES THAT SOMETIMES WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO UNBLOCK THOSE TO BE ABLE TO REALLY RECEIVE ALL THE BENEFITS OF SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES THAT ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
LIKE YOU SAID, WE, WE ARE CONSIDERED, UM, DISPOSABLE BECAUSE WE'RE OF WHERE WE COME FROM, OF OUR POVERTY AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH LACK OF EDUCATION AND, AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND EXPOSURE.
SO DEFINITELY, I, I BELIEVE SO MUCH IN YOUR MISSION ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THE APPROACH THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN.
UM, BUT I, AGAIN, I'VE, I'VE SHARED WITH AS SATAN, SOME OF OUR, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID GO THROUGH, I THINK THAT SHE IS, UM, THE PROGRAM IS AMAZING HOW YOU INCORPORATE ALL THE, UH, THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
IT'S NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
AND I'VE ALSO SAID THIS BEFORE IN THIS COMMISSION, IS THAT WE CAN'T COOKIE CUT FOR, UH, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
IT'S A, IT'S A HEART AND SOUL THING.
AND WE NEED TO STOP USING THE BUZZWORD AS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER AND ALL THE, THE FUNDING THAT THERE IS IN PLACE TO KIND OF LIKE BUILD THIS WHOLE, UH, LIKE A WHOLE THING OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY DEALING WITH COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING HURT.
AND BECAUSE WE ARE THAT, UM, INDIVIDUAL THAT IS BUILDING THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH IT, IF IT'S AT THE CLINIC, WE'RE THE PERSON THAT IS ACTUALLY BUILDING THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CLIENT TO BE ABLE TO FIND RESOURCES BECAUSE THE, THE DOCTOR ONLY HAD 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO COME AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR DIAGNOSIS, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FIND THEM RESOURCES, APPLY FOR RESOURCES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT COMES WITH
[01:15:01]
THAT.SO WE BUILD A RAPPORT WITH THE CLIENT.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UM, HOW WE APPROACH, UM, CREATING SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS FOR THE CORRECT INDIVIDUALS.
NOT THAT IT'S NOT TEACHABLE OR EXPOSED, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES NOT EVERYBODY IS CUT TO BE A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
THE LAST THING WE WANNA PLACE SOMEBODY IS BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING PAID OR, UH, WE LET, WE GIVE THEM A GLIMPSE OF HOPE OF, OF COMING OUT OF POVERTY OR A, A FINANCIAL SITUATION THAT WE PUT 'EM IN A POSITION THAT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT READY FOR.
AND THE LAST THING WE WANNA DO AS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IS HURT OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE BUILD THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY HARD FOR SOMEBODY THAT I AM A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WITH AGENCY OR WITHOUT AGENCY.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORK WITHOUT BEING ATTACHED TO AN AGENCY AND THEN AFTER BEING ATTACHED TO AN AGENCY.
SO, UM, I FEEL THAT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IS AMAZING.
AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE PUTTING ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS ON THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, LIKE, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'RE PUT IN, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER SHOULD BE MORE ROUNDED, RIGHT? LIKE FOR ME, IN MY LIVED EXPERIENCES, I HAVE PEER SUPPORT, I HAVE MENTAL HEALTH, I HAVE SUPER LIKE, AND THEN I HAVE THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, AND I'M ABLE TO UTILIZE TWO OF THOSE HATS WHEN I AM DEALING WITH THE COMMUNITY OR CLIENTS, CLIENTS.
AND SO THE APPROACH THAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE IS AMAZING.
I JUST DO WANT TO, UM, JUST MAKE THAT REALLY CLEAR AND I'VE MADE IT CLEAR BEFOREHAND, IS THAT WE CANNOT COOKIE CUT A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARTHA, AND, UM, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
UM, I DID, UH, WANTED TO ADD LIKE A COMMENT TO YOUR RESPONSE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR ALWAYS ADVOCATING SO STRONGLY FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, IT'S TRULY SOMETHING AMAZING.
AND, UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SPEAK TO, UM, THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAD PROVIDED TO ME IN THE PAST, ALONG WITH OTHER FEEDBACK FROM DIFFERENT PARTNER SITES.
UM, WE HAVE COMPILED THAT FEEDBACK AND UTILIZED IT TO PERFORM EVEN BETTER THIS YEAR WITH OUR SERVICE.
SO WE'VE HAD EVEN BETTER OUTCOMES IN TERMS OF OUR METRICS, IN TERMS OF CLIENT SATISFACTION, UM, IN TERMS OF CLOSING GAPS IN BETWEEN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MYSELF, PARTNER SITES AND MEMBERS AND THEIR NEEDS.
UM, IN TERMS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDED COMPONENTS OF HAVING MORE SERVICE BEFORE MEMBERS ARE PLACED ON SITE THAT SUPERVISE SO THAT WE CAN SEE HOW THEY TRANSITION TO HAVING TO KIND OF MOVE INDEPENDENTLY OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM SETTING OR A GROUP SETTING.
UM, SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ADDING THAT, AND I ALSO WANT YOU TO SPEAK TO THOSE THINGS AS WELL.
AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO DAVID.
I THINK YOU COVERED IT VERY WELL,
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE.
AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE WORK YOU DO ON THIS COMMISSION.
UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES TO REALLY STEP FORWARD AND, AND HELP DRIVE OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS, UH, FOR WHAT YOU DO AS COMMISSIONERS.
[4. Discuss draft recommendations on harm reduction outreach and heat-related illness prevention.]
ON TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSS DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS ON HARM REDUCTION OUTREACH AND HEAT RELATED ILLNESS PREVENTION.HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE DRAFTS THAT COMMISSIONER DOHA PUT TOGETHER.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY SHE'S NOT HERE TO PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UH, BUT WE, WE HAVE THIS IN THE AGENDA AND SO I THINK WE CAN OPEN IT UP FOR ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR FEEDBACK.
WE CAN START WITH THE HARM REDUCTION OUTREACH.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT MY EMAIL WAS ON THAT ONE.
I CAN START WITH SOME, UH, KIND OF GENERAL COMMENTS, UH, THAT I HAD FROM COMMISSIONER, UH, POINDEXTER, SOME OF WHICH WERE TO CONSIDER ADDING QUANTITATIVE DATA, UH, TO HAVE KIND OF A MORE SPECIFIC ASK.
HOW MANY PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS, WHERE WOULD THEY WORK, THE CITY, THE COUNTY, UM, WHAT ARE THE PRIORITY AREAS TO DISPERSE THEM TO? AND THEN MAYBE IF WE HAD A DOLLAR AMOUNT, IT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL JUST TO ALIGN WITH HOW OTHER, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PUT TOGETHER.
AND THEN FINALLY SOME EXAMPLES OR CONNECTIONS TO PROGRAMS OR INSTITUTIONS FOR ITEM THREE HERE.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE RANDOM BUSINESSES KIND OF SIGNING UP FOR IT.
UH, MINE WAS WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS, WE HAVE DISCOUNTS AND WE HAVE AT NO COST AROUND CHW.
[01:20:01]
NOTHING AROUND PEER SUPPORT.YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR PEER SUPPORT.
UM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE'S PROBABLY ADDING IN A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CITY OR THE COUNTY CREATES A PEER SUPPORT TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, THAT HELPS TO COVER THAT COST.
UM, SO MORE PEOPLE CAN GET PEER SUPPORT TRAINING, UM, VERSUS, UH, I THINK, UM, THERE'S, THERE WAS TWO ORGANIZATIONS.
COMMUNITY RECOVERY LOOKS LIKE THEY MAY HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP ON THERE BY NCI ON THEIR WEBSITE WHERE YOU APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP.
AND THEN PEER ACADEMY HAD HAD, UH, WAS ONE.
BUT YOU CAN GET CHW FROM THE STATE IF YOU HAVE YOUR THOUSAND HOURS.
YOU CAN DO SOAR ONLINE IF YOU DO THE 20 HOURS, RIGHT? FIRST AID IS PROVIDED BY INTEGRAL CARE AND OTHERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, CHW TRAINING IS PROVIDED PERIODICALLY BY, UM, UH, I THINK IT IS COMMUNITY CARE CENTER HEALTH OR SOME OTHER ENTITIES, RIGHT? BUT PEER SUPPORT SEEMS TO BE THE MAIN ONE WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE 800, $900, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THAT TRAINING.
AND DO YOU ENVISION THIS AS PART OF THE SAME RECOMMENDATION OR KIND OF A SEPARATE NO, I THINK ADDED IN THERE MM-HMM
BECAUSE PEER SUPPORT IS A PIECE AROUND THAT HARM REDUCTION ASPECT.
SO I THINK IF WE'RE ASKING FOR FUNDING, ASK FOR FUNDING AND BE ABLE TO SAY, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY TANGIBLE THERE.
WE'RE GETTING MORE PEOPLE CERTIFIED CREDENTIALED.
WE'RE MAKING IT EASIER FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO TAP IN AND GET MORE PEOPLE CERTIFIED AND CREDENTIALED IN, UH, WITHIN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS.
AND IT CAN ALSO BECOME SOMETHING THAT IS A ROI TO THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
I THINK THAT THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
UM, MAYBE TO SUPPORT COMMISSIONER DOHA, IF YOU COULD, UM, KIND OF PUT TOGETHER SOME VERBIAGE FOR THAT AND PROVIDE IT TO COMMISSIONER DOHA SO SHE CAN, UH, INCORPORATE THAT TO THE NEXT DRAFT.
MY ONLY QUESTION AT THE MOMENT IS SHE REFERS TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS.
IS THAT FEDERAL? IS THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH? IS THAT AUSTIN? TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
SO IF WE JUST GET CLARIFICATION ON WHO SHE'S REFERRING TO.
UH, WE'LL NOTE IT FOR COMMISSIONER DHA TO PROVIDE KIND OF A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, INFORMATION THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, PEOPLE ONLINE, WE WANNA ADD SOMETHING ALSO FOR VIA HOPE OR MAYBE INVITE SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ON HOW THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT US BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW THAT PEER SUPPORT IS MEDICAID BILLABLE AND AS CHW, UM, PEER SUPPORT ACTUALLY HAS BEEN PEER, UM, MEDICAID AND INSURANCE BILLABLE FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, MAYBE WE WOULD INVITE SOME OF THEM JUST TO SEE, UM, TO KIND OF PICK THEIR BRAIN ON HOW THEY SEE THAT THIS IS A STATE CERTIFICATION.
IT ACTUALLY ALMOST HAS THE SAME COMPONENTS AS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, EXCEPT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER HAS MORE HOURS.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A WHOLE TRAINING.
UM, THEY'VE ADDED A COURT TRAINING FOR PEER, WHICH IS THREE DAYS.
AND THEN AFTER THAT YOU GO AHEAD AND CHOOSE.
IT COULD BE THE MENTAL HEALTH, THE RECOVERY, UM, OR THE CERTIFIED FAMILY PARTNER.
UM, I FEEL CERTIFIED FAMILY PARTNER IS, UM, DEALING BEING A PARENT OF, OR A GUARDIAN OF SOMEONE THAT HAS, UM, HAS DEALT WITH A CHILD OR A MINOR WITH MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS AND HOW TO NAVIGATE.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE A LITTLE BIT CORRELATE WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER ON HELPING ON RESOURCES.
BUT IF WE WANNA MAKE THIS LIKE, UM, SOME OF THEM THEY DO HAVE, UM, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE, HOLD ON.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS, UM, IN HUDDLE AND THEY ALSO DO THAT.
THEY ALSO DO, UM, WELL ACTUALLY THEY DO COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, BUT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE SCHOLARSHIPS.
AND YEAH, MOST OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ASK FOR SCHOLARSHIPS OR IF NOT, YOU HAVE TO PAY.
UM, BUT IT IS WHEN, I GUESS WHEN THEY SAY HC, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A STATE CERTIFICATION TOO, AND EVERY TWO YEARS YOU HAVE TO, UM, ALSO DO THE CONTINUING EDUCATION WITH 20 A YEAR AND THEN SUBMIT IT EVERY TWO YEARS WITH A BACKGROUND CHECK.
AN FBI BACKGROUND CHECK EVERY TWO YEARS.
COMMISSIONER LUHAN, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
IF YOU COULD PROVIDE THE NAME OF THOSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS, MAYBE TO DANNY, AND THEN WE CAN PROVIDE THAT TO, UH, COMMISSIONER DHA AND TO INCLUDE AS WELL AS, UM, ANY ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION SPECIFICALLY TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
[01:25:01]
YES.AND, UM, COMMISSIONER LUHAN, YOU, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT I'M WONDERING IF THIS DRAFT CONTEMPLATES, YOU TALKED ABOUT FAMILY SUPPORT.
UM, SO I'M WONDERING DOES THIS JUST REFLECT OUR INTENT, INTENT TO HAVE PEER SUPPORT FOR ADULTS, OR ARE WE ALSO EXPANDING THAT INTO FAMILIES AND CHILDREN? BOTH ARE VERY NECESSARY.
FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW I'M WITH LIFEWORKS AND I AM ACTUALLY DOING THE, UH, WE JUST OPENED A YOUTH DROP IN.
SO, UM, WE ARE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE KIDDOS FROM THE SHELTER AND ANYBODY CAN DROP IN.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY PROBATION, UM, AGENCY TO LIKE JUST HAVE THE KIDDOS DROP IN.
UM, OUR STAGE IS FROM 13 TO 17, BUT THEN WE ALSO DO HAVE A CERTIFIED FAMILY PARTNER, WHICH A LOT OF TIMES WE DO NEED TO INCORPORATE BOTH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE MENTAL HEALTH ASPECT, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU ALSO AS A LIVED EXPERIENCE, IF I KNEW SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT I KNOW NOW BASED ON EVEN MY OWN STAFF, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, UM, THEY KNOW MORE, A LOT OF, MORE OF THESE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING BASED ON THEIR ROLE IS I COULD HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THE, THE SERVICES FOR SOME OF MY YOUTH WHEN THEY WERE IN SCHOOL WHERE THEY COULDN'T CONCENTRATE OR THEY COULDN'T DO CERTAIN TASKS AND BE, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET DIAGNOSED BEFOREHAND, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF JUST LIKE, JUST YEARS.
THEY'LL GROW OUT OF IT, GROW OUT OF IT.
SO I THINK IF WE CAN INCORPORATE BOTH, THAT WOULD BE ESSENTIAL BECAUSE THAT'S ALMOST LIKE A WRAPAROUND, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE PARENT ON HOW TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE RESOURCES AND WHERE THEY CAN FIND, 'CAUSE I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU, EVEN MYSELF BEING A PERSON OF RESOURCES, ANYTHING THAT CAME DOWN TO MENTAL HEALTH, NOT ONLY THAT, IT'S SO HARD TO FIND ANYTHING FOR MENTAL HEALTH, UM, WITH MEDICAID OR ANYTHING.
I FEEL THAT IF WE CAN INCORPORATE BOTH, IT WOULD BE VERY ESSENTIAL.
THE CERTIFIED FAMILY PARTNER, I THINK IT'S DONE BY, UH, PEER FORCE AND I THINK THEY, THAT, UM, I THINK THERE'S A HANDFUL OF THEM IN TEXAS, IN TEXAS, A HANDFUL OF CERTIFIED FAMILY PARTNERS.
SO IT'S VERY, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG NEED FOR THE CERTIFIED FAMILY PARTNER.
UM, ALSO I CAN ALWAYS HAVE SOMEBODY THAT HAS BEEN WRITING POLICY WITH HHSC AND ACTUALLY IS THE PERSON THAT, WHO IS MY SUPERVISOR, CHELSEA BIGGERSTAFF, WHO HAS BEEN THE ONE THAT HAS CREATED THIS, UM, PROGRAM, UM, AND HAS MORE BETTER KNOWLEDGE ABOUT POLICY AND ANYTHING LIKE THAT, UM, THAT WE CAN PROBABLY INVITE HER AND, UM, TO SEE IF, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS CAN ALSO PICK HER BRAIN AND SEE WHAT SHE CAN SUPPORT, UM, THE COMMISSION WITH THAT AND CHAIR.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY IF WE DEFINITELY LOOK AT THIS TRAINING MORE FOR THE AREAS OF, OF MENTAL HEALTH AND, UH, NOT NECESSARILY JUST REENTRY, BUT THE JUDICIAL IMPACTED SYSTEM.
UM, AND LOOK AT IT IN PARALLEL TO THE MENTAL HEALTH ASPECTS YOU HAVE.
SO FOR ADULTS YOU HAVE SOAR FOR YOUTH, WE HAVE MEDICAL FOR ADULTS, WE HAVE MEDICAL FOR YOUTH.
AND SO I WOULD THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY ALSO WANT TO HAVE MORE OF A OPEN PERSPECTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO PEER SUPPORT TO ALIGN WITH THAT SAME SIMILARITY SINCE THIS IS TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE, UH, LIVED EXPERIENCE THROUGH JUDICIAL SYSTEMS. SO ADOLESCENTS AND GOING THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM AND SO FORTH, GOING THROUGH, UH, CPS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, RIGHT? UH, AND THEN THE SAME THING WHEN IT COMES TO THE MENTAL HEALTH.
YOU HAVE THE FAMILIES THAT ARE DISCONNECTED, NOT NECESSARILY KNOW, KNOWING WHAT TO SEE, OBSERVE AND SO FORTH WHEN IT COMES TO YOUTH.
BUT I THINK ALSO A PROACTIVE MANNER, IF WE'RE TAKING IT NOW TO A FUNDING OF CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING, HOW DO WE MITIGATE OUR NEXT GENERATION BEING OUR CURRENT, CURRENT GENERATION, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE NOT BRINGING THESE TYPES OF SERVICES AND RESOURCES DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL WHERE IT BECOMES MORE NATURAL VERSUS THEY GO SEE THE NURSE OR THE DOCTOR ONCE WHEN THERE'S AN ISSUE.
AND THEY HAVE TO EITHER HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS OR PARENTS THAT ARE MORE OPEN AND IN TUNE TO SEE SEEING CARE VERSUS, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEGATIVE STIGMA, GOING TO SEE A COUNSELOR OR A HEALTH PERSON USUALLY MEANS SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU VERSUS MENTAL RESILIENCY.
I WOULD LIKE TO, TO, UM, GIVE A LITTLE FEEDBACK ON THAT.
I THINK THE HOLISTIC APPROACH OF PEER SUPPORT WILL OPEN THE DOOR FOR ANYBODY TO GO AND GET ANY KIND OF DIAGNOSIS COMING FROM A, A PLACE.
AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL, EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, I WOULD NOT GO COUNSELING REGARDLESS IF I WAS IN THE, UH, UH, IN THE HEALING PROCESS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNTIL I STARTED, UM, ATTENDING PEER SUPPORT GROUPS AT SAFE ALLIANCE.
[01:30:01]
ME THE TRUST NOT ONLY TO SEE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING, BUT IT ALSO GAVE ME THE TRUST TO THAT OPEN THAT THAT TRUST TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP.THIS IS WHY PEER SUPPORT IS EVIDENCE-BASED AND IT'S SO ORGANIC THAT THE CONVERSATIONS FLOW THAT AT THAT MOMENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY SHARES, SOMETIMES YOU'RE JUST FACILITATING AND ONE CLIENT WILL SAY SOMETHING AND THE OTHER CLIENT HAS A, UH, UH, A QUESTION OR SOMEBODY HAS A CONCERN THAT EVENTUALLY IT'S LIKE THE ORGANIC PART THAT EACH OTHER ARE HELPING, THAT'S CALLED PEER SUPPORT, THAT IT ACTUALLY MAKES YOU UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THINGS AND EVEN, UM, SEEK OUT MORE RESOURCES.
AND THEN, UM, AS A PERSON THAT HAS BEEN THERE MYSELF OF NOT WANTING TO GO TO A THERAPIST BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME, QUOTE UNQUOTE, UM, AFTER ATTENDING PEER SUPPORT GROUPS THROUGH SAFE ALLIANCE, IT DID OPEN THE DOOR AND, AND, AND MADE ME SEE THAT IT WAS OKAY TO SEEK A COUNSELOR OR A THERAPIST AFTER THAT.
SO I THINK OPENING THE DOOR FOR PEER SUPPORT IN THAT ORGANIC WAY WILL HELP AND OPEN THE DOOR.
SO WE CANNOT JUST FOCUS DIRECTLY ON, BECAUSE YOU'RE ATTENDING PEER SUPPORT, WE'RE GONNA GO SEND YOU TO THE DOCTOR SO YOU COULD GET DIAGNOSED.
IT'S A PROCESS WHERE, AGAIN, IT'S ALMOST LIKE COMMUNITY HEALTH WHERE IF YOU BUILD THAT RAPPORT WITH THE CLIENT, YOU BUILD THAT TRUST WITH THE, WITH THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE AROUND WITH, WHERE THEN THAT THEY'LL, IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION, THEY'LL COME TO YOU, I'M BEING FEELING THIS WAY, WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST? AND THEN PEER SUPPORT, AGAIN, IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HOW THE APPROACHES IT'S DOING BY THEM, NOT FOR THEM.
SO A LOT OF TIMES IT'S LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WORKED FOR ME, IT MIGHT WORK FOR YOU, BUT I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
AND BECAUSE IT'S AT ITS OWN PACE, RIGHT? UM, WE COULD EASILY TELL SOMEBODY LIKE, I KNOW A, B, C IS WRONG WITH YOU AND YOU NEED TO DO A, B, UH, C, D, G.
BUT UNTIL THEY'RE READY TO TAKE THOSE STEPS, WE SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT PEER SUPPORT ABILITY OR AVAILABILITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN JUST COME DROP IN, TALK, MAKE SOME MEETINGS OR SOMETHING.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE READY, WE'RE EXPERTS IN, IN OUR JOURNEYS.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS AN EXPERT IN OUR JOURNEY.
AND, UM, HAVING THE ABILITY TO HAVE MORE PEER SUPPORT, I THINK WOULD SUPPORT A LOT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH, UM, ASPECT.
COMMISSIONER LUHAN? UH, DIRECTOR BOX.
UM, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE, COMMISSIONER LUHAN AND, UM, THE, EVEN THE TITLE OF FAMILY SUPPORT SPECIALIST IS PROBABLY LESS STIGMATIZING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT AND CAN BE ACCESSED EARLIER ON.
I, I REALLY THINK THOSE COMMENTS ARE REALLY ON POINT.
WE'LL MAKE, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE THE FEEDBACK TO, UH, COMMISSIONER DHA.
UM, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? OKAY, LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THE HEAT RELATED ILLNESS PREVENTION RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION TO ESTABLISH A PROGRAM TO INCENTIVIZE EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE 10 MINUTE WATER BREAKS EVERY THREE HOURS DURING HIGH TEMPERATURE MONTHS WITHOUT AFFECTING EMPLOYEE WAGES.
UH, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, DIRECTOR WALKS.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, SAY THAT I'D LOVE THIS, UM, AS A DRAFT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THE PARAMETERS FROM 10 MINUTES, EVERY THREE HOURS TO 10 MINUTES EVERY 30 MINUTES, UM, OR 20 MINUTES A WEEK COULD EVEN PUSH IT THAT FAR BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE SET FORTH BY THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, UM, GROUPS.
UM, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES WHEN THE HEAT INDEX IS A HUNDRED TO 105 DEGREES.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE AN, UH, AN EDIT THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE ENTERTAIN AS WE LOOK AT THIS DOCUMENT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD BROADLY IS WHERE THIS 10 MINUTE RECOMMENDATION CAME FROM AND TO KIND OF PROVIDE SOME SOURCES TO PROVIDE MORE RATIONALE AND VALIDITY.
UM, COMMISSIONER RICE, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, IT'D BE GREAT TO MAYBE REFERENCE THE SPECIFIC OSHA YEAH, I CAN SEND THAT TO DANNY.
SO TO SHARE WITH THE GROUP, BE STERILIZED FROM A WHERE DID THIS COME FROM KIND OF THING, YOU KNOW? YES.
UM, SAME THING, KIND OF CONCUR.
THAT WAS MY RESPONSE BACK TO WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES IT ALIGN TO OSHA, SOME OF THE OTHERS, YOU KNOW, THE MILITARY HAS THEIRS AND, AND, AND SO IT'S MORE BASED OFF OF THE, UH, INTENSITY OF THE LABOR ALONG WITH HOW HOT IT IS.
SO THEN THAT WAY THERE'S MORE BUY-IN THAN A BLANKETED APPROACH WHERE IT'S EASIER TO PUSH BACK, UH, ON BOTH
[01:35:01]
SIDES.ONE A HOUSTON ABUSE BY THE, BY THE EMPLOYEES AND STAFF AND NON IMPLEMENTATION BY THE ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERSHIP COMMISSIONER COOKEN.
ALONG THE LINES OF THE, OR THE GUIDELINES, I GUESS.
MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER IS THE BEST IDEA TO PUT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW THIS WEEK IT'S 80 SOMETHING DEGREES AND IT'S ONLY APRIL, RIGHT? AND LAST WEEK WAS MARCH AND SAME THING.
SO I THINK MAYBE MORE OF A DEGREE RANGE PERHAPS BASED OFF OF OSHA RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WOULD BE BETTER.
AND THEN ALSO, SORRY, I'M CONCERNED MAYBE THIS IS AN IRRATIONAL CONCERN, BUT WHETHER IT'S 10 MINUTES, 20 MINUTES, HOWEVER LONG, ENSURING THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THAT TIME TO RECOUP AND DRINK WATER AND NOT INCLUDING THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO WALK OVER THERE TO THE THING.
RIGHT? FOR EXAMPLE, WITH CHICKENS AND EGGS AND LIKE FREE RANGE, YOU KNOW, FREE RANGE DOESN'T MEAN THE CHICKEN IS ABLE TO GET OUT THERE AND SPEND LOTS OF TIME IN THE SUN EVERY DAY.
FREE RANGE MEANS THERE'S A HOLE IN THE WALL WHERE A CHICKEN COULD POSSIBLY GET THROUGH, BUT THEY'RE SO SMOOSHED IN THERE AND EVERYTHING THAT THERE'S NO WAY A CHICKEN ON ONE END OF THE BUILDING IS GETTING OUT THAT HOLE SO THAT CHICKEN NEVER SEES LIGHT, BUT IT'S CONSIDERED FREE RANGE, RIGHT? SO I WOULD HATE TO SEE PEOPLE PROVIDE A 10 MINUTE BREAK, BUT OH, IT TOOK YOU 10 MINUTES TO WALK THERE, YOU GOTTA WALK 10 MINUTES BACK AND NOW IT'S ON YOUR TIME.
YOU KNOW, SO HOWEVER WE CAN ENSURE THAT THAT'S NOT BEING ABUSED, PERHAPS ABUSED AND ABUSE.
AND THEN LAST THING, UH, OH, NO, THAT WAS IT.
AND, AND, AND TO ADD TO THAT, I WAS WRITING THAT DOWN, MAYBE SOME VERBIAGE SAYS ACCESSIBLE WATERING STATIONS WITHIN A REASONABLE DISTANCE, AND THEN WE CAN GIVE LIKE A RANGE FOR THAT.
SO, UM, AGAIN, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I GAVE YOU YOUR TIME, YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ON YOU.
AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER COMMENT THAT I HAD HERE FROM COMMISSIONER, UH, CHAIR POINDEXTER WAS AROUND THE SELF, UH, CERTIFICATION AND WHETHER WE COULD THINK MORE ABOUT KIND OF ANNUAL COMPLIANCE OR DATA SHARING TO REALLY INCENTIVIZE SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOR, UH, BEYOND CELL CERTIFICATION, WHICH COULD OR COULD NOT BE MISUSED COMMISSIONER.
YEAH, I WANTED TO ADD THAT THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE DID AN AUDIT RECENTLY ON EXTREME HEAT IN THE CITY.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY LOOKED AT THE PLAYBOOK THAT WE HAD THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ACTUALLY MAKE SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, DEADLINES AND TIMELINES AND GOALS AND EVERYTHING.
AND SO THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW.
SO I WONDER IF WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT AUDIT AS WELL LOOK AT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SEE HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE INTO THIS OR MAYBE USE THAT ALTOGETHER AND MAYBE NOT HAVE TO DO A RECOMMENDATION DEPENDING ON WHATEVER YOU KNOW, IS IN THAT.
SO JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
I WAS LOOKING AT THAT AUDIT THIS MORNING, AND IT WAS ON THE 26TH OF MARCH.
IT'S TO LOOK AT WHAT THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE FOUND TO SEE WHAT, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
MAYBE WE CAN PUT IT AS AN ACTION ITEM TO SEND THAT AUDIT, UH, TO THE COMMISSION.
I CAN SEND YOU THE LINK, DANNY.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I THINK RELATED TO THIS, THERE, THERE WAS AN ASK AROUND THE HRI, UM, MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY REPORT AND WHETHER THAT WOULD BE, ALTHOUGH WE CAN DISCUSS THIS IN THE NEXT STEP PLUS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, UNLESS THAT WE KNOW WHEN THAT'S AVAILABLE OR THE ONE FOR LAST YEAR IS, IS AVAILABLE.
UM, AND IT'S REFERENCED, I BELIEVE, IN THIS DRAFT TOO.
AND, AND WHEN DO WE EXPECT ONE FOR YEAR? YES.
THE SEASON STARTS IN MAY, SO IT WILL COME OUT THE END AT THE END OF THE LAST QUARTER FOR BEGINNING OF FIRST QUARTER 26.
I I JUST, I I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SELF-REPORTING.
I'M NOT SURE HOW WE GET AROUND THAT.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO ALLOW WORKERS TO REPORT ANONYMOUSLY.
I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY THAT THE EMPLOYER KNOWS THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO PLAY THE SYSTEM, RIGHT? AND SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH, MAYBE AN ANONYMOUS LINE OR TIP WHERE SOMEONE CAN COMPLAIN LIKE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION OR SOMETHING.
ONLY QUESTION I HAVE ON THAT IS, I GUESS WHERE, WHERE, WHERE IS OUR OVERSTEP ON THAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW,
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THAT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL AND THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT CAN CREATE AS A MANDATE ON THE POLITICAL SIDE, RIGHT? AND THE GO GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES.BUT I GUESS THEN WHERE DO WE ADD IN STUFF NOW BECOMES A OVERSTEP IN, IN, IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO WHERE THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO ENTERTAIN? I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
THAT'S WHY I THINK I WAS HESITANT TO MENTION IT, BUT
IS THERE A WAY, SORRY, IS THERE A WAY TO, IF IT IS APPROVED THAT BASED UPON CONTRACTS AND SO FORTH, THAT BECOMES A STIPULATION OF AN ASSESSMENT AREA? I MEAN, WE CAN ALWAYS FIND, FIND LINES THERE, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE RECEIVING SOME TYPE OF FUNDING AND THIS AND THAT, AND I MEAN, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THAT COME TOP DOWN.
SO, YOU KNOW,
UM, BUT I DO THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT, AND I THINK WE DISCUSSED THIS LAST TIME OF MEETING WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, PURVIEW OVER CONSTRUCTION OR OUTDOOR WORKERS OR WHATEVER DEPARTMENT THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO TALK TO JUST TO GET THEIR INPUT AND THEIR FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS MIGHT ACTUALLY WORK SO THAT WHEN WE, WHEN WE ARE RECOMMENDING SOMETHING, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS ACTIONABLE AND NOT SOMETHING THAT THE POLITICIANS OR LEADERS WOULD THEN HAVE TO CRAFT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT ABOUT A DUAL RECOMMENDATION OR A DUAL RECOMMENDATION.
ONE THAT'S SPECIFICALLY REQUESTING, UH, SOMETHING BEING ENACTED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR ITS STAFF AND EMPLOYEES WITH A CONTINGENCY ON, UH, ENTITIES THAT IT'S FUNDING, RIGHT? AND THEN A RECOMMENDATION FOR ALL OTHERS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, AND THEN I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF TALKING TO OTHER COMMISSIONS, ESPECIALLY ON THE INCENTIVE SIDE, UM, BECAUSE I'M THINKING ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT COULD BE INCENTIVIZING, LIKE EXPEDITED PERMIT REVIEWS OR OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD MAYBE INCLUDE IN HERE.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND THEN YEAH, MAYBE DANNY, CAN YOU REMIND ME WHO WE HAVE COMING NEXT MEETING? SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO BRING UP, UM, BECAUSE OF THE TWO PRESENTATIONS THAT WE HAD TODAY, WE DID HAVE TO MOVE A COUPLE OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP LAST TIME.SO I WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND, I MEAN, SUGGEST ADDING THEM TO OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, WHICH IS NOT AS MUCH PRESENTATIONS, BUT MORE, UM, DISCUSSING AND SETTING THE MEETINGS FROM JUNE THROUGH DECEMBER.
UM, UH, VOTING ON, UM, ESPECIALLY, I'M SORRY, VOTING ON LIKE THE DECEMBER MEETING.
UM, 'CAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE A LOCATION YET.
UM, BUT DEPENDING HOW THE, UM, CALENDAR GOES, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS MAY JUST WANT TO SKIP.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO, UM, THE COLD WEATHER REPORT WAS BROUGHT UP AGAIN, UM, AND I CAN FOLLOW UP ON WITH CHRIS, UM, I'M SORRY WITH COMMISSIONER CU ABOUT THAT AFTERWARDS.
UM, AND OF COURSE A STANDING ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT UP LAST TIME WAS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE PRESENTATION ON RECENT FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES.
AND, UM, ARE WE STILL OKAY KEEPING THOSE TOPICS FOR NEXT, UH, FOR THE NEXT SESSION? ANY OTHER TOPICS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT WANNA ADD? I THINK ONE THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT MIGHT BE AN AGENDA ITEM TO VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER DOH.
IF WE FEEL LIKE THIS WILL BE READY FOR DISCUSSION NEXT TIME, IT'S HARD TO DO IT SINCE THAT COMMISSIONER IS NOT HERE.
UM, BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD IT AND THEN WE CAN ALWAYS POSTPONE IT IF IT'S NOT READY? OKAY.
THEN, UH, I WOULD, HOW DO I DO THIS? DO I NEED TO GET, UM, ANYTHING ELSE, ANY TOPICS PEOPLE WANT? UH, COMMISSIONER CUCU? WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY PERHAPS AN UPDATE ON FUNDING SITUATIONS, ALL THAT.
I KNOW THE DIRECTOR HAD MENTIONED THAT LAST TIME, BUT I DO KNOW THAT TODAY THE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE,
[01:45:01]
UM, AND DID JUST THAT.SO IT MAY BE WORTH JUST WATCHING THAT INSTEAD.
UM, I, I THINK, I FEEL, UM, REMISS, I WOULD FEEL REMISS IF I DIDN'T DISCUSS THAT WE HAVE BUDGET, UH, WORK COMING UP.
AND SO YOU MIGHT START TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO AGENDIZE THIS, THIS ITEM OF DISCUSSION OF WHAT WOULD BE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND TO CITY COUNCIL.
MAYBE WE CAN ADD AS AN AGENDA ITEM KIND OF DISCUSSION OF TIMING FOR MOVING FORWARD THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE ALREADY HAD THAT.
COMMISSIONER RICE, I JUST WONDERED, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE CHANNELS THROUGH OUR CHAIR AND MAYBE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING, BUT I WONDERED IF IT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO INVITE THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO IS OVER THE CITY COUNCIL'S HEALTH COMMITTEE TO COME AND, AND SPEAK TO US SOMETIME FOR 15 OR 20 MINUTES TO TELL US WHAT HER CONCERNS ARE AND THAT, SEE IF THERE WAS ANY DIRECTION SHE'D LIKE TO OFFER THE COMMISSION APPRECIATING THAT THERE IS OBVIOUSLY THE CHAIR WHO SHE MAY BE CONTACT, YOU KNOW, MAY HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH, BUT JUST WONDERED ABOUT THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, UM, IF THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM HER AND A COUNTERPART OF THE COUNTY FOR THAT MATTER.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
YOUR REQUEST IS TO INVITE THE CHAIR FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE OR THE COMMITTEE ITSELF? NO, THE CHAIR.
THE, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE CHAIR HEALTH COMMITTEE WAS CHAIRED BY BOARD COUNCIL COUNCILOR, UM, MAYOR TIM FUENTES.
AND JUST WAS THINKING OUT LOUD.
I'D BE INTERESTED, YOU KNOW, TO AGAIN APPRECIATE THERE'S OTHER CHANNELS AND THERE'S ALREADY OTHER CHANNELS AND SHE WOULDN'T WANNA DO THAT AND TELL SHE'S OKAY, I'LL WORK WITH, UM, OUR OFFICIALS TO GET THAT AGENDA.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC AGENDA YOU WANTED FOR NEXT MONTH? NO, I WOULD TAKE GENERIC IN GENERIC.
KIND OF ALONG THE LINES OF THAT, UH, CAN YOU REMIND ME WHEN THE ANNUAL REPORT IS DUE? IS THAT APRIL USUALLY OR IS IT AS SOON AS I, UH, GET COMMUNICATION, I'LL PASS IT ON TO YOU GUYS.
YEAH, WE MAY WANT TO CREATE A REPORT AND THEN PERHAPS PROVIDE THAT TO THE CHAIR AND THE COMMITTEE AND THEN THEY CAN REVIEW THAT AND THEN SHE CAN COME AND THEN SPEAK TO US AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, CRITIQUE
THE ONLY COMMENT ON THAT WOULD BE JUST THAT, UH, I WOULDN'T WANT HER TO FEEL LIKE SHE WAS LIMITED TO THAT AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE A, AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT SHE WOULD BE THINKING WOULD BE THE PRIORITIES THAT WE MIGHT REVIEW.
SO JUST FROM LAST YEAR, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS DUE, UH, JULY 31ST, SO WE STILL GOT TIME.
ANYTHING ELSE? CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR REELECTION.
I DON'T THINK CHAIR POINDEXTER IS HERE, BUT THERE YOU GO.
ANOTHER YEAR OF THE BURDENSOME DUTIES UPON YOU.
AND THEN I THINK, UM, YEAH, WITH THAT I CALLED A MEETING ADJOURNED AT 4 22.