Academy Of Medical And Public Health Services

ACADEMY OF MEDICAL & PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT HEALTH SERVICE ORGANIZATION WITH A TRIPLE AIM TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN UNDERSERVED IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES; COORDINATE TRULY NEEDED PRIMARY CARE WITH SOCIAL ASSISTANCE; AND DELIVER CARE WITH DIGNITY AND EMPATHY TO MARGINALIZED NEW YORKERS THROUGH ITS COMMUNTIY PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, AMPHS LENDS TO EMPOWERMENT OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES TO CREATE THEIR OWN LOCAL AND CULTURALLY-SENSITIVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS PARADIGMS.

COVID-19 ESCALATED EXISTING COMMUNITY NEEDS WHILE CREATING NEW, UNPRECEDENTED PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES. TO ADDRESS THESE RISING NEEDS, WE OPENED A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, OFFERING HYBRID SERVICES. OUR COVID-19 RESPONSE ADDRESSED RISING MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICE AND FOOD SECURITY NEEDS. AT THE SAME TIME, WE CONTINUED TO OFFER OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES IN DISEASE PREVENTION AND EDUCATION. SERVICES OFFERED IN 2021 INCLUDED: COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES: OUR HEALTH TEAM LAUNCHED PROVIDED FLU SHOTS, MAMMOGRAMS AND HEALTH SCREENINGS AND HELD 28 HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICE WORKSHOPS. TOGETHER, WE REACHED NEARLY 5,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ACCESS PREVENTATIVE HEALTH SERVICES AND INFORMATION. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: WE PROVIDED NO-COST BILINGUAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING SESSIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MILD TO MODERATE MENTAL HEALTH INDICATIONS. SOCIAL WORK SERVICES: AS OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUED TO SUFFER FROM THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19, OUR SOCIAL WORK TEAM HELD 1,069 INTENSIVE SOCIAL WORK CASE MANAGEMENT SESSIONS AND PROVIDED 106 COMMUNITY MEMBER FOLLOW-UPS THROUGH BILINGUAL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND SOCIAL WORK STAFF. WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE NYS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO CONDUCT OUTREACH FOR THE EXCLUDED WORKERS FUND, WHERE WE REACHED 220,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH OUR OUTREACH AND HELPED 1,134 INDIVIDUALS APPLY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. COVID-19 RESPONSE: TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES, WE DISTRIBUTED OVER 40,000 PIECES OF PPE, DISSEMINATED OVER 10,000 PIECES OF COVID LITERATURE, AND CONDUCTED VACCINE AND TESTING OUTREACH, INCLUDING MOBILE CLINICS, THAT CONNECTED 1,894 COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SECURE COVID-19 VACCINES. WE ALSO SUPPORTED THE DISTRIBUTION OF $100,000 IN CASH ASSISTANCE TO 100 FAMILIES INELIGIBLE FOR STIMULUS FUNDING. FOOD DISTRIBUTION: IN RESPONSE TO FOOD INSECURITY DURING COVID-19, WE STARTED OUR FIRST CULTURALLY-RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY POP-UP FOOD PANTRY PROGRAM, SERVING A TOTAL OF 1,000+ FAMILIES AND DISTRIBUTING OVER 260,000 POUNDS OF FOOD ACROSS SIX SITES IN SUNSET PARK THROUGH IN-PERSON DISTRIBUTIONS AND AT-HOME DELIVERIES. ADULT LITERACY PROGRAM: PROVIDED ESOL CLASSES, CONVERSATION CLASSES AND DIGITAL LITERACY EDUCATION TO 298 STUDENTS ACROSS THE BEGINNER, HIGH BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED LEVELS. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: DURING THE YEAR, WE CONDUCTED OUTREACH EVENTS WHERE WE SPOKE AT DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS, TABLED, AND CANVASSED, REACHING A TOTAL OF 21,630 INDIVIDUALS. WE ALSO JOINED PARTNERS AT OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION, TO INCREASE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS.