The New Mexico Health Equity Partnership (HEP) believes every New Mexican should have the opportunity to lead a healthy life, live in neighborhoods where children and families thrive, and have a say in the decisions that impact their lives. HEP supports grassroots organizations to educate decision makers on issues that impact the health of children and families. HEP invests in communities most impacted by inequities to conduct participatory research on institutions, systems, and policies and set forth recommendations and solutions.
In this newsletter HEP is excited to welcome nine amazing Health Impact Assessment Technical Assistance Providers to the HIA Train the Trainers Program! Please join us in welcoming them! Also, a reminder that the deadline to submit HIA Applications is October 15, 2019. The HIA 101 webinar can be viewed here.
During the month of August, HEP partners strengthened relationships and learned from one another in Las Cruces. HEP also partnered with the Con Alma Health Foundation to co-host a gathering focused on Health Care Reform. To learn more about HEP’s efforts and opportunities, please scroll down.
Please join us in supporting New Mexico’s communities to drive change by donating here.
Health Equity Partners Unite in Las Cruces
HEP community leaders from Dona Ana, McKinley, San Juan, and Santa Fe counties united in Las Cruces during August 15-17. Partners deepened their knowledge of the important work taking place in Doña Ana county through intentional dialogues with community members. They also participated in a timebank potluck where they shared a meal, told stories, and laughed. Community gifts were exchanged for needs among participants. The gathering was uplifting with new relationships cultivated and learnings shared. Our hearts are full to continue forward together to advance equity.
Policy & Advocacy
Health Impact Assessment
Funding and HIA 101 Webinar Video
HEP is excited to announce a funding opportunity to support two Health Impact Assessments that center Indigenous peoples, communities of color, immigrants, and refugees to conduct community-driven research to improve policies that impact community health in Bernalillo, Doña Ana, McKinley, or San Juan counties. Priority will be given to HIAs informing education or employment focused policies or plans. You can read more about our approach and the values we bring to HIA here. The HIA project period will be January 2020 – December 2020. Grantees will receive in person HIA training; a webinar series on the HIA steps and a platform for peer learning; ongoing coaching provided by New Mexico technical assistance providers and HEP staff; and up to $35,000. Applications are due by October 15, 2019.
We strongly encourage all interested applicants to view the HIA 101 webinar on the HEP website to learn about HIA and HEP's approach to the process. Please reach out to jjensen@nmhep.org for more information.
Call to Action: Children at the Center
On August 22, 2019, health care advocates, community organizers, government officials, and non-profit leaders gathered at the Indian Pueblo Culture Center as the culmination of a two year project led by the Con Alma Health Foundation. The focus was to develop an actionable agenda building on recommendations made by the 2016 report, “Achieving Equity in Health for Children and Families in New Mexico through the Affordable Care Act.” At the convening participants nourished relationships. They also learned about and critically discussed the structural determinants of health and health care reform. HEP is honored to have been part of this effort and is committed to centering communities, families, and children to collectively move to action.
A great news story, highlighting the work of one of our HIA teams/core partner - McKinley Collaborative for Health Equity
Capacity Building
HEP Welcomes Nine HIA Technical Assistance Providers
to the Train the Trainers Program!
HEP works with communities most directly impacted by inequities to conduct participatory research on institutions, systems, and policies and make recommendations for improvement. We value the strengths, expertise, and leadership of communities most directly impacted by inequities to improve policy and community health. In 2015, HEP implemented a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Train the Trainers program to nurture the strengths, gifts, and assets of New Mexicans engaged in community-driven research.
We are honored and excited to welcome nine community leaders to the HIA Train the Trainers Program.
Antonio Luis Maestas
Christina Morris
Estefany González Mendoza
Jinelle Scully
Mahdi Hossain
María Gallegos
Terry Schleder
Valerie Rangel
Yolanda Cruz
The HIA Train the Trainers program supports the leadership of New Mexico community members who have previously worked on HIA. Collectively, HEP’s HIA TA Providers have been involved with 15 HIAs in New Mexico. As part of the program, they will offer training and coaching to organizations embarking on HIAs. HIA TA Providers will also refine the HIA training curriculum ensuring it is grounded in New Mexico’s cultures and geographies, learn with and support peers, and exchange and implement creative ideas.
Former HEP Intern Joins
the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program
At HEP we believe in investing in young people as leaders. We are excited to announce that JoJo Fernandez who interned with HEP earlier this year is in the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program this summer. As part of the program, JoJo has been interning at a local organization that focuses on identifying permanent housing for homeless families. Her role is to implement a health education summer program for the tenants’ children. In addition to her internship, JoJo also spent the last couple of weeks researching intergenerational trauma in Mexican immigrant communities. JoJo’s teammates and her presented their work at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) through a poster presentation. Learning about this topic and presenting it at the CDC meant so much to her. For the first time in JoJo’s college experience, she felt as though she was able to combine her interests in psychology/neuroscience, education, and her personal experience. These experiences have made her more confident that she can succeed in the field and that through the field, she can strive to improve the experiences of her community.
Submitted by JoJo Fernandez, Former HEP Intern
Congrats to the 2019 Together for Brothers
Summer Cohorts!
This summer, Together for Brothers worked with Mavel Photography to train young men of color leaders -- staff, summer Youth Organizers and neighborhood cohorts -- to use PhotoVoice to document their transit sovereignty stories. On August 12, Together Brothers celebrated the 2019 Summer Cohorts and shared a “gallery” of photos. To learn more about transit equity, visit Together for Brothers’ HIA focused on the health impacts of free bus passes on youth in the International District and Westgate communities of Bernalillo county.
Partner Capacity Building Opportunities and Events
Santa Fe Community Foundation - The HEP’s institutional home, the Santa Fe Community Foundation (SFCF), is committed to supporting nonprofits in achieving their missions with excellence. The SFCF’s Philanthropy HUB has been designed as a learning and gathering place for the philanthropic sector. The HUB's programs strive to: 1) deepen philanthropic practice; 2) build nonprofit capacity; 3) provide support for professional advisers; and 4) provide platforms for learning about social issues in community. Upcoming trainings and presentations include:
If you are a HEP network member and you have an upcoming training, workshop, or other capacity building opportunity open to community members and organizations, please send information about it to David Gaussoin and the HEP team can include it an upcoming newsletter.
