Innovating for Health Justice | |
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Friends and Colleagues –
We are delighted to share with you on this unseasonably warm February day about our recent Youth Leadership Summit, a new program for Transgender and Gender Diverse Wellness and Equity in Illinois, and a wide range of opportunities for you to get involved in our work for health equity as an individual or on behalf of an organization.
Read on to learn more about our Illinois Reentry Conference coming up on March 14, 2024, or applications we are currently accepting for National Health Corps Chicago Host Sites, the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance Youth Advisory Board, the statewide Transgender and Gender Diverse Wellness and Equity Program, and three staff positions.
Do you have questions or comments? Please share. If you reach out to info@phimc.org, someone on our team will respond.
Thank you, as always, for your support and partnership. PHIMC looks forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary all year with you.
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Sincerely,
Karen A. Reitan
President and Chief Executive Officer
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Transgender and Gender Diverse Wellness and Equity Grant | |
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As you may have heard, PHIMC was recently awarded the Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Wellness and Equity Grant from the Office of Strategy, Equity, and Transformation (OSET) at Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). This is a new funding opportunity that is focused on increasing the capacity of organizations to provide culturally and/or medically competent gender affirming care. This includes social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions which enable individuals who identify as transgender, gender diverse, intersex, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer to thrive.
As lead grantee, PHIMC will provide funding and support to organizations across Illinois to expand and increase the availability of culturally and medically competent gender affirming care for TGD/LGBTQ+ populations. Support includes ongoing technical assistance, training to healthcare professionals, a learning collaborative for providers to discuss challenges and successes, and a resource hub containing information about policies and procedures, tips for ensuring care which affirms each individual's identity, and guidance on addressing discrimination, stigma, and harassment.
PHIMC is excited about this funding opportunity to increase equitable access to affirming care for TGD/LGBTQ+ people across Illinois. PHIMC released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the TGD Wellness and Equity Program on February 1, 2024, and intends to award approximately $1.5 million to agencies across Illinois in three different funding categories: Capacity Building: Continuous Funding, Capacity Building: One-Time Funding, and Healthcare Navigation Specialists. Agencies interested in this funding opportunity are encouraged to apply to one or several of these categories.
The deadline for agencies to apply is Friday, March 1, 2024, at 5:00 pm CST.
Successful applicants will be notified of receipt of funding by March 15, 2024.
Call for Reviewers:
PHIMC also seeks individuals to read and review grant applications submitted by organizations across Illinois in response to this NOFO. This collaborative approach enhances PHIMC’s application review process with the assistance of individuals with lived and professional experience from diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences.
Learn more here and apply to become a reviewer by Wednesday, February 28, 2024.
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Illinois Safe Schools Alliance | |
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Youth Leadership Summit
On Saturday, January 27, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance hosted its annual Youth Leadership Summit at Francis W. Parker School in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. More than 60 young people, Genders & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) sponsors, community partners, and parents attended, focusing on GSA support and technical assistance, Day of Silence preparation, and insights into the current political landscape.
The Summit was an opportunity for youth leaders and GSA advisors/sponsors to come together from all over the state to organize, network, learn, and develop leadership skills within the movement for safer schools for LGBTQ+ identities. One of our young participants described the event as “magical” and “affirming.”
Thank you to all the community partners who tabled at the event, and a special thanks to Francis W. Parker for their immense support.
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Illinois Safe Schools Alliance Team: Julio Flores, Jay Diaz, and Alexis Ebbrecht |
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Julio Flores, Program Director - Illinois Safe Schools Alliance | |
Julio Flores, Program Director - Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, with PFLAG Friends | |
Jay Diaz, Program Coordinator - Illinois Safe Schools Alliance | | |
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“I urge each of you to embrace your authentic selves, celebrate others’ unique identities as well as your own, and continue advocating for a more inclusive and compassionate world. Our journey towards equality is far from over, but with the support of one another, we can achieve remarkable progress.” | ~ Mel Oliveros Perez, Youth Leadership Summit Keynote Speaker and Youth Advisory Board Member | | |
Alliance Team Out and About | |
On February 3, 2024, Julio Flores and Jay Diaz, members of PHIMC’s Illinois Safe Schools Alliance team, attended the annual Equality Illinois Gala, the largest LGBTQ+ celebration of its kind. Each year, Equality Illinois honors individuals and organizations who seek equality and inclusion for LGBTQ+ people in the state of Illinois. | |
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HIV/AIDS Prevention, Testing, and Treatment: Illinois Jail and Detention Center Survey Results Summary
This report details the condition of HIV education, prevention, testing, and treatment in Illinois county detention facilities in Spring 2023, based on a comprehensive analysis of the literature related to jail and prison healthcare and the implementation of participatory action research procedures, and offers.
Overall, findings indicate that HIV education, prevention, testing, and treatment can be improved throughout the state, and education and proper linkages to care are essential to better health outcomes. Potential for action is identified throughout the report.
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Giving Thanks and Bidding Farewell
At the end of 2023, PHIMC bid a bittersweet farewell to Board Recorder Mary Morten. Her tenure on our board began in 2019 when PHIMC merged with the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance and ended after seeing us through not only the integration of these two organizations but also through an unexpected pandemic. PHIMC is so grateful for her commitment and work on behalf of our mission and, while she is leaving the board, looks forward to her staying in the family and supporting the work.
[Pictured here are Julio Flores, Mary Morten, and Meghana Menon]
“Mary has been a transformational leader and has been at the center of the work to ensure that the services provided by the Alliance and its two precursor organizations, GLSEN and CESO, have remained strong for more than a decade,” remarked Casey J. Horton, PHIMC’s Board President and former Alliance Board Member.
For more than 25 years, Mary has been a leading advocate for the safety and well-being of LBGTQ+ youth across Illinois, including her work to help found the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance. When she joined PHIMC’s board, she brought her passion for equity and justice and her commitment to improving the lives and health of youth to our organization and we are better for it.
“I will be forever grateful to Mary for joining PHIMC’s board,” said Karen A. Reitan, PHIMC's President & CEO. “Her support and leadership transformed PHIMC’s youth work and made our organization stronger and better able to expand our work to advance health justice and strengthen public health. She will be so missed by our entire organization.”
Thank you to Mary for sharing with PHIMC her powerful vision, leadership, enduring support, and advocacy for healthy, thriving communities across Illinois and beyond.
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Join the PHIMC Board
PHIMC is now recruiting new board members. Learn more here.
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2024 Illinois Reentry Conference | |
Thursday, March 14, 2024
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
PHIMC’s Community Reentry Project hosts an annual conference to rediscover, reimagine, and rebuild best practices in criminal, health, and social justice.
This conference brings together public health professionals, healthcare providers, social service professionals, and members of the community to build skills around health equity, social justice, and reentry services for current and formerly incarcerated individuals in Illinois.
Learn more here.
| Chicago's School Health Access Collaborative Meeting | |
Thursday, March 21, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Chicago’s School Health Access Collaborative (SHAC) brings together education and health stakeholders to identify ways to enhance student access to comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable healthcare, improve the health service delivery model for Chicago students, and elevate equity and well-being.
Co-managed by Healthy Schools Campaign and PHIMC, SHAC leverages the knowledge and expertise of its members to envision a school health system that provides all students with the health and wellness services they need. New participants are always welcome.
To learn more about SHAC, please visit our website. To participate in this meeting, please contact Liz Wilson.
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Employment Opportunities
PHIMC is hiring! Take a look at the open positions below and consider applying here.
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AmeriCorps Opportunity:
National Health Corps Chicago
National Health Corps (NHC) Chicago members join unique public health teams by serving at federally qualified health centers, in hospital systems, at community-based clinics, and with other important organizations.
Become a Host Site: PHIMC seeks applications from organizations interested in hosting AmeriCorps members for 2024-2025 as part of the National Health Corps Chicago program. Read the full Request for Applications and consider applying here.
Become a Member: NHC Chicago members serve an average of 40 hours per week, and available positions are listed here. This is a great learning and professional growth opportunity for someone who wants a gap year with real-world experience before starting college, grad school, or a new career in non-profits, public health, human services, or the medical field. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
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Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program Opportunities
The Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program seeks to bring care and relief to neighborhoods that are most affected by opioid use disorder in Chicago.
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Day of Silence Kits for GSAs and LGBTQ+ Youth-Serving Organizations
Each year, PHIMC supports youth organizing activities for Day of Silence, which is on Friday, April 12, 2024. This includes creating Day of Silence Kits, featuring art created by a young person! We are so excited to feature this year’s Day of Silence Artwork on the materials!
Day of Silence kit orders will be available for GSAs and organizations serving LGBTQ+ youth today through Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Place your order *HERE* today.
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Youth Advisory Board: Illinois Safe Schools Alliance
Do you know any LGBTQ+ high school students who possess or would like to stretch their leadership skills?
Illinois Safe Schools Alliance is now accepting applications for our Youth Advisory Board! Young people interested in the Youth Advisory Board must reside in Illinois and should complete their application *HERE.*
Applications will close on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
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Please join us in welcoming the newest members of the PHIMC team. | |
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Dr. Dan’iel Kendricks (she/her) joined the team last Fall as PHIMC’s Chief Program Officer. Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Dr. Kendricks is an esteemed leader in social justice and public health with a career spanning more than 20 years. In her prior role as Senior Vice President of Programs at Ignite, a Chicago-based non-profit organization supporting youth and emerging adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability, Dr. Kendricks was able to embody her commitment to uplifting marginalized communities through innovative leadership and program development. Dr. Kendricks holds an EdD in Organizational Leadership from National Louis University, a Master of Arts in Inner City Studies Education from Northeastern Illinois University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Dr. Kendricks’ research explores the relationship between Black Chicago youth and Chicago Drill Music culture, and she is featured in the 2024 documentary “As We Speak,” based on the book “Rap on Trial” which examines the implications of Rap lyrics in legal contexts.
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Jay Diaz (he/they) joins PHIMC's team as Program Coordinator for Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, promoting safety, support, and healthy development for LGBTQ+ youth in Illinois schools and communities. Jay has eight+ years of experience in the field of LGBTQ+ health. He managed an HIV prevention program focused on eliminating barriers to care for youth and was a crucial component in addressing the COVID-19 response at Howard Brown Health. Jay’s professional mission is to promote health equity, social justice, and human rights for LGBTQ, marginalized, and underserved communities.
Jay loves to spend his spare time with his two cats and partner. He loves to attend concerts, make music, and make the best of every moment life provides.
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Lara Nidea (she/her) joins the PHIMC team as Program Coordinator for Regional Substance Use Prevention Integration Centers (RSUPICs). Her role involves strategic planning, program development, and effective implementation to address youth public health challenges in the metropolitan Chicago area. In addition, she serves as a liaison between PHIMC and community partners, creating and maintaining professional relationships throughout Chicago. Lara has a diverse educational background and extensive experience in academia, specifically in the realm of healthcare and business. She has worked directly with youth as an Academic Assistant and Learning Specialist and has also led community health needs assessments, contributing to the national guidelines for vision screening for the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health.
In her free time, Lara runs her own e-commerce business and loves to travel.
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Madeline Bieniarz (she/her) joins the team as PHIMC's first Communications Coordinator. She assists in developing communication materials, including crafting social media posts, writing bulk email communications and website content, and working with colleagues to identify and meet their programs' communications needs. She spends half of her time working on general communications for the organization and half on the new Regional Substance Use Prevention Integration Centers (RSUPICS) program. She is a graduate of DePaul University’s School of Communication where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising.
Madeline was drawn to work for PHIMC because of her desire to promote equity and inclusion within the State of Illinois.
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Do you like what you see? Your support ensures we can maximize our impact and expand our reach to improve health. | | | |
Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) advances health justice and strengthens public health through innovation and partnerships that align people, strategies, and resources. | |
Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago
Tel. 312.629.2988 | 180 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois 60601 | www.phimc.org
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