Latest news with #CommunityPartners
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
No health card, no car, no doctor? No problem for this travelling rural clinic
Pulled into the driveway of a local museum off of a rural road in southwestern Ontario, a 38-foot-long van with decals of cedar trees, a medicine wheel and an 2SLGBTQ flag is parked — ready and waiting for people seeking medical or mental health care. It's a travelling clinic, equipped with mental health staff, a nurse practitioner and in some cases a community paramedic, with the goal of abolishing traditional barriers to health care. No health care card, appointment or payment is needed. The service, aptly named the MobileCare Clinic, recently expanded its schedule to stop throughout rural areas in Chatham-Kent, Ont., based on a needs assessment from local hospitals and 911 calls. It's run primarily through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and other community partners. "Our hope is that we are able to address some of the social determinants of health," says Andria Appeldorn, the director of fund development and communications with CMHA Lambton-Kent. She has seen the project manifest from its origin during the pandemic. "We really consider obstacles to care. It could be transportation, it could be reticence to walk into a doctor's office ... thinking about international workers who come into our communities, we're here to serve them as well." On a recent Monday afternoon, the van is at one of its regular stops in North Buxton, a small rural community that was established by escaped African-American enslaved people in the mid-1800s. According to Edna Cornwall Shadd, the staff mental health care coordinator onsite that day, the population is older and might face specific challenges to getting medical or mental health attention. "As a Black woman, it was very important for me to ensure that the communities I identify with were having this type of support available to them, especially in North Buxton," she said. Cornwall Shadd says it's a primary objective of MobileCare to solidify relationships over time, especially when a new community is added to the van's schedule. One recent addition as part of the expansion is Wheatley, Ont. "It's exciting trying to build that relationship [because] there may be some barriers that we ourselves might not even be aware of," she said. "Engagement with the community is really important." For the first time, the MobileCare clinic will also be in North Buxton's community parade, a longstanding heritage celebration called homecoming that draws hundreds into the community. It's something Cornwall Shadd is excited about. "North Buxton in particular is rich in Black history and it's actually quite amazing the number of people even within Chatham-Kent who aren't aware of that," Cornwall Shadd said. "So any way we can help promote the community and that history while also ensuring the population is getting good quality health care is very important." James Bromley, the CMHA's manager of integrated client services, oversees the service, which includes a second bus that services the area of Sarnia-Lambton. He says sometimes it takes a couple of visits for people to understand the breadth of what is available to them through the clinic. "It's a difficult time. There's long wait lists, primary care might not be available in some centres, so [we're] trying to address that, even taking some relief away from our local emergency rooms," he said. Inside the van, three areas are sectioned off. A client is greeted by staff, triaged through an intake form and then seen by professionals. Bromley says some visits are 15 minutes, while others can be up to an hour, addressing everything from wound care to addictions. Three people can be seen at one time on-board. "We can offer referrals, whether for therapy, housing supports, Indigenous supports and even our community paramedic team can arrange home visits [if follow ups are required]." Not every community has the same needs, however. Appeldorn says that the dynamic and needs can change drastically from stop to stop. "Some communities have a lot of seasonal agricultural workers who don't have time to see a family doctor, others have elderly residents who haven't seen a doctor in years. We can really catch things before they become too advanced to be cared for." Other stops on the van's schedule include Walpole Island First Nation, where an Indigenous services team member is added. In urban centres like Chatham, the team includes housing and homelessness support. MobileCare operates year-round. The van's schedule is available on their website. Services are free with no appointment required.
Chicago Tribune
18-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Porter County marks Child Abuse Prevention Month with pinwheels, program outside courthouse
Dozens of shiny pinwheels were planted on the north lawn of the Valparaiso courthouse Thursday afternoon by area service agencies and Porter Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Buitendorp to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month. 'The symbol was picked becaue of the playfulness, the joyfulness of childhood,' said Caryn Timmons, director of the Porter County office of the Indiana Department of Child Services. 'Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, nurturing environment, free from harm and fear,' Buitendorp said. 'Yet, for too many, this basic right is not guaranteed.' Timmons and Buitendorp were joined by a slew of staff from the Geminus Community Partners Program, which is the primary home-based child safety and prevention program in Region 2 for the state comprised of Porter, LaPorte, Benton, Newton, Pulaski, Starke, and Jasper Counties. 'We're currently working with 25 families (in Porter County),' said Brittany Sanetta, program manager for Region 2. Community Partners has 100 to 120 cases throughout the service area and takes self-referrals. A 24-hour hotline can help anyone in the region's counties as long as there are children in the home, there is not an open case with the Department of Child Services, and the family is not receiving services through Healthy Families. The goal of the program is to meet with families and assist with whatever they might need, from putting them in contact with local trustees and charities for rent and utility assistance, to providing beds for children and domestic violence services. Buitendorp said that while the courts play a critical role in the fight against child abuse, prevention begins long before a case reaches the courtroom. 'The court can lead by example,' she said, 'partnering with schools, social services, and advocacy groups to help families before abuse occurs and protect children when it does.' The current economic and political climate is making that work all the more difficult. 'Inflation is not helping,' said Geminus Neighborhood Liaison Julie Bush. 'We also have a lot of clients who are undocumented and they're scared,' added Neighborhood Liason Raeanne Richardson, who said such folks are 'trying to stay under the radar.' The liaisons and the families they serve face serious challenges in acquiring the basics. Perhaps a family needs beds for children. 'We can't get beds for a home if they're not going to live there for the next' several months, Bush said. 'I was trying to get a client into Gabriel's Horn (homeless shelter),' Richardson added. 'They are on a 21 and 22-person waiting list.' The liaisons said such a list was formerly eight or nine people deep. Community Partners can be reached toll-free at (888) 357-4264 or
