MINUTES

(Preventive Education Action Team)

2-26-09

Grupo de Acción para el:

Bienestar Comunitario

Bienestar Total

Bienestar Completo

Team members present: Luke Waldo, Stephanie Calloway, Gabriela Diéguez, Leslie Davis, Virginia Zerpa-Uriona.

Above you can see three of the names the team came up with this morning.  We decided to have a name in Spanish.  The group will think of more names, send them out by e-mail, and have a vote at the next meeting, March 19^th.

Gabriela handed in her surveys.  She interviewed Catholic Charities, 16^th Street Clinic Behavioral Health Dept., Milwaukee Women’s Center (now under the supervision of Community Advocates).

Stephanie interviewed Gilda’s Club, but needs to still follow up with them.  They are now called Joy of Life.

Leslie interviewed Counseling Center, which is now called Pathways.  She thought the survey was a little cumbersome.  She confessed she went into the interview without practicing and even went cold call to the place, but everything turned out great.  She is still trying to contact someone and interview at Aurora Family Services 33^rd and Highland.  Leslie also took Health Care for the Homeless and San Adalberto.

Furthermore, these members took new agencies:

Gabriela will do Casa Romero, Marquette Clinical Psych Dept (Lucas Torres), Al-Anon.

Stephanie took Arthritis Foundation.

Luke took Children’s Service Society & Sojourner Truth House.

Leslie shared that during her interview with Pathways, the woman told her that it’s the law to provide bilingual services!  The team members thought it would be necessary to check this out.  Pathways does not have bilingual mental health providers.  Follow-up regarding this issue: Katie Gaulin (from Community Advocates and from the Health Care Access Action Team) mentioned that you can find it under the Civil Rights Act title 5 or 6. It is also under the Human Rights Act.  Danyel (from the Health Care Access Action Team) shared that it is mandated to certain entities and that the Federal Government funds this effort.

Catholic Charities has not had bilingual mental health providers in Milwaukee. They a have a part-time one in Racine.  According to the person interviewed, he felt Catholic Charities has no commitment to provide services to the monolingual Latino community.  They moved to 60^th street from 7^th and Washington, where the latter are the lawyers and paralegals who are all bilingual.

The Milwaukee Women’s Center has only one bilingual staff: Neda Avila.

Leslie shared that as she was referring clients to the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health and Health Care for the Homeless.  They asked for SS# and when she said there is none, they kept insisting and then said, “Are you saying that she is an illegal alien?” Leslie told her she is not supposed to ask that and asked to speak to a manager.  The woman refused to give Leslie her name.  This looks like an issue we in the Coalition should take under the umbrella of immigration as a health issue.

Leslie expressed the desire for the Coalition to be a clearinghouse of projects going on in Milwaukee so she can refer her patients to them, for example.  She did not know about the garden project at 16^th Street Clinic Parkway and the Parenting Group over there too.

They also mentioned how the 211 line is always busy, which Virginia will communicate to Bob Waite.

Everyone had positive things to say about the forum:

Good energy, networking, the information provided was at a good understanding level, impressed by attendance, panelists were approachable, Gabriela was impressed by Rebeca Lopez as a communicator and for her knowledge.

One thing the group wished for was room for questions and answers.

Next meeting: Thursday, March 19, 9-10:30 a.m.

Center for Urban Population Health

We will be in a different room that day.  Go to the normal meeting room, Suite #4180, and we will be escorted to a new meeting room.