City of Lawrence Mayor’s Health Task Force & CHNA 11 (Community Health Network Area)
MA Dept. of Public Health
City of Lawrence Mayor’s Health Task Force/CHNA 11 Overview The Mayor’s Health Task Force (MHTF) is a broad based collaborative of health care, social service providers, environmental groups, academic and research institutions, local businesses, community leaders, city planners and visionaries whose mission is to “develop healthy public health policies and activities that accommodate the changing conditions of the total community, and promote improvement in the quality of life of its community residents.” The MHTF serves as an advisory board to the mayor by placing public health issues high on the political agenda of the city and establishing new partnerships that build community capacity to address health disparities. The Task Force is a comprehensive effort by community activists to move Lawrence forward as a healthy city in the broadest possible terms. The vision of the MHTF is to secure tangible resources and systems to improve the city’s overall health status. It is a collaborative, credible, sustainable, and accountable entity. The MHTF solidifies its members’ institutional commitment to Lawrence. It maximizes diversity, holding to the cultural values and heritage of the community. In July 2010, the MA Department of Public Health requested that the MHTF assume the responsibility of administering CHNA (Community Health Network Area) 11, extending our reach to Methuen, Andover, North Andover and Middleton, a testament to the exponential growth in membership and scope of the MHTF, and its transformative work in the community. Working Groups/Subcommittees Behavioral Health Healthy Active Living (HALWG) o Environmental Health (now incorporated into the HALWG) Men’s & Women’s Health o Lawrence Mammography Services Oral Health Initiative Research Initiative Youth Network o Lawrence Coalition on Teen Pregnancy Activities ∙Capacity Building Trainings ∙Citywide Awareness Campaigns
∙ Health Fairs ∙ Health Screenings ∙ Systems/Policy Changes
Staff: Vilma Lora, Coordinator Elecia Miller, Project Officer
Revised January 2016
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City of Lawrence Mayor’s Health Task Force/CHNA 11 Executive Committee (EC): James Barnes (Community Development Department, Fiscal Agent for MHTF); Noemí Custodia-Lora (Northern Essex Community College); Robin Hynds (Lawrence General Hospital); Karen Kennedy (Holy Family Hospital; Vilma Lora (YWCA of Greater Lawrence; MHTF Coordinator); Heather McMann (Groundwork Lawrence); Gary P. Morelli (Merrimack Valley YMCA); Paul Muzhuthett (Massachusetts Department of Public Health); Richard Napolitano (Greater Lawrence Family Health Center); Theresa Petrie (Home Care, Inc.); Martha Velez (Lawrence Council on Aging). Purpose: An eleven-member committee comprised of academia, community based organizations, community members, healthcare professionals, and researchers, the EC works to fulfill its purpose by advising the mayor, city elected officials, and policymakers on policies and practices to improve the health of Lawrence residents. WORKING GROUPS AND SUBCOMMITTEES Behavioral Health (Mental Health and Substance Abuse) Purpose: A group comprised of state and local behavioral health providers and others interested in improving behavioral health in the Greater Lawrence area. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment, build trust and lay foundations for engagement into care via regular meetings, continued networking, education and awareness. Through collaboration, we hope to achieve the highest possible level of care that will allow the Behavioral Health residents of the Greater Lawrence Area to lead full lives in their respective communities. Co-Chairs: Eleanor Espinosa, Family Continuity Rebecca Osborne, Lawrence General Hospital Healthy Active Living Purpose: Sparked by alarming news about high obesity levels among Lawrence youth, the Healthy Active Living Working Group was created in September 2010. This group of concerned community providers works collaboratively to identify, address and remove barriers that hinder opportunities for healthier eating and more active living in our community, while advocating for a healthier environment. In May 2012, a decision was made to merge the Environmental Health Working Group into this group, as Healthy Active Living also encompasses the environment as well as the other denominators-nutrition and physical activity. This decision came as a result of the changing landscape within the Task Force and our partners, resulting in a change in leadership. Co-Chairs: Heather McMann, Groundwork Lawrence Men’s & Women’s Health Purpose: This working group represents a community partnership that works collaboratively to promote health equity through awareness, education, and access to preventative screenings and linkage to health insurance and services. Group addresses health inequities related to breast, cervical and prostate cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other health conditions affecting women and men in our community. This is achieved through education, health Revised January 2016
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fairs, free health screenings and referrals, targeting the uninsured/underinsured population in the Greater Lawrence Area. The Women’s/Men’s Health Working Group partnership is a collaboration between the City of Lawrence, Lawrence Council on Aging, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Health Quarters, Home Health Foundation, Lawrence General Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Woodmill Care & Rehabilitation Center, the YWCA of Greater Lawrence, and other area health/social service providers. Co-Chairs: Martha Velez, Lawrence Council on Aging Andres Gonzalez, Greater Lawrence Community Action Council Lawrence Mammography Services Working Group Purpose: This community partnership composed of health professionals and social service representatives, works collectively to continually identify and address existing and emerging challenges faced by medically underserved and vulnerable women in the Greater Lawrence area. The goal is to facilitate access to mammography services, breast health education and overall health care to women in this area. Chair: Yashira Robles, YWCA of Greater Lawrence Oral Health Initiative Purpose: A community partnership committed to promote oral health among children and adult residents in Lawrence through the identification of barriers and resources related to oral health. An effort initiated by the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, this expanded group hopes to strengthen, integrate, and sustain oral health activities previously developed under a grant- funded project (oral health examination, risk assessments, fluoride varnish application, etc.) for young children. In addition, the group wishes to raise awareness about the importance of oral health in overall health across the age span, create a network of dental care providers, and explore other opportunities that will increase access to oral health. Chair: Anthony Boschetti, Anthony Boschetti Consulting Agency Research Initiative (RIWG) Purpose: The Research Initiative Working Group (RIWG) is an academic-community collaborative project. The project aims to build a research infrastructure to assure that research conducted in Lawrence will provide a clear benefit to the community by including community members in all research phases. The key to mutually-beneficial research is called the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach. In our continued efforts to streamline and maximize our efforts, and given the apparent synergy that exist between the RIWG and MassCONECT working group, both groups have merged under the Research Initiative Working Group effective September 2012. We believe this merger will complement and further activate awareness-raising and capacity-building research related efforts proposed by the RIWG earlier this year, capitalizing on their combined expertise and ongoing historical research efforts in the city. Co-Chairs: Robin Toof, University of Massachusetts, Lowell Campus Sara Minsky, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Center for Community-Based Research
Revised January 2016
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Youth Network Purpose: Lawrence Youth Network is a network of community partners dedicated to the physical, emotional and mental health of Lawrence youth. These objectives are accomplished through:
Raising awareness Engaging in advocacy Encouraging action Strengthening collaboration
Chair: Marquis Victor, Elevated Thought Joshua Alba, Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI), LFDEF/Lawrence Youth Build Lawrence Coalition on Teen Pregnancy (LCTP) Purpose: The purpose of the LCTP is to develop a coordinated community response to teen pregnancy in Lawrence that is driven by existing and emerging data and needs identified by the community to address the issue of planned and unplanned pregnancies among teens, using proven practices that best fit the need of our community. In July 2015, the MHTF LCTP partnered with the Mass. Alliance on Teen Pregnancy (MATP) in a grant collaborative that successfully secured a five-year grant through the Office of Adolescent Health, to implement the Partners for Lawrence Youth, a community-wide initiative to prevent teen pregnancy and support youth in Lawrence using evidence-based programs. Co-Chairs: Margaret Tonelli, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center School Based Programs Carmen Blyden, Mass. Alliance on Teen Pregnancy Representative MHTF Lawrence Youth Council’s (MHTF LYC) Purpose: The purpose of the MHTF Lawrence Youth Council (LYC) is to empower caring youth dedicated to personal development and service leadership. The LYC was developed to meet the needs of our youth as both a tool to encourage positive youth behaviors and a means for promoting healthy development for Lawrence youth. The LYC youth works in partnership with the city and other community based institutions and organizations to enhance awareness, increase engagement and empower their youth constituents.
If interested in applying for membership to the council, applicant must be between the ages of 14—18 years, live in the city of Lawrence, be enrolled in or have finished high school and be able to serve a term of 10 consecutive months. Coordinator: Marquis Victor, Elevated Thought
Revised January 2016
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