Center for Civic Partnerships

Mendocino Community Health Partnership

For more information on the Health Partnership's work contact:

Valerie Lawe
776 S. State Street, Suite 102A
Ukiah, CA 95482
Tel: (707) 463-4604
Email: mchp@pacific.net

Mentoring and Needle Exchange: Potential Legacy for Mendocino Communities Health Policy Group

The Mendocino Communities Health Policy Group is speeding into spring with a variety of policy goals and objectives. Two big goals were accomplished just before the group disbanded in June - a policy giving paid time off to people who mentor youth, and policy changes to allow needle exchanges to operate legally in Mendocino County.

Mentoring has been a tough issue to work on, largely because it was so hard to learn all the rules and get to know all the key decision-makers. The group met with Mendocino County’s Service Employees International Union (SEIU) representative in January and received good feedback on how best to structure a paid leave policy which would allow mentoring while protecting the County from liability. They still needed more information on exactly how to structure personnel policies and hold harmless agreements. Jan Moore, of the Mentoring Alliance, helped the group over this hurdle when she contacted the Points of Light Foundation, which had a nice packet of information on how to structure paid leave time. County Counsel member Jeanine Nadel also offered her opinion on the issue. They met with county administrators and structured a policy that met their needs, the needs of youth seeking mentors and of employees who may volunteer. They also met with three local businesses and one community based organization to encourage them to adopt mentoring policies in their organizations.

The goal of community risk reduction has brought the Policy Group into a coalition of interested parties who convinced the Board of Supervisors to declare a state of medical emergency, so that they can legalize needle exchange programs under the provisions of a new state law. The newest policy paper on risk reduction was published in June. The group has procured endorsements from various local groups and is trying to generate publicity on the matter in a variety of ways. Public Health was given permission by the Board of Supervisors to install safe syringe disposal units in County office buildings. They also provided information to the Board on blood borne diseases and the danger of discarded needles. A press release on the rise of HCV and HIV in the County is being circulated, and soon the group will begin soliciting letters to the editor in support of safe, legal needle exchanges. A proposal for an acceptable, legal needle exchange program will be presented to the Board in late summer. In the meantime, program staff is working under the limited guidelines of the new state law.

As the policy group winds up its two years of existence, they are pleased that their policies gained passage with the Board. However, whether they are adopted or not, the group will have succeeded in defining public health issues in Mendocino County.

CCP Health Partnership Newsbrief: Summer 2000

Willits Action Group Leads Mendocino County Service Integration Effort

The Mendocino Community Health Partnership's (MCHP) Willits Action Group (WAG) continues to support the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors in designing, financing and implementing an integrated, co-located, health and human service center in Willits. The Board proposed a step toward making this plan a reality by directing staff, department heads and WAG to work together through the health and Human Services Council.

CCP Health Partnership Newsbrief: Winter 2000

Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Supports Service Integration

The Board of Supervisors formally adopted a motion to pursue the Willits Integrated Services Center. The Mendocino Community Health Partnership’s (MCHP) Willits Action Group (WAG) received favorable feedback from the County Board of Supervisors. The Board expressed their interest with both the concept and reality of a co-located service center that would bring County human services and community-based organizations to the people of Willits. WAG will continue to support the Board of Supervisors in designing, financing and implementing an integrated, co-located, health and human services center in Willits that includes government agencies and community based organizations.

CCP Health Partnership Newsbrief: Summer 99

Mendocino Community Health Partnership Spotlights Population Health Indictors

In collaboration with one of its founding partners, the Mendocino County Public Health Advisory Board (MCPHAB), Public Health Department staff and the Mendocino Community Health Partnership (MCHP) have helped produce the second edition of the Biennial Community Health Status Report (CHSR). The Community Health Status Report is an overview of many health-related issues. "It is intended to serve as a summary of health information to be used by members of the community, policy makers, educators, practitioners and students," said Carol Mordhorst, Health Administrator, Mendocino County Department of Public Health.

As a result of the leadership and guidance from MCPHAB, its MCHP representatives and MCHP staff, the 1998 edition was expanded beyond traditional morbidity and mortality rates to include a broader set of indicators that begin to highlight the economic, social, cultural and environmental factors that contribute to a healthy community. Tom Montesonti, MCPHAB chair, stated, "The Public Health Department has reached out to other departments in county government, the private sector, local non-profits, and community-based organizations in an effort to create a more comprehensive picture of the health of Mendocino County."

The following were added to the 1998 edition:

Quality of life indicators from the Mendocino County Lifestyle and Field Institute surveys and the Harris Poll;
Sections on emergency medical services; mental health; and crime, violence, abuse and neglect;
Data on air quality, hepatitis B, the numbers of retail liquor outlets, causes of childhood death and use of tobacco products; and
Discussion of population health principles.

Work is already underway to continue expanding the scope of this document so that it becomes more population health oriented. One of the barriers to including more population health-related information was the absence of reliable and/or affordable data sources. Looking toward the next edition, MCHP is planning to convene a learning circle/workgroup comprised of CHSR users in the community, representatives of areas not yet included in the CHSR and other interested parties to help guide the continued augmentation of the CHSR 2000. It is our hope that this group will identify additional population health indicators and data sources and assist in identifying benchmarks to guide public policy and health efforts in the years after current funds are expended.

CCP Health Partnership Newsbrief: Spring 98

Mendocino Community Health Partnership Selects Strategies

In an expanded partnership meeting on January 30, 1997, which included more than 50 participants, the Mendocino Community Health Partnership selected the strategies to be included in the Partnership’s four-year Community Health Improvement Plan. They plan to develop an integrated service site in the community of Willits and support a newly formed Mentoring Alliance.

Department heads from the County human service agencies have already expressed their interest in pursuing the Willits center, with a long-term goal of blending funds and cross-training agency personnel. Non-profit agencies will be included in the efforts as well. Currently very few County agencies are actively providing services in the Willits area, requiring residents to travel to Ukiah for access to most County services. Transportation is a problem for many, particularly in the winter months.

The Mentoring Alliance, which is the brainchild of two mentoring leaders in the county (Big Brother/Big Sisters and CASA), plans to pull together all community groups involved in mentoring. The Alliance will strengthen and develop systems to recruit, screen, train and match mentors with youth. They will also provide start-up assistance to agencies interested in initiating mentoring programs, such as the proposed Ukiah Valley Arts and Recreation Center. This approach will build on existing capacity rather than attempting to duplicate existing services. Initially, mentoring programs will be analyzed to identify successful strategies, gaps and expansion potential. The involvement of Partnership representatives from the Latino and Native American communities will ensure consideration of cultural issues.

The results of the Health Improvement Initiative telephone polls presented to the County Board of Supervisors and local media on February 4, 1997, were enthusiastically received. The local media have been very responsive to requests for coverage of Partnership actives, including community forums, the strategy selection meeting and release of the survey results.

CCP Health Partnership Newsbrief: Winter 97