COMMUNITY OUTREACH, PREVENTION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Lynnette is a 25-year-old single mom currently pregnant with her second child. Since her enrollment in the Black Infant Health Program, Lynnette has often said how much she appreciates the woman-to-woman support from the entire staff. She reports that there were many times when she was comforted by just knowing that there was a place she could call or visit for help...even if she didn't take advantage of it in that moment.

Through the program, Lynnette has learned to recognize and organize the services she needs to have a healthy child and to keep herself healthy. The Black Infant Health Program has helped Lynnette get permanent medical coverage and transportation to her medical and service appointments, as well as facilitating her enrollment in WIC.

Black Infant Health

PROTOTYPES' Black Infant Health Program is a community service program dedicated to improving the quality of life for African American women and their infants up to age 24 months. Community health outreach workers and health educators provide medical referrals, resources and information, advocacy, health education, social groups, transportation, and credit empowerment education. Culturally Specific Parenting Education groups focus on children learning positive self-images from their caretakers. Other groups focus on empowering the women to tap into their inner strengths and make positive changes in their lives and the lives of their children.

For information on the Black Infant Health Program, please contact the Project Coordinator at 909-623-6244.

Homeless Health Care Collaborative

Homeless Health Care Los Angeles and PROTOTYPES have joined together with the County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health and other substance abuse treatment and service providers to form a collaborative to address the lack of diverse, comprehensive, and integrated systems of care for the homeless population suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, and other co-occurring disorders in the Downtown area of Los Angeles known as Skid Row. The Homeless Health Care Collaborative is developing a seamless, "no-wrong-door," non-linear, holistic, client-driven system of services, which will include housing, primary health care, interpersonal socialization activities, and wrap-around services to assist program participants in improving their overall health and well-being.

For information on the Homeless Health Care Collaborative, please contact Ruth Slaughter, Division Director, at 310-641-7795.