(Updated: Added video and comments from OHA and CODSN)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon Disability Support Network, Central Oregon's special needs network, is one of 44 recent recipients of the Oregon Health Authority's Public Health Equity Grant.
Grant-winning organizations will use them to build community-driven, culturally and linguistically responsive public health services. OHA said CODSN will use the funds to focus on modernization projects.
Dorie England, Community Engagement Program Manager, said: “OHS has set a goal of eliminating health disparities by 2030, and that's a lofty goal. And we know we can't do it alone. “So this grant is an opportunity for us to allocate resources.” By giving money to communities, they tell us what needs to be done in their communities. ”
In 2023, the Oregon Legislature approved more than $16 million in funding to support community-based organizations eligible for public health equity grants. Winners will join the existing 150 organizations that received the first round of funding from OHA in 2022.
England said, “We prioritized organizations serving rural communities as well as organizations serving the disability community. And why we prioritized these two populations. , because we felt in our first round of funding that these are some of our states and communities within our states that we weren't investing enough in.”
“Honestly, we probably wouldn't have been able to do this project without the funding,” said Diane Hansen, executive director of the Central Oregon Disability Support Network. It's kind of grown up,” he said. she continued. “And people were asking us to come and train their teams and things like that, and without the funding from the Oregon Health Authority, we probably wouldn't have even been able to get the project off the ground. ”
CODSN received grant funding for its first cohort in 2022. They were able to develop an emergency preparedness curriculum and create emergency testing kits for people with disabilities. They were able to develop an emergency preparedness curriculum and create emergency testing kits for people with disabilities.
“We have access to thousands of funds from all over the country. We have reached out to state and local agencies and even FEMA to ask questions,” he said of the impact this funding has had on communities. Ta. Some of the resources we created through this program have had a much bigger impact than we anticipated. ”
Two organizations in Central Oregon will receive funding in this grant award. These include Bend's Abilitree and Gender Hive. Abilitree's goal is to enhance safety and provide people with disabilities with the tools and knowledge to respond to emergencies. Gender Hive's goal is to improve access to medical resources and create connections with communities of transgender and non-binary people.
England says, “They're telling us what they think this effort should look like within their own communities. I think it tells you what it means, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Here are OHA's recent news releases regarding community-based public health initiatives:
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Health Authority's Office of Public Health has awarded funding to 44 new community-based organizations (CBOs) to support public health equity-based efforts in their communities.
In 2023, the Oregon Legislature approved approximately $16.95 million to support CBO grants. The funds will also be used for training and technical assistance. The new grant recipients will join the existing 150 organizations currently funded by OHA Public Health Equity grants.
The OHA Public Health Division provides critical support for CBOs, including faith-based organizations and community groups, to guide and support culturally and linguistically responsive public health efforts in collaboration with local and state public health agencies. I recognize that I am playing a role. New funding opportunities aim to keep health equity and community priorities at the forefront of public health efforts.
The grantee selection process for this second cohort prioritized specific geographic locations and priority populations to expand the reach of funding across the state. As a result, grant recipients will represent organizations located in rural areas. Urban communities with service disparities. An organization that addresses the public health concerns and priorities of people living with disabilities. Organizations that serve communities at the intersection of multiple priority populations.
CBOs applied for and were awarded funding to develop initiatives that best serve the needs of their communities within one or more of the following program areas:
- climate adaptation.
- Prevention of infectious diseases.
- Public health emergency preparedness.
The Department of Public Health works with CBO on long-term public health initiatives. CBO will focus efforts that align with community priorities in one or more of the following funding categories:
- Health education and communication.
- Identify and evaluate community priorities.
- Support prevention activities.
- Policy development.
Dorie England, community partnership program manager for the Department of Public Health, said the 44 CBOs that received grants provided an excellent approach to eliminating health disparities in Oregon.
“It's clear that these CBOs know their communities well and know where the greatest needs are,” England said. “We look forward to working closely with them to ensure everyone in the communities they serve has equitable access to essential public health services.
To learn more about OHA's Public Health Division or to see a complete list of Public Health Equity grant recipients, visit OHA's CBO funding webpage here.
