COVID Housing Grant Program Centers BIPOC Communities and The Power of Human Connection

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COVID Housing Grant Program Centers BIPOC Communities and The Power of Human Connection

Last year, Better Health Together partnered with five community organizations with strong ties and trusted relationships with members of their community to provide housing assistance through the City of Spokane Emergency Housing grant. Through this work, organizations identified families impacted by COVID and needing financial assistance to stabilize their housing situation. The partner organizations have served more than 250 households to date! Many of these households had been facing imminent eviction.

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Medicaid Transformation Project (MTP) Public Comment Period

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Medicaid Transformation Project (MTP) Public Comment Period

The HCA is asking for feedback on their draft application for our state’s Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver renewal. They will use feedback to refine the application that the HCA will submit to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this summer. Read the letters from BHT’s Board of Directors and Community Voices Council.

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DentistLink Connects Patients to Oral Health Care

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DentistLink Connects Patients to Oral Health Care

People who earn less than $17,775 a year are eligible to enroll in Apple Health (Medicaid) insurance, which covers dental care. Unfortunately, that doesn't always mean they are able to access dental care they need. In fact, in Spokane in 2020, only 24% of adults with Apple Health saw a dentist. Smile Spokane’s Access Strategy seeks to close that gap and help more people get the care they need.

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OHSU Evaluators Conducting MTP Provider Survey in early 2022

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Beginning February 2022, independent evaluators from the Center for Health Systems Effectiveness (CHSE) at OHSU will be conducting a Medicaid-focused survey of select practices and hospitals. The survey is part of the independent evaluation of the Medicaid Transformation Project (MTP) being conducted for Washington’s federal 1115 Medicaid Waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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Sealants Strategy: Helping Children Access Oral Health Care in Schools

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Sealants Strategy: Helping Children Access Oral Health Care in Schools

We want to celebrate our Sealants Strategy in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month! Tooth pain and cavities can make kids more likely to miss school and more likely to earn below-average grades. Luckily, Communities in Schools Spokane County and ToothSavers of Washington have partnered with Smile Spokane to provide sealants to kids in elementary schools. When we prevent cavities, kids stay in school, focused on achieving good grades, which supports their long-term success in life.

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2022-23 Behavioral Health Initiatives

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2022-23 Behavioral Health Initiatives

As 2021 closes, BHT still has approximately $1.5 million of IMC funds to allocate. At the September BH Forum, partners discussed how they would like to see us use the IMC funds over the next two years. At the November Board meeting, the Board approved allocation for the remaining IMC funds toward behavioral health initiatives in 2022-23.

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Building Oral Health Equity in Spokane

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Building Oral Health Equity in Spokane

With the global pandemic upon us in early 2021 and the disparities in health care becoming glaringly obvious, Smile Spokane started an equity project in partnership with CHAS Health community health workers (CHW), with the support of the Arcora Foundation. The project focused on the oral health needs of Spokane’s Marshallese community members.

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Decolonizing Nonprofits: An interactive online workshop by Tara (Qallaq) Ramos.

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Decolonizing Nonprofits: An interactive online workshop by Tara (Qallaq) Ramos.

Decolonizing Nonprofits is returning in November! This time, Tara will be offering two skill levels. Level 1 is for anyone who is interested and wants to know more. Level 2 is for those who already have a deep understanding of what decolonizing means and who are prepared to start integrating decolonizing themes into their work.

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Office COVID-19 Policy for Staff

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Office COVID-19 Policy for Staff

A committee of staff members convened to develop COVID safety guidelines based on public health guidance, community case rates, and input from the full staff. The committee made the following decisions regarding guidelines and safety measures for those choosing to be at the office. This is point-in-time guidance for BHT staff working at the BHT office.

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Request for Proposals: Safety and Justice Challenge Microgrant *Deadline extended!*

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Request for Proposals: Safety and Justice Challenge Microgrant *Deadline extended!*

On behalf of the Spokane Region’s participation in the Safety and Justice Challenge, BHT is releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to organizations that provide services that address community safety, early intervention, or reducing recidivism. A total of $75,000 is available to support innovative, community-based approaches to…

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Now accepting applications for HR & Equity Learning Cohort

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Now accepting applications for HR & Equity Learning Cohort

A 6-part series focusing on internal human resource practices that can have an immediate impact on building equity into an organization's DNA. We are hosting this first cohort to gauge interest in equity-based series like these. Our hope is to have 6-8 organizations participate. Because of the limited size of this cohort, we are asking all interested organizations to fill out a short application. Applications are due by May 5.

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City of Spokane COVID-19 Emergency Housing and Utility Assistance

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City of Spokane COVID-19 Emergency Housing and Utility Assistance

Notice of Intent to Apply - We are putting forth a proposal to administer $2 million of the City of Spokane’s funds for COVID-19 Emergency Housing and Utility Assistance as a fiscal sponsor for BIPOC lead and serving organizations to offer direct rental assistance to the community members they serve. If accepted, we hope our community partners will join us, giving input on the fund's design, structure, and governance.

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