Minority Health Grant Program is sponsored by Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). Provides funding for community-based organizations and Tribal nations serving economically disadvantaged minority populations to advance health equity.

Minority Health Grant Program | Wisconsin Department of Health Services The Minority Health Program (MHP) provides grant funding for community-based organizations and Tribal nations serving economically-disadvantaged minority populations across Wisconsin.

The purpose of the MHP Grant Program is to support the projects from organizations serving communities of color, especially those organizations located in areas where health disparities are high to help advance health equity across Wisconsin. Now announcing 2024-2025 grantees We are pleased to announce the 2024 Minority Health Program grantees.

We received many thoughtful and innovative applications from organizations making a difference across Wisconsin. This year's grantees represent an element of coalition-building to help elevate the work of community partners who often have the greatest understanding of the unique challenges within their communities.

Each project brings an array of community capacity building strategies that aim to address the structural conditions and social factors that impact health outcomes.

To build healthy communities, each project is in alignment with one or more of the social determinants of health: Education access and quality (health literacy) Health care access and quality Natural, neighborhood, and built environment Social and community context We strive to build a collaborative community of Minority Health Providers in order to enhance capacities to reach and serve Wisconsin’s most vulnerable populations.

Regardless of grantee status, MHP is available to provide training and technical assistance to organizations working to eliminate health disparities. Together we can create a healthier Wisconsin!

Project Title: Community Health Worker Program Geographic Location: Allied, Belmar, Dunn’s Marsh Neighborhoods in Madison, WI and Fitchburg, WI The Allied Wellness Centers Community Health Worker Program is a Community Wellness Program aimed at enhancing individual and community well-being, particularly focusing on minority populations. This initiative seeks to address social determinants of health through culturally competent services.

The program consists of various components, including community education, peer support groups, individual wellness coaching, and advocacy. Community Education involves tailored workshops covering topics like nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and preventive care to meet specific community needs.

Peer Support Groups offer opportunities for community members to share experiences, provide social connection and emotional support, and hold each other accountable in achieving health and wellness goals. Advocacy efforts aim to promote policies and programs targeting social determinants of health, such as affordable housing, access to healthy food, community safety and environment, and transportation.

Key activities encompass CHW outreach to engage and support community members, conduct educational workshops and one-on-one sessions, and establish peer support groups.

Project Title: Increasing Access for Disadvantaged Communities in Central Wisconsin to Advance Health & Economic Equity Geographic Location: Portage & Waushara Counties CAP Services Community Resource Team deploys multilingual, culturally appropriate and accessible practices that ensure individuals and groups disproportionately impacted by the causes and conditions of poverty receive equitable access to services that result in improved socioeconomic and health outcomes.

This project will engage economically disadvantaged Hmong and Latinx individuals in Portage and Waushara counties to eliminate barriers that prevent them from accessing critical services that help them meet their short-term needs, enroll in programming that addresses their long-term goals, and invites their input about the challenges facing low-income households and identifying solutions to advance equity and improve outcomes.

Project Title: Building Health Equity Geographic Location: Milwaukee’s Near West Side City on a Hill is dedicated to addressing health disparities in Milwaukee's Near West Side (NWS) and surrounding areas through the "Building Health Equity" project. This initiative focuses on improving Health Care Access and Quality and enhancing Social and Community Context—key social determinants of health identified as critical for this community.

The multifaceted approach includes expanding free health clinic services, integrating telehealth solutions, and creating robust community support networks. By providing direct access to healthcare and fostering a supportive community environment, we aim to improve the management of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension and address the social isolation that can exacerbate health disparities.

Through continuous engagement with the community and ongoing evaluation of services, the project is committed to creating sustainable improvements in health equity, setting a replicable model for other communities facing similar challenges. This project not only seeks to reduce immediate health disparities but also aims to build long-term community resilience and well-being.

Project Title: Air Equity: Tackling Health Disparities through Neighborhood Air Quality Monitoring and Education Geographic Location: City of Milwaukee MKE FreshAir Collective is dedicated to improving air quality in Milwaukee’s economically disadvantaged and predominantly minoritized neighborhoods.

The Air Equity project will deploy an additional five neighborhood-level air quality monitoring systems in targeted areas identified through comprehensive data analysis of the current network. The expansion of this network will equip residents with real-time data on air pollutants, enabling them to make informed decisions to protect their health.

Concurrently, an evidence-based educational curriculum will be developed and disseminated tailored to all age groups in the community. Additionally, the project introduces the "Bad Air Badger," an innovative, animatronic educational robot designed to raise awareness and engage community members effectively at various events.

This tool, along with educational programs and a first annual report summarizing the air monitoring data, aims to empower residents with knowledge and advocacy tools to demand better environmental conditions.

MKE FreshAir Collective aims to reduce health disparities related to poor air quality, foster a well-informed community ready to tackle environmental challenges, and ultimately, contribute to the statewide goal of achieving health equity.

Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services Project Title: Community Health Worker Pilot Geographic Location: Kenosha County The Kenosha County 2019 Health Needs Assessment identified the following top three health issues in the county: 1) mental health, 2) substance use and abuse, 3) access to health care.

To respond to the challenges the target population faces in Kenosha County, KAFASI will develop, implement, and evaluate a Community Health Worker program. The CHW model is an evidence-based approach that uses community -based health promotion and principles of community organization and empowerment to address health issues from within underserved communities.

The pilot program will target Hispanic/Latino adults residing in Kenosha County and focus on second-generation.

One CHW will be recruited and trained to conduct mental health assessment with a minimum of 50 individuals, conduct outreach to 500 community members, refer 100 to health and human services, provide eligibility pre-screening and enrollment assistance for 75 applications for public benefits programs, and facilitate a minimum of 15 mental health education sessions.

Legal Action of Wisconsin Project Title: Milwaukee Housing Conditions Legal Assistance Outreach Geographic Location: City of Milwaukee Access to affordable, safe, and stable housing are basic building blocks for the health and wellbeing of children and families.

Legal Action will provide education and outreach to low-income Milwaukee residents living in rental homes with serious housing conditions that adversely impact health and safety, including Know Your Rights Trainings and community outreach. The project will also develop referral sources to identify tenants living in poor housing that would benefit from legal assistance.

A lack of stable housing can trigger a cascade of health challenges, including increased respiratory infections, injuries, lead poisoning, and chronic stress. Children and families without secure housing often experience disruptions in education, reduced access to healthcare, and limited opportunities for physical activity, all of which contribute to poor health outcomes.

By providing legal education and outreach to families in these situations, we can directly improve future health outcomes and health equity for vulnerable populations and communities. Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development Project Title: Collaboration to Achieve Reentry System Health Equity in Dane County Geographic Location: Madison/Dane County The Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development and the Society of St.

Vincent de Paul Dane County (SVdP) will work together to improve the health and well-being of individuals returning from incarceration by piloting a system addressing primary barriers to successful reentry: employment, housing, access to health care and social/emotional support.

Involvement in the criminal justice system remains heavily stigmatized and returning community members face insurmountable barriers to obtaining gainful employment and stable housing, which can lead to recidivism and re-incarceration.

Nehemiah's Justice & Reentry program (housing and peer support) has been in place for almost a decade and SVdP work-release partnership with Oakhill Correctional Institution (employment and health care) has been active since 2017.

This innovative pilot partnership brings the strengths of each organization together with the goals of providing a deeper and broader safety net, increased health and self efficacy, reducing recidivism, and ideally proving to be a replicable model for other communities.

Personal Development Center Project Title: PDC – DHS Grant 2024 – Minority Health Program Geographic Location: Wood, Clark & Marathon Counties Personal Development Center (PDC) aims to address health disparities among victims/survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in rural communities in Clark & Wood Counties, with a focus on the Hispanic/Latino population.

Due to the large geographic area and lack of transportation options, individuals often face barriers in accessing safety and supportive services to ensure their physical and mental well-being. The project will enhance the coordination of services to more effectively address victim needs in a comprehensive and trauma-informed manner and support their journey toward healing.

PDC will raise awareness of domestic/sexual violence and the intersectionality to social determinants of health, and its impact on short and long-term health outcomes. Community members and partners will be engaged to amplify the voices of those impacted by domestic and sexual violence to promote well-being and address health disparities.

By providing culturally sensitive messaging and resources, the project seeks to empower individuals to improve their health outcomes and advocate for systemic change.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Project Title: Promotores de Salud – Improving the Health of Latinx Families Geographic Location: Greater Milwaukee Area The Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI) Promotores de Salud Program will train community health workers, at the grassroots level, as Promotores who will educate and empower thousands of underserved Latinx individuals in Wisconsin to come together, receive culturally relevant health information to use with family and friends, learn about local resources, advocate for their health needs and the needs of their loved ones, and make their voices heard about social issues that impact their health and well-being.

Education will be delivered via Home Health Parties which are informal, multi-session small group gatherings of peers that are facilitated by trained Promotores and hosted by individuals recruited from their social networks.

In addition to these groups, Promotores will also conduct one-on-one outreach, educating Latinx people about health disparities and providing navigation to health care and other resources to address social determinants of health. Promotores will also be placed onsite at PPWI health centers to provide information to Latinx patients, answer questions, and help reduce language and other cultural barriers to accessing care.

Pointters Community Initiatives Project Title: Empowering Communities: Addressing Health Disparities Through Grassroots Initiatives Geographic Location: Fox Valley Area of Wisconsin Empowering Communities: Addressing Health Disparities Through Grassroots Initiatives focuses on addressing the unique needs of Black Americans, immigrants, and refugees in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin, particularly those from limited-income backgrounds.

These communities face complex challenges, including systemic inequalities and resource limitations. The initiatives will target key Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) prevalent in the Fox Valley, including economic stability, education access, healthcare access, and social contexts.

Tailored activities include: Implementing workforce development programs with local employers and educational institutions to create economic pathways for limited-income families; Providing culturally sensitive educational resources and support services addressing the unique needs of these communities; Facilitating access to mental healthcare services, prioritizing preventive care for those facing economic challenges; Fostering inclusive environments through community engagement efforts, promoting social cohesion and support networks.

Through direct engagement and collaboration with local stakeholders, the project aims to develop sustainable solutions to address the root causes of health disparities in the Fox Valley.

Project Title: La Hora de Salud: A health education radio show for Spanish-speaking Latinos Geographic Location: Southeast Region of Wisconsin 2023-2024 Minority Health Grants Grantee Organizations and Project Summary Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic Chris Casselman, email: Christine. casselman@aah.

org The Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic’s (AWPCC) Cresciendo Juntas (Growing Together) program is a series of free classes and workshops designed to help Latina immigrant women manage stress, improve mental health, and build community. The program serves over 150 individuals annually and is led by a WPCC psychologist and MD-trained Peruvian community health worker. It has been transformative in the lives of participants.

Delivered in Spanish, the program includes: 1)Venga y Relájese (Come and Relax): Participants learn relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and other stress-management skills; 2) Venga y Siga Creciendo (Come and Keep Growing): Participants explore the impact of trauma on mental health and learn tools to help process past trauma; 3) Mindful Communication: Participants learn to communicate more effectively in personal and professional relationships; 4) Developing a Personal Narrative: Participants explore personal history and develop ownership over their life stories,5) Circulo de Mujeres (Circle of Women): Weekly support circles; 6) Conscious Eating: One course and 7) a Weekly Walking Group.

Centro Hispano of Dane County Evelyn Cruz, email: Evelyn@micentro. org Location: Dane County, WI Centro Hispano and the Esperanza Partnership will implement a HEART Sanctuary and Community of Care strategies to address workforce burnout and the ability to increase resilience.

These strategies aim to increase community capacity by supporting our community mental health workforce to strengthen individual and community sense of identity and belonging by reconnecting with our cultural roots, reawakening and reclaiming our ancestral knowledge as a path to resilience, liberation, healing, and well-being.

They are targeting Latine- and BIPOC-identified Spanish-speaking social service and behavioral health providers (e.g., mental health practitioners, community health workers, advocates, community leaders and educators) to strengthen workforce capacity and support. Art Serna, email: Aserna@cityonahillmke.

org City on a Hill (COAH) is dedicated to mitigating health disparities and generational poverty among minority populations in Milwaukee's Near West Side and adjacent neighborhoods. Their project integrates person and community-centered healthcare, social connectivity, and mental well-being.

They employ Health Outreach events and the Empowering Communities of Color Digital Well-Being Initiative (ECC-DWBI) to promote preventive care, manage chronic diseases, and provide mental health education. Their initiatives foster community unity, counteracting the adverse effects of social isolation on mental and emotional health.

They leverage telehealth technology to broaden mental health services in our target areas, collaborating with mental health providers to offer virtual counseling, screenings, and educational resources. This strategy addresses the shortage of mental health professionals in our service area and ensures individuals have easy and confidential access to support. Quinn Devlin, email: Quinn.

devlin@marinecu. com Finding HOME is interrupting the cycle of generational financial instability by connecting underserved and credit-challenged populations to homeownership. Homeownership is a crucial foundation for financially stability.

In fact, academic research and surveys point to one inescapable conclusion: that owning one’s home enhances quality of life in a variety of specific, verifiable ways, such as feelings of stability and pride, involvement in communities, decreased doctor visits, and increased academic achievement.

To this end, MCU Foundation created Finding HOME, a free 12-18 month financial education, behavior change, and housing program designed to help families achieve homeownership. Throughout the core program, participants meet with a financial coach three times per month, attend educational courses, and receive resource navigation assistance as needed.

As a result, families build robust savings accounts, reduce debt, and increase their credit scores substantially. Upon graduation, families are guaranteed access to a market-rate mortgage that fits their spending plan. Holly Bowers, email: Hbowers@healthnet-rock.

org Mental healthcare access remains a paramount concern in Rock County, particularly for individuals facing language/cultural barriers. HealthNet of Rock County's "Apoyo en la communidad" project is a crucial response to the scarcity of behavioral healthcare providers in Rock County, Wisconsin, focusing on the underserved Hispanic/Latinx population.

Aligned with the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) priorities, the project aims to deliver culturally sensitive mental health and substance use treatment services. By providing bilingual individual therapy, group psychotherapy, and psychiatric prescribing, the initiative addresses specific barriers faced by Hispanic/Latin individuals, including language, lack of insurance, and cultural considerations.

Objectives include reducing depression symptoms and advancing behavioral change readiness. Long-term goals focus on increasing the likelihood of behavior change and achieving treatment retention, ultimately contributing to enhanced mental health outcomes within the Hispanic/Latin community in Rock County. This project signifies a crucial step towards equitable access to quality mental healthcare in the region.

Catrina Sparkman, email: Catrinasparkman@gmail. com The Memory Collectors Story Project: Fighting Alzheimer's with Art is a collaborative effort between IP Ministries and The Creator’s Cottage, The Ironer’s Press, Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, African Americans Fighting Alzheimer’s in Midlife, New Bridge Community Center, and Badger Rock Community Gardens to create an innovative arts education program.

The Memory Collectors Story Project: Fighting Alzheimer’s with Art program, employs the creative arts to manage stress, and to educate participants on strategies to improve heart and brain health with the purpose of decreasing the risk of Alzheimer’s and other Dementia related diseases in African American, Indigenous, and other women of color age 40 and up.

Participants in the program will gather monthly at the Creator’s Cottage, a culturally specific, welcoming maker space, to share memories surrounding themes of family, community, faith, culture, and resistance. Project participants will be given the option of producing their stories in written form or by means of fabric through story cloths and quilts. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Maria Barker, email: Maria.

barker@ppwi. org Location: Dane, Green Bay, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Trempealeau, Walworth, and Waukesha counties The Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc. (PPWI) Promotores de Salud (Health Promoter) program will provide culturally and linguistically relevant outreach, health education and peer navigation within social networks.

The project focuses on decreasing health disparities and improving health outcomes of underserved Latinx people in Wisconsin within two SHIP priority areas: 1) Promoting person and community centered care by recruiting, training, and mobilizing a network of 20 Latinx health promoters who will conduct education, outreach, and peer navigation to health care and community resources, and 2) Increasing social connectedness and belonging among Latinx immigrants who are isolated as a result of structural and systemic barriers and their undocumented status.

The project will take place in Dane, Green Bay, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Trempealeau, Walworth, and Waukesha counties. Staff and health promoters work with 25+ local partner organization to coordinate outreach and engagement activities such as health fairs, vaccine outreach, community celebrations, and voter registration. Peggy West-Schroder, email: Peggy@freemvmnt.

org Women are the fastest growing incarcerated population; the separation of children from primary caregivers and the treatment of pregnant and incarcerated women and girls reproduces intergenerational cycles of trauma and the potential for incarceration, and associated health disparities.

Wisconsin has the most racially disparate rates of incarceration in the country, so this systemic health disparity falls on our Black communities most heavily. Lack of awareness by the public and power holders means that this key site of potential intervention remains neglected.

This project will 1) Raise awareness among the public of the intersection between incarceration and the health of women and girls, with a focus on Black maternal and child health; 2) Empower women impacted by the criminal legal system and 3) Build coalitions between impacted women and non impacted allies to create concrete changes in linked criminal legal institutions.

2020-2021 Minority Health Grants Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic (AWPCC) , Hispanic Women’s Stress Management Program Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 Focus: Mental Health The Minority Health Grant covers expansion of the Venga Y Relajese stress management program and its related curriculum delivered to uninsured women.

Funding allows AWPCC to increase programming both in frequency and participant capacity, offer new programs and hire a Community Health Worker to support efforts and bolster operational capacity. There have been two new, one-time classes offered, Relajémonos en Familia and Mindful Eating that served eighteen participants. Additionally, there are two new Venga Y Siga Creciendo classes serving fifteen participants.

A group for men is planned to begin January 2021. "Overall, we are pleased that the Venga program continues to touch lives in positive ways to improve the stress levels of our patients despite obstacles." F.

O. S. T.

E. R of Dane County Inc. Black Girls Talk Too / Triple B Black Girls Empowerment Online Platform Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 Focus: Mental Health; Collaboration, Community Strengths, Prevention The project has two goals. The primary goal is to provide positive and healthy supports in the lives of African American girls in order to prevent poor health outcomes over the life course.

A collective goal is to utilize the positive youth development model to identify and draw inherent strengths. Mentors are embedded in the project to support families as well as youth. “The socioemotional health of the girls we serve is our main priority despite the pandemic and we are so excited to do this with the support of the Minority Health Grant.

” One RBN Wellness , (Relate, Build Nurture) Project Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 Focus: Mental health; Everyone Living Better, Longer The RBN Pilot Project is a program designed to improve wellness outcomes for American Indian populations, with specific focus on youth. The focus of the project is to Relate, Build, and Nurture (RBN) through the integration of American Indian arts and teachings with focuses on mental wellness.

The project goal is to normalize conversations on mental wellness within America Indian communities, while building relationships between youth, adults, and community supports. Due to COVID-19 online forums and hands on workshops and wellness events have proven successful. "There is healing that occurs as we foster healthy connections and relationships.

Not only is this prevention and education for the current generations, but healing for the next generations to come. ” Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin , Promotores de Salud (health promoters) Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 Focus: Chronic Disease Prevention; Human Growth and Development; Reproductive and Sexual Health Health promoters work across Wisconsin to ensure that addressing health disparities in Latinx communities.

Program components are designed to reduce health disparities including higher rates of some cancer diagnoses, low access to preventive health care, and higher exposure to hazardous working conditions. The Program Director, Maria Barker is engaged with Latinx leaders in several communities including farm workers in central Wisconsin.

The program director and health promoters are a resource for COVID-19 information relevant to diverse Latinx communities and shared information weekly with trained Latinx health promoters. "Our entire team is excited to share our knowledge with Latinx families across WI. We will ensure families are receiving information in a manner they can understand and feel comfortable asking question.

Creating trust and connecting people to reputable resources is our expertise and top priority." YWCA Greater Green Bay Fitness Exploration for Minority Middle Schoolers Healthiest Wisconsin Focus: Physical Activity The program helps low-income minority middle school students try many different styles of physical fitness activities in an effort to help kids connect with a fitness activity they can take with them their entire lives.

This program has given these youth an outlet to be physically active and to safely socialize in a time of isolation and inactiveness while also developing a norm for healthy habits. The benefit expanding these services has against the backdrop of a pandemic impacting people of color so disproportionately is amazing.

“We are excited to be expanding our work with youth fitness and coupling it with our missional dedication to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity.

” Muslim Community Health Center Healthiest Wisconsin Focus: Tobacco Use and Exposure MCHC delivered the Stanford University a three part series on “Vaping Prevention: A remote learning curriculum” class to 200 Salam School middle and high school students. Students are provided vouchers and a certificate of completion. Students interact throughout each session and really are compelled about making a change on vaping.

Students express concern regarding the amount of misinformation that is presented in the community about vaping and its dangers. “This funding opportunity has been vital to start the program at Salam School. One student said, “I can’t believe some of the ingredients in e-cigarettes and the effects of second hand smoking.

” Jump at the Sun , Wisconsin We’re Better Than This: Anti-Racism Public Health Healthiest Wisconsin Focus: Tobacco; Structural Racism This project focuses on the needed upstream policy interventions to address structural racism. One key area of racial health disparities is tobacco use.

A goal of the program is to go beyond tobacco-focused interventions to incorporate upstream work that both builds public will for policy changes and addresses the root causes of smoking disparities.

The project includes an Anti-Racism Public Health Initiative, targeting systemic and structural racism across all sectors through the development and pilot-testing of anti-racism learning circles and by engaging in message testing to support the development of an anti-racism media campaign.

"We are grateful to be a grantee of the Wisconsin Minority Health Program and view this as seed money that will allow us to engage in the type of ‘good trouble’, described by the late Senator John Lewis of Georgia. This funding will support thoughtful planning, relationship building and partnerships that will pave the road for Wisconsin to be a state where everyone lives in dignity and has an equal opportunity to achieve optimal.

” Health Connections , COVID19 Testing and Community Outreach Program Healthiest Wisconsin Focus: Communicable Disease, (Building Infrastructure for health services and resources for vulnerable populations and reducing negative health and economic impact of communicable diseases) Health Connections Inc. (HC) is healthcare firm with a public health/population management perspective providing COVID-19 testing as our response to health services and linkage of Milwaukee County residents to other basic needs, supportive services and mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To date, the Health Connections Inc.’s (HCI) COVID-19 Testing and Community Outreach Program has networked with its community partners, churches and neighborhood food pantries to provide more than 1000 COVID-19 onsite tests, counseling, education for the entire community – but especially targeting the African American populations in Milwaukee County.

“The State of WI providing Minority-lead health-focused agencies with access to funding and operational integration into public health systems, is how we start equalizing access to and acceptance of healthcare in general and thereby achieve health equity and overall increase of Wisconsin's health performance.

” ABC for Health, Inc. recently embarked on a project to document and translate the stories from unmarried women and families on Badger Care Plus in Wisconsin facing legal action and judgment from county child support offices to repay Medicaid-supported birth expenses through the “Birth Cost Recovery” policy.

These stories formed part of a campaign to inform community leaders about the disparate impact of this policy on low-income, minority families, contributing to health inequity and prenatal stress leading to poor birth outcomes. Visit ABC for Health's Birth Cost Recovery or watch the following informational videos created by ABC for Health, to learn more.

A Conversation on Birth Cost Recovery video (6 minutes) Eliminating a Medicaid Health Disparity: Stopping the Birth Tax video (29 minutes) Wisconsin Health Literacy's project — Let's Talk About Opioids — sought to improve health and reduce opioid disparities for justice-involved (incarcerated or on parole) individuals from minority populations.

The project included the development of health literacy workshops to improve individuals’ understanding of the risks of overdose after leaving incarceration or parole and how to recognize and prevent an overdose. Faced with the challenge of adapting to a new way of doing their work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project managers were able to forge ahead in creative ways.

Combining public health knowledge about keeping communities safe during COVID-19 with what they learned during focus groups with their target population, they shifted the program delivery method for the Let’s Talk About Opioids workshop to a virtual format. This shift allowed the project to keep moving forward, and will serve even more justice-involved adults with a greater variety of materials than originally planned.

2019-2020 Minority Health Grants The Minority Health Program is pleased to announce that the grantee recipients have been selected for fiscal year 2020. The recipients are listed below, along with their project goals.

ABC for Health, Inc. Family Stories: Birth Cost Equity for Unmarried Women & Families In collaboration with ABC for Rural Health and HealthWatch Wisconsin, this project will document and translate the stories from unmarried women and families on Badger Care Plus in Wisconsin, that face legal action and judgment from County Child Support offices to repay Medicaid-supported birth expenses through the “Birth Cost Recovery” policy.

These stories will form part of an education and outreach campaign to inform community leaders about the disparate impact this policy has on low-income, minority families, including health inequity and prenatal stress that leads to poor birth outcomes.

Centro Hispano of Dane County New Routes Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Support Group This project’s primary goal is to address the void of cultural and linguistically appropriate services for AODA for Latino families in Dane County. The project aims to run four AODA support group cohorts that are culturally and linguistically appropriate to serve a total of 60 participants.

In addition, they would collect evaluation data to move into a national review of the curriculum to validate the intervention as a new evidence-based practice and allow sharing of the intervention with other Latinx communities in the nation.

Focus Counseling, Inc. Pilot: Housing as Healthcare+ The goal of this initiative is to support initial housing opportunities for individuals facing significant barriers to housing, including substance abuse disorders, mental health diagnoses and criminal justice involvement, while providing wrap-around services to address other barriers to improved health outcomes, including development of an individualized recovery plan, access to nutrition and fitness education, and treatment and recovery services for AODA and mental health conditions.

Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency, Inc. Eat. Move. Thrive.

Kenosha This project is a non-pharmaceutical prescription approach for health improvement in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, tobacco cessation, wellness and social cohesion. Their priority populations include Hispanic and African American individuals participating in the following RKCAA – Kenosha programming: Dedicated Dads, a WIC father involvement program.

The Momtastics, a newly formed group of WIC moms, and low-income senior citizens participating in the Kenosha Senior Veggie Voucher Program. Safe Community Coalition Madison-Dane County Understanding Opioid Harm and Suicide in Dane