Cultural, Faith, and Disability Communities COVID-19 Updates

Minnesota Department of Health sent this bulletin at 03/22/2024 09:30 AM CDT
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Cultural, Faith, and Disability Communities COVID-19 Updates

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Minnesota Department of Health

Friday, March 22

The Cultural, Faith, and Disability Communities COVID-19 Update is being sent to the following three MDH mailing lists to reduce duplication:

  • Cultural, Faith, and Disability Communities COVID-19 Updates
  • MN Immigrant and Refugee Health Announcements
  • The Center for Health Equity

Today's COVID-19 updates include:

COVID-19 in Minnesota

Take these steps to protect yourself and others:

  • Stay up to date on your COVID-19 Vaccine. Recommended for ages 6 months and older, the vaccine will protect you against serious illness. Even if you were vaccinated in the past, you may still need the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine. This latest vaccine provides protection from the newer variants circulating in our communities right now.
  • Stay at home when you are sick. Take care of yourself and those around you by staying home (away from others) if you have symptoms like a cough, sore throat, sneezing, or fever.
  • Take a COVID-19 test when needed. It is important to get tested if you have symptoms or were in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. If you test positive and are at higher risk, medications are available. The medications are most effective within 5 days of when symptoms begin, which is why you should get tested.
  • Be mindful every day. Frequently wash your hands and cover coughs to keep germs from spreading.

Additional resources

Find prevention tips on Protect Yourself and Others: COVID-19.

See hospitalization data for flu, COVID-19, and RSV on Viral Respiratory Illness in Minnesota.

Funding

  • Emmett Louis Till Victims Recovery Program: In the 2023 legislative session, the Emmett Louis Till Victims Recovery Program was established to address the health and wellness needs of victims of trauma, their families, and heirs. The Minnesota Department of Health, in consultation with the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, seeks proposals for the purpose of providing services to victims, families, and their heirs. A total of $500,000 is available for this one-time grant program, ending on June 30, 2025.
    • Application deadline: April 1
  • Opioid Media Campaign: City of Minneapolis Health Department Opioid Media Campaign Services RFP. The objectives are to create a targeted ad campaign for youth 12-18 years old. The Campaign will focus on areas in Minneapolis hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. These areas are with Native American and East African population. (At minimum the East Philips area and Cedar-Riverside neighborhoods). The targeted youth messaging will focus on opioid prevention and resources. This will include but not limited to: Outreach organizations, Rehabilitation centers, Statistics, A QR code and URL driving people to resources. 
    • Application deadline: April 2
  • Long COVID Network and Capacity Building: The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Long COVID Program is requesting proposals for eligible organizations to plan, create, and share equitable resources and information about long COVID and related conditions. Activities will increase understanding of the impacts of long COVID and related conditions, raise awareness, reduce stigma, address disparities, and improve care and support for those most impacted. Grantees will also participate in a grantee network to increase coordination and enhance the scope of care and support for people with long COVID and related conditions.
    • Application deadline: April 5 at 11:59 p.m.

Jobs

Search for careers within the State of Minnesota using the Job ID or job title.

Make a difference in the lives of Minnesotans: Search open positions

Minnesota Department of Administration 

  • Language Translations Specialist (Job ID: 74630): In this role, the Language Translations Specialist will accurately translate documents and materials from English into the targeted language and vice versa ensuring that they are linguistically correct, culturally relevant, and accessible to diverse communities within the state. This role involves a keen understanding of linguistic nuances, desired language proficiency, and the ability to maintain the integrity of the original message while adapting it to the targeted language.
    • Application deadline: April 1

Minnesota Department of Health

  • Workforce Pathways Planner (Job ID: 75041): The workforce Pathways Planner will develop and implement a state workforce pathways plan. This plan will support early educational opportunities to learn about public health in K-12 school settings and will engage institutions of higher learning, trade schools, and other post-secondary training programs. In this very important role, you will work to build a future public health workforce that has the skills to support the 21st Century public health system.
    • Application deadline: April 1

Webinars

Developing Transformative Health Department and Community-Based Organization Partnerships

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation Health Equity and Strategy Office is excited to release Strengthening Partnerships Between Governmental Public Health and Community-Based Organizations, created in partnership with High-Impact Prevention (HIP), and with the generous support of Kaiser Permanente. Join us for the webinar to learn about the report and recommendations, explore the Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership framework, and hear from a local health department and CBO partnership about developing and strengthening relationships. To join, visit Strengthening Partnerships Between Governmental Public Health and Community-Based Organizations.

  • Tuesday, March 26 
  • 12 p.m. CDT 

Other

Student Field Placement Funding from the Minnesota Public Health Training Center

Public health departments, community-based organizations, and health organizations are eager to work with students and provide them with valuable, real-world experience, but often have limited resources to support paid interns. Up to three individual Student Field Placements or Collaborative Projects (involving individual or group of students and faculty) in the amount of $3,500 each are available to support student internships. These stipends are designed to help support students as they further develop their professional skills in public health. Applications will be taken on a competitive basis until 20 submissions are received and no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 1, 2024. 

Staying Healthy During Ramadan Materials

As Ramadan is being celebrated, African Career, Education & Resources, Incorporated (ACER), Islamic Association of North America (IANA), International Oromo Health Professionals Association (IOHPA), Re’ese Adbarat Tserha Aryam Kidist Selassie Cathedral EOTC (TAKS), and WellShare International have developed materials on healthy eating habits, wellness, traveling, and how to gather safely during Ramadan. 

Upcoming Testing & Vaccination Events

COVID-19 Community Testing

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) works in partnership with communities to provide safe and free on-site COVID-19 testing in areas with outbreaks, increasing cases, or other barriers to access existing test sites.

Testing Events: 

 

African Immigrants Community Services (AICS)

  • Mondays - Thursdays 
  • 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 
  • 1433 E. Franklin Ave. Suite 13B, Minneapolis
  • AICS.Testing.2024

SEWA-AIFW

  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays (until June 30)
  • 1 - 4 p.m. 
  • 6645 James Ave. N., Brooklyn Center
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Phyllis Wheatley Community Center 

  • Monday, March 25 - Thursday, March 28
  • 3 - 7 p.m.
  • 1301 North 10th Ave., Minneapolis

COVID-19 Community Vaccines

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) works in partnership with communities to provide safe and free on-site COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 vaccines continue to be very good at preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death. Make sure you and your family are up to date on any COVID-19 vaccine doses you are recommended to get to have the best protection against COVID-19. 

  • How to get a vaccine
    • Check for vaccine appointments using Vaccines.gov (you can search for appointments by vaccine type: Pfizer vaccine, Moderna vaccine, Novavax vaccine) 
    • Contact your primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
    • To locate a community vaccination event near you, call the MDH COVID-19 public hotline at 1-833-431-2053 Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday, Thursday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Vaccination Events:

 

Lighthouse Center for Vital Living

  • Saturday, March 23
  • 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
  • Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
  • 219 N. 6th Ave. E., Duluth
  • LCVL.03.23.png

African Immigrants Community Services (AICS)

  • Sunday, March 24
  • 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • 1433 E. Franklin Ave. Suite 13B, Minneapolis

Comunidades Organizando el Poder (COPAL)

  • Wednesday, March 27
  • Watonwan County Library
  • 125 5th Street South, St. James

To find a list of all upcoming COVID-19 Community Coordinator (CCC) vaccination clinics, please visit the CCC Vaccination Event Calendar.

Reminders

Discrimination helpline

Discrimination Helpline

Report Discrimination and Bias

COVID-19 does not discriminate based on race, where you come from, your immigration status, or anything else. 

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of discrimination or bias call Minnesota's Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 or submit an online form on the Report Discrimination page. The helpline is staffed by investigators from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. Translation/interpretation services are available.

If you are the victim of a crime, including a hate crime, or fear for your safety, call 911 immediately.

MDH COVID-19 Public Hotline:

For questions related to COVID-19, call 1-833-431-2053
Mon., Wed., and Fri.: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tues. and Thurs.: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To connect directly to a representative in American Sign Language, visit the Contact Us: COVID-19 Questions webpage. 

Peer Support Connection (PSC) Warmline:

Contact the PSC Warmline, which is available every day from 5 p.m. - 9 a.m., by calling 1-844-739-6369.

Visit the Peer Support Connection Warmline page for more information.

MDH Contact Information:

For questions regarding the information in this bulletin or the Cultural, Faith and Disabilities Communities (CFD) branch, please email health.equity@state.mn.us.

If you've been forwarded this email and would like to receive these updates directly, sign up here: Subscribe to Cultural, Faith, and Disability Communities COVID-19 Updates.