Health Ministers Meeting

We are not meeting in December. We’ll take this time to celebrate our Health Ministers and all their great work this year for Black families in Pierce County.

Questions? Contact Taleema Love.

Couldn’t attend the November Health Minister’s meeting? Read the highlights here.

Family Resources

Family activities

• Pierce County Library System offers a calendar full of events for kids and families. These are a few great programs for parents with young children:
  • Virtual baby and toddler time—every Monday at 10 a.m.
  • Move to learn—every Monday at 11 a.m.
  • Family storytime with Miss B, Mr. Bob and Miss Holly—every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
  • Click or tap for more events.
• Find all sorts of useful information and family activities at Tacoma Public Library’s kids & families web page and register for unique craft projects or special events. Check out these fun events:
  • Dinovember Celebration—Nov. 17, 6-7 p.m.
  • Tacoma Light Trail Luminaries—Nov. 20, 11 a.m.-noon

Healthcare

• Do you need health coverage? Shop, compare and sign up for Washington Healthplanfinder. Sign up or change health plans for 2022. If you want coverage to begin Jan. 1, you must enroll in a plan by Dec. 15. If you enroll after Dec. 15 but before Jan. 15, your coverage will begin Feb. 1.

Pregnancy support

• Pregnant? Nursing a child? Find out what you should know about COVID-19 vaccine. English | Spanish.
• Call and Response offers a pregnancy and parenting support group for Black families raising children ages 0-2. Join us Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., starting Oct. 26. The group is inclusive and affirming for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Register here.

Parenting

• Dad’s Connect is a great opportunity to meet other dads, form relationships and make connections. Have a conversation with fathers and father figures. Learn more and register for a session:

• Dec. 15, 6:30-8 p.m.
• Feb. 16, 6:30-8 p.m.
• April 20, 6:30-8 p.m.
• June 15, 6:30-8 p.m.
• Aug. 17, 6:30-8 p.m.
• Join Black Mamas Support group 7-8 p.m., the third Tuesday of each month at Parable. The group is inclusive for all nonbinary, gender nonconforming, trans and queer black mamas.

COVID-19

• Testing plays an important role in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Visit our testing page for more information on Pierce County testing sites.
• Director of Health Dr. Anthony L-T Chen issued a countywide mask order. If you’re 5 or older, you must wear a face covering indoors in public spaces and outdoors in crowds of 500 or more people. It applies whether you’re vaccinated or not. Gov. Jay Inslee also extended the state’s mask order to require masks be worn indoors in public spaces regardless of vaccination status. Read more.

• Everyone in Washington 5 years or older is eligible to get COVID-19 vaccine.

Behavioral Health

• Kids Mental Health Pierce County features 3 resources to locate behavioral health providers in Pierce County:
  • South Sound 2-1-1.
  • Mary Bridge Behavioral Health Navigation.
  • Washington State Mental Health Referral Service.

Employment

• Are you deeply committed to health equity and racial justice, and want to use your community organizing and engagement skills to bring help bring to life large-scale community engagement projects? If this is you, apply for Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Community Engagement Coordinator position with our Cross-Collaborative Initiatives program.
• The Maternal Coalition is hiring a Program Coordinator. Learn more.
• Learn about Pierce County’s Early Childhood Education and Assist Program (ECEAP) job opportunities:
  • Family Educator 2.
  • Family Educator 4.
  • Family Educator 1 (Assistant Teacher).
  • Classroom Assistant.
  • Family Support Worker.
• Do you have experience in quantitative data management and analysis and a passion for improving systems and increasing access to health and social services for Washington families? Join the WithinReach team as an Evaluation Manager.
• Learn about Perinatal Support Washington’s employment opportunities:
  • Warm Line Program Specialist.
  • Parent Resilience Specialist Serving Spanish-Speaking/Latinx Families.
  • Perinatal Mental Health Therapists.
  • Perinatal Mental Health Supervisors.
  • Perinatal Mental Health Trainers.
• Tacoma Public Schools is hiring and offering hiring bonuses to fill key positions. Learn more about current positions/hiring bonuses:
  • Nurses ($5,000).
  • LPNs ($3,500 for licensed).
  • Bus drivers ($3,500 for CDL Class B certified, $2,500 for non-CDL Class B certified).
  • Paraeducators ($500).
  • Bus monitors ($500).
  • Nutrition services ($500). No high school diploma or GED required. District offering incentives to obtain GED.
  • Noon-hour supervisors ($250).
  • School support / contract tracing ($250).
• Join the MultiCare team as a Childbirth Educator. Childbirth Educators provide education and support to families in the community who sign up for classes, instruction and unit introduction through tours. You must have attended a Childbirth Educator Training Workshop and be able to teach within a hospital environment. MultiCare encourages Black Indigenous People of Color to apply for this great opportunity to increase diversity amongst childbirth educators.

• Child Care Resources is recruiting childcare professionals for programs throughout the Puget Sound. Learn more.

Get involved

• Join the Engagement Team Meeting at Project Child Success the fourth Monday each month, 3-4:30 p.m. The team leads the communication, marketing and promotion of special projects and programs. The next meeting is Oct. 25.
• Join the Advocacy Team Meeting at Project Child Success the fourth Tuesday each month, 9:30-11 a.m. The team aims to educate the public and fight for systems and policies that support children and families. The next meeting is Oct. 26.
• Join the Child Care Strategies Team at Project Child Success the fourth Friday each month, 1-2:30 p.m. This is a cross-sector group of people who commit to providing Pierce County families with access to high-quality, equitable, culturally inclusive childcare. The next meeting is Oct. 29. Email to join.
• Join United Way of Pierce County’s 5th Annual Summit on Poverty Nov. 9, 8 a.m.-noon. This virtual event will focus on racial equity and how we can prosper together. Learn more and register.
• Are you a parent who has experienced and recovered from postpartum depression, anxiety, postpartum psychosis or other perinatal mental health issues? Perinatal Support Washington is looking for parent volunteers—including dads, LGBTQ+ parents and BIPOC parents—to volunteer for the Parent Support Warm Line. Learn more and apply:
  • Dec. 2, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Dec. 6, 6-8:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 8, 6-8:30 p.m.
• Racism Evolution: History to Hope Forum presents a virtual series of panels discussing cultural perspectives. Join the 2 remaining forums, Nov. 17, 7-8:30 p.m. Learn more and register.
• Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Potentially Preventable Hospitalization (PPH) initiative will host PPH Learning Collaborative Sessions. Beginning March 2023, you can join 4 learning sessions on the 3^rd Thursday of each month, 2-3:30 p.m. Each time you participate in the Zoom session and complete the pre and post-quiz, you’ll receive a $20 online gift card. Learn more and register.

Professional Resources

Training opportunities

• Join Perinatal Support Washington for Best Practices in Prevention, Identification and Treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders beginning Nov. 8 and 15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Learn more and register.
• Examine components of family programming known to be effective and discuss ways to incorporate families into SUD treatment. Join Family Programming for Substance Use Disorder: What Works? Nov. 10, 12-1 p.m.
• The Advanced Clinical Training (ACT) Program at the Bernard Center is enrolling a new cohort for June 2022. ACT is an intensive, 15-month professional development program for post-graduate, licensed or license-eligible mental health professionals. Join the next virtual open house, Nov. 12, 9-10 a.m.
• Explore the how to integrate mindfulness into therapy and how to share mindfulness practices and skills with clients. Join How Mindfulness Can Support the Therapist, Enhance the Therapeutic Process, and Encourage Change and Healing in the Client Nov. 12, 10-11 a.m.
• Join UW’s School of Nursing virtual classroom, Immediate Response: Essential skills for urgent clinical situations. Nov. 16, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., earn 7.25 contact hours, improve your knowledge and update your practice to meet the needs of patients experiencing acute and potentially life-threatening conditions. Learn more and register.
• Explore the way we talk about alcohol, drugs and addiction. Learn the importance of language when it comes to shifting the national dialogue to better focus on solutions. Join Telling a New Story about Alcohol and Drugs Nov. 16, 12-1 p.m.
• Learn about current drug trends in Washington State with a focus on fentanyl, methamphetamine and overdoses. Join What’s Up with Drugs? Nov. 17, 12-1 p.m.
• Learn the Implications of Long COVID for Patients & the Health Care System, Nov. 17, 9-10 a.m.
• Learn about important issues related to rural health, including sociocultural and economic determinants of health in rural populations, physical environmental determinants of health, and evaluation, measurements, and policy implications on rural health. Join NIH Rural Health Day Seminar: Structural Level Determinants of Rural Health Disparities Nov. 18, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Join the Training, Education, & Advocacy in Miscarriage Management project (TEAMM) training, Do Nothing, Do Something, Aspirate: A patient-centered approach to early pregnancy loss care. Nov. 19, 8-10 a.m., learn the basics of early pregnancy loss management and integration of services into the office or emergency department settings. Register here.
• Identify structural factors that contribute to disparities in frequency and impact of gender-based violence in Native communities. Join Supporting the Sacred: Womxn of Resilience Nov. 19 at 12-1 p.m.
• Join Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) for FREE virtual Home Visitor trainings. (Note: Safety Planning with Families is for people who have already attended the Domestic Violence Training.):
  • Jan. 13, 2022, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
  • April 7, 2022, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• ECHO Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Wraparound connects community healthcare providers with children and young adults with IDD behavioral health specialists. To join, you must commit to 90-minute learning sessions on the second and fourth Wednesday monthly, 8:30-10 a.m. Learn more. Questions? Contact echoiddd@uw.edu.

Funding opportunities

• Thanks to the generous support of MultiCare Health Systems, Project Child Success announces a mini-grant opportunity! Apply for $200-500 to support healthy, nurturing relationships and environments for children. You must apply by Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. If you’re awarded funds, Project Child Success will contact you by Nov. 17. Learn more and apply. Questions? Contact Masa Kawamura at masak@first5fundamentals.org or (253) 220-7815.
• The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) announced licensed and certified childcare providers can apply for the Child Care Stabilization Grant. Apply in the Compass Provider Portal by June 30 at 11:59 p.m. If you’re a license-exempt Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) provider, apply on the DCYF FFN Stabilization Grant website. Questions? Email dcyf.stabilizationgrant@dcyf.wa.gov.
• Do you want to shape stories that provide insight on the health inequities in Washington state communities? Apply for the Health Equity Zones Community Advisory Council. Support community-centered and health equity-driven efforts, focusing on the communities that experience the greatest health inequities. You must apply by Nov. 22 at noon.

Get involved

• Perinatal Support Washington is offering clinic consultation to providers in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties:
• Black mental health clinicians—Nov. 18 and Dec. 16.
• Latinx/Spanish-speaking mental health clinicians—Nov. 9 and Dec. 14.

Find more family and professional resources here.