Thursday, October 15, 2020

Training: Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals October 2020

This online, CDC TRAIN course educates health professionals about public health literacy and their role in providing health information and services and promoting health literacy. The course uses a 508-compliant template, knowledge checks, scenario-based interactions, video clips and a post-test to engage learners. This course offers continuing education (CE) credits. 

Learn More

Violence: Domestic and Sexual Violence Training. October 2020

 

Training: Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault

Tribal Forensic Healthcare offers training on IPV and sexual assault screening and examination to staff working in HHS Indian Health Service (IHS), tribal and urban indian healthcare facilities.

  • Intimate Partner Violence Examiner, October 26-December 7
  • Adult/Adolescent Sexual Assault Examiner, November 17-January 26, 2021
  • Pediatric Sexual Assault Examiner, November 24-February 2, 2021
  • Intimate Partner Violence Screening, On-demand

-----------------------------

Training: Sexual Violence Training for Community Health Workers/Promotoras

This online course, offered by the Arizona Rural Women's Health Network and the Western Region Public Health Training Center, provides an introduction to some basic knowledge and skills useful in assisting and responding to victims of sexual violence. This course offers a certificate of completion and continuing education contact hours (CECH) for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES). 

Learn More


Weekly Series for Tribal Schools as they Reopen Amidst COVID-19 October 2020

The National American Indian and Alaska Native MHTTC webinar will address re-opening issues such as self-care for teachers, mental health and the health and safety of students and teachers. 

October 15, 22 and 29, 3:00 pm ET

Register

Disaster Assistance for SUAs and Tribal Organizations. October 2020

The HHS Administration for Community Living (ACL) will provide disaster reimbursement and assistance funds to State Units on Aging (SUAs) and federally recognized Tribal Organizations located in a declared disaster site

Application period runs to September 7, 2021.

Learn More

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Youth Employment Landscape. October 27, 2020 1:00 - 2:15pm ET

 
America's Promise Alliance - Making the promise of America real for every child
americaspromise.org

 

What helps young people feel ready for the world of work? 
How do young people describe the connections they need? 
What kind of support do young people find most helpful?

 

Across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated an already fragile youth employment landscape.   In grappling with how best to support young people during this time, youth-supporting programs, employers, and policymakers can benefit from better understanding the experiences and perspectives of young people themselves—how their identities shape their work trajectories; what eases or thwarts their employment journeys; and what makes them feel ready for, connected to, and supported in the world of work. 

During this webinar, we will explore findings from our new qualitative study on youth employment, outlined in the forthcoming report, Finding a Way Forward: Young People’s Experiences Navigating the World of Work. The report examines questions about work and careers from the perspectives of 65 young people aged 16-28 who participate in one of five exemplary workforce development programs. In this virtual conversation:

  • Young people will share how the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing systemic barriers like racism and discrimination have affected their career journeys and how they’re overcoming these obstacles
  • Young people will reflect on the value of connecting with networks outside their own circles and what it means to be their true selves in the workplace.
  • Program leaders will share specific strategies for how they’re connecting young people to opportunities during this unprecedented time.

Invited speakers include staff and youth leaders from the following programs:

  • Per Scholas - Dallas, TX
  • iJAG - Des Moines, IA
  • YouthBuild - Compton, CA

Join us on Tuesday, October 27 from 1:00-2:15pm ET for this important and timely conversation!

 


 

 

 






Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Final FCC Petition Filing. LULAC, Hispanic Federation, and National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association

 


October 12, 2020
Hon. Ajit Pai, Chairman
Hon. Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioner
Hon. Michael O’Rielly, Commissioner
Hon. Brendan Carr, Commissioner
Hon. Geoffrey Starks, Commissioner
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554

RE: Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, WC Docket No. 17-84

Dear Chairman Pai and Commissioners:

Our respective organizations have long advocated for digital inclusion and policies that ensure that
Latino and economically disadvantaged communities are able to benefit from the wide range of
opportunities offered by broadband access. While we do not speak to the legal arguments set forth in
the NCTA Petition in the above-referenced matter, we strongly support efforts to expand broadband
deployment in rural areas and encourage the FCC promptly to consider the NCTA Petition in order to
ensure that broadband is being delivered to rural areas in an equitable and time efficient manner.

While U.S. broadband networks have performed reasonably well during the pandemic, the pandemic
has exposed certain remaining and persistent gaps in the digital divide, especially in rural areas. Now
more than ever, access to reliable, high-speed internet is a necessity, as Americans have turned to the
internet for a range of digital services during the pandemic, including online learning, remote work, andtelehealth. Unfortunately, reports have shown that the vast majority of Americans lacking access to
high-speed internet live in rural areas.1 This includes communities of color which (on average) make up 20 percent of these rural communities.

Indeed, low-income Latino and Black individuals make up a significant portion of the millions of
households across the country that lack access to broadband, a disparity that is only further worsened
by the disproportionate economic impact COVID-19 has had on these communities in the form of temporary and permanent job loss.2 Hispanic and black Americans have been hit the hardest, with 61%
and 44% respectively reporting a job or wage loss due to Covid-19, compared with 38% of whites. High rates of unemployment in communities of color have only intensified the need for broadband access in rural communities, along with other emerging digital needs related to online schooling and access to telehealth services. The federal government and the FCC should take the steps needed to bridge this exacerbated digital divide.

In addition to providing financial resources where appropriate, these steps by Congress and the FCC
should include removing unnecessary legal, regulatory, and economic barriers to broadband
deployment and investment. Given the expansive geographic nature of most rural areas, eliminating
infrastructure barriers is critical and necessary to delivering broadband connectivity to rural households
and businesses.

COVID-19 has exposed the gaps that still exist in delivering high-speed internet to all Americans,
especially in rural areas. We hope that you will stand with us to expand opportunities by encouraging
broadband buildout and connecting as many rural communities as possible to the internet. There has
never been a more urgent time to ensure that rural unserved communities gain access to broadband as
soon as possible, including the millions of rural Hispanic and communities of color that have too often
been left behind.

We encourage timely review of the NCTA Petition in order to ensure that any barriers to rural
broadband deployment and investment are removed.

Sincerely,


Sindy Benavides                     Frankie Miranda            Rudy Arredondo
Chief Executive Officer           President & CEO             President & CEO
LULAC                                    Hispanic Federation         Latinos Farmers & Ranchers

-----------------------------------
1 Rural Health Research Gateway, Disparities in Preventive Care by Race and Ethnicity Among Rural Adults -https://www.ruralhealthresearch.org/projects/100002425#:~:text=Currently%2C%201%20in%205%20rural,Preven
tion%20(James%20et%20al. “Currently, 1 in 5 rural residents is a person of color or American Indian, adding up to
nearly 10 million rural residents who are black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, or mixed-race.” Id.

2 According to recent findings by the Pew Research Center, “job and wage losses due to COVID-19 have hit Hispanic
adults the hardest.” Pew Research Center, Financial and health impacts of COVID-19 vary widely by race and
ethnicity, May, 5, 2020 - https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/05/05/financial-and-health-impacts-ofcovid-
19-vary-widely-by-race-and-ethnicity/. Pew reports that 61% of Hispanic Americans reported a job or wage
loss in their household due to the coronavirus outbreak, compared with 38% of white adults and 44% of black
Americans. Id

Monday, October 12, 2020

Actions start at the lowest Level. What about in your community? D.C. Ward Commissioner Testimony to City Council on Environmental Concerns of Residents. October 2020

 

Salim Adofo

Commissioner

Single Member District 8C07

Official Testimony to the Council of the District of Columbia

Committee on

Committee on Facilities and Procurement

Public Facilities Environmental Safety Amendment Act of 2020
 

The Public Facilities Environmental Safety Amendment Act of 2020 is a very important issue for the residents of the District of Columbia, especially for our underserved communities.  African American, Latin, immigrant and other underserved communities are often subjected to environmental racism. Environmental racism is the enforcement of regulations and laws, the deliberate targeting of communities of color for toxic waste facilities, excluding people of color from leadership of the ecology movements and the official sanctioning of the life-threatening presence of poisons and pollutants in our communities.  Lead is one of such pollutants. 

 

Research conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that high levels of lead can lead to developmental delays in children under the age of eight.  These studies suggest that there is no safe level of lead exposure for young children and no matter how small, these effects are enduring and possibly permanent. This is of extreme importance to the residents of the District of Columbia. 

 

In 2016, 64 public schools in the District of Columbia had a water source test positive for a level of lead at or above the federal action level. Per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 15 parts per billion (ppb) for lead in public water systems. This is of grave concern for Single Member District 8C07, because parents observed brown water in  Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, located in 8C07, according to CBS affiliate WUSA9. As stated earlier, high levels of lead can lead to developmental delays in children under the age of eight.  The grade levels for MLK Elementary School are Pre-Kindergarten to 5th Grade. 

 

Research published by the Brookings Institute revealed that populations exposed to lead in their drinking water causes much higher homicide rates 20 years later, relative to similar communities where there was less exposure. Currently, the homicide rate in the District of Columbia is up thirteen percent, per the Metropolitan Police Department. Culminating all of this data and research one can logically conclude that having lead in the water of the residents of DC is one of the many factors that are contributing to an increasing homicide rate. 

Therefore, the passing of this bill is not just a matter of passing another piece of legislation. This is a matter of the Council of the District of Columbia valualing Black Lives. This is a matter of addressing many societal ills that Single Member District 8C07 faces because of years of environmental neglect. Environmental justice is as much an issue as any other issue that adversely impacts African American communities. On behalf of the residents of Single Member District 8C07 we advise the council to pass the Public Facilities Environmental Safety Amendment Act of 2020, with the following recommendations:

 

1.     The Bill should include conditions regarding the impact of emergency hazards that may impact District-owned buildings such as extreme weather, fires, etc.
 

2.     The Bill should include a focus on buildings built before 1978 and the high probability that there may be lead exposure. The recommendation is to adjust the definition of “substantial renovation” to include the condition (caveat) requiring a building built before 1978 to be considered “substantial renovation” with any renovation (1%>)
 

3.     The Bill should incorporate aspects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ensuring that all public meetings or public postings (i.e. the Department of General Services’ website) are accessible in all languages reflective of the impacted members of the community. Additionally, there should be provisions for ASL signers if a need is indicated. Website postings should have a reading application to support individuals with hearing impairments.
 

4.     In regards to assessments and testing, the Bill should require a neutral external contractor to conduct the assessment while DGS serves as the monitoring agency. This recommendation is to eliminate bias in testing. Fair contracting practices should be executed and made transparent to the public (e.g. transparent bidding process for potential contractors, the manner in which the assessment will be conducted, community monitoring and oversight of the assessment, and the eligibility of the contractor).
 

5.     Soil quality and air quality should be added to the list of conditions included in the assessment.
 

6.     In the instance that the assessment reveals environmental hazards, the recommendation is for public notification of the report findings within 3 business days as opposed to 5 business days.
 

7.     The Bill should require a detailed communication and outreach plan requiring robust and transparent strategies for multiple types of opportunities for community engagement (e.g. include social media engagement, automated phone calls, mailings, partnerships with Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners etc.)
 

8.     In regards to the DC Playground aspects of the Bill, a clear and consistent threshold for remediation should be determined as no level of lead exposure is safe.
 

9.     In the instance where a playground is found to have elevated lead levels in surfaces, turf, etc., accessibility to Blood Level Lead testing should be made free and available to children and youth (ages 1-18) who may have been exposed.
 

10. The “regulatory standards” in which synthetic fields and playgrounds are evaluated should be clear, transparent and research-based. Additionally “durable materials” should be clearly identified, available to the public and supported by credible research.


 

Salim Adofo
Commissioner

Single Member District 8C07

District of Columbia