Announcements from the Alignment

Upcoming Event: PHEA/MaineHealth Findhelp Information Session

Did you know there are over 400 organizations with programs and resources serving Cumberland County listed on MaineHealth.findhelp.com?

Join us on Tuesday, February 4th from 12-1pm for a collaborative virtual meeting designed to enhance awareness and engagement with MaineHealth.findhelp.com. During this session, we’ll provide an overview of the platform, including:

• What is MaineHealth.findhelp.com?
• How can community-based organizations (CBOs) & other organizations that serve vulnerable populations leverage the site to connect people to critical resources?
• Our collective hopes and goals for this group.

Together, we'll explore how the Alignment can foster meaningful connections, raise awareness about available resources, and encourage collaboration to better serve our communities!

If you would like to explore the site before our meeting you can check it out here! Curious to see if your program is already on the site? Search for it here.

This meeting will be held via Zoom: https://auntbertha.zoom.us/j/98714731530

Meeting ID: 987 1473 1530

C&FB - CHW Committee Merger

Leaders from the Community & Faith-based Advisory & Community Health Worker Committees have decided to merge their committees and re-incorporate CHWs into the C&FB Committee. The C&FB Committee's current priorities include engaging with local faith leaders & developing a process for advising other Alignment committees on their projects by connecting them to resources and making sure their activities are culturally & linguistically appropriate. Tapping into a network of CHWs who have both lived experience & trusted relationships with their communities will strengthen the committee's approach to achieving these goals.

By pooling resources and strengthening the advisory role of both the C&FB Committee and CHWs involved in the Alignment, both groups will be better equipped to assist each committee in achieving their goals through a culturally aware lens.

Maureen Clancy will continue to chair the C&FB Committee, while Sara Fitzgerald will participate as a committee member & CHW. Thank you, Sara, for serving as the CHW Committee's chair over the last several months! The two committees will hold their first combined meeting on January 30th and will discuss next steps for merging priorities.

You can view the Alignment's updated organizational structure here.

Seeking members for our new Policy Committee!

The Alignment is looking for new members to join the Leadership Team & Committee Co-Chair Deqa Dhalac in laying the groundwork for this new committee & developing a governance structure for the Alignment.

We are looking for people who...

• Understand Maine’s current policy landscape
• Have experience advocating for public health issues
• Can help build a coalition governance structure
• Can collaborate with a range of community partners to make a difference for our community
• Enjoy sharing their knowledge & skills with others to promote positive changes for our community (e.g. improving access to quality healthcare services, education, housing, transportation, etc.)

As a reminder, here are the committee's proposed initial priorities:

1. Explore & Respond – Promote collaboration with partners in public and private sectors both within & outside the Alignment; Foster partnerships to support current advocacy efforts to address SDOH

2. Monitor & Be Ready – Support collection of data on SDOH & alert members of bills to support; Review & report on relevant policy outcomes & decisions.

The committee will also provide training & technical support to Alignment members in order to integrate advocacy into all Alignment work.

Those interested should fill out the Alignment's New Member Interest Form or contact Nélida Berke at nrb@portlandmaine.gov.

Please share the interest form link & attached flyer within your communities! You can download a PDF version of the recruitment flyer here.

The Policy Committee expects to host an initial meeting with interested members within the next month.