Topic: The Impact of Public Health Emergencies on Community Mental Health- Preparation and Response
Organization Name: La Maestra Community Health Centers
Organization Type: Health Center
Location (city/state): San Diego, California
Special or Vulnerable Population: Public Housing, Those Best Served in a Language Other than English
Challenges: Disruption of services during COVID-19 pandemic
Promising Practice: Community outreach, telehealth services, cultural competence training local partnerships for priority service provision during PHEs
La Maestra Community Health Centers in San Diego implemented several strategies to overcome barriers to healthcare and isolation during COVID-19. They provided housing services, recruited local cultural liaisons for outreach, and enhanced telehealth access. Staff were trained in cultural competence to address mental health stigma and language barriers, while advocating for policy interventions that increase access to mental health services, prioritize addiction treatment as an essential service during public health emergencies (PHEs), expand telehealth flexibilities, and ensure economic relief measures such as direct cash assistance and unemployment benefits.
La Maestra focused on inclusive communication, offering accessible materials for diverse communities including the deaf and blind. They relied on their administrative call center and WELL Health’s texting service for multilingual support, installed backup generators, and partnered with utility companies and the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services to maintain care during PHEs, becoming a key distribution point for vaccines and medications through the Strategic National Stockpile Program.
They also use ChartGuard to secure patient records, updated cybersecurity plans, and formed agreements with local businesses and public safety departments for resource availability. As part of their risk management efforts, they regularly review dashboards using SSRS software to monitor benchmarks and incident reports over time.
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