Center For Health Equity Inc

Community education and feedback - che continues to seek feedback from participants and the community on their needs and how to best deliver services. Annually, che administers participant satisfaction surveys and gathers participant thoughts and feedback on services provided. The project also conducts an annual needs assessment to find out the needs of the community. The project also conducts its own needs assessment to determine the educational needs of the community. The che's directors continue participation on local, state, and national boards, workgroups, and committees.

Case management services are offered to participants on a voluntary basis and are designed to promote healthy women, children, fathers and their families through a variety of services. Services are provided from a strength-based person/family-centered approach that is individually tailored to meet the needs of participants and their families. The majority of the services continue to be home-based, and potential participants are identified prenatally, during pregnancy, any time within the interconception time period, infants up to 18 months, and fathers/partners of participants. Engagement services include creating a culturally comfortable atmosphere through a conversation and from a strength-based perspective. The case management services are tailored to the individual participant's needs based on the participant's perspective of their situation, culture, and the results of the screening and assessments.

The florida blue foundation grant is used for che to expand mental health services in gadsden county. The florida blue foundation grant allowed che to expand our bio-psychosocial team to provide more in-home mental health services to children and families in gadsden county. The treatment focus of this expansion includes: decreasing stress and improving depression; assessing and treating the effects of historical/current trauma; recognizing this type of trauma impacts health and wellness, leading to poor health, lower self-esteem, aggressive behaviors, unresolved grief, high rates of suicide, limited ability to control emotional regulation and coping skills; increase awareness during home visits on mental health as the more people know about mental health the less stigma is associated with these challenges; and, lastly, assess the impact these conditions have on the parental relationship and provide parenting education as necessary.

The center for health equity provides individual therapy, child parent psychotherapy, group therapy, and family therapy.

Gadsden county is considered an underserved health and mental health community as well as a food desert county. There are limited to no mental health providers in the county. The majority of the population fall below 185% of the federal poverty limit and does not have insurance for primary medical care services much less for mental health services. In addition to limited mental health providers in the county, there is no public transportation to even access services or even travel to a neighboring county for services.