Connect, Communicate, Collaborate- Winter 2023

​Happy New Year. CCRS has wrapped up a successful 2022 and we are now rolling up our sleeves and getting to work in 2023. In this newsletter we share some of the more notable happenings that occurred here in the final months of the year. Together they provide a good cross-section of the activities that we undertake - with community collaborators, academic partners, and students - to help build more equitable and vibrant communities. Finally, we wish you all the best for the new year.

​On November 18th, Public Allies Delaware hosted their annual Meet the Allies Breakfast, introducing the AmeriCorps members that are participating in 10-month apprenticeships. Each of the Allies was given the opportunity to introduce themselves, share their goals, and note their current apprenticeship placement. The breakfast provides a change to network as a Public Allies community.

The Public Allies Delaware class of 2022/23 includes:

• Monea Bailey, placed at Mental Health Association of Delaware
• Pierce Barnett, placed at Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County
• Aasliya Barnhart, placed at Be Ready Community Development Corporation
• Jewel Cassidy, placed at Westside Family Healthcare
• Kaylah Dessausure, placed at SOAR
• Kimberly Easlick, placed at Delaware Center for Horticulture
• Branden Fletcher, placed at West Side Grows Together
• TyeRay Grier, placed at Easter Seals of Delaware & Maryland's Eastern Shore
• William Haviland, placed at Delaware Nature Society
• Erica Heinman, placed at Westside Family Healthcare
• Jamie Irwin, placed at Wilmington Sudbury School
• Akunna Korieh, placed at Mental Health Association of Delaware
• Widline Lexis, placed at Westside Family Healthcare
• Shantel Love, placed at West Side Grows Together
• Te'Nayza Minor, placed at United Way of Delaware
• Priscilla Ortiz, placed at Westside Family Healthcare
• Giovanni Paredes, placed at United Way of Delaware
• Sol Robles, placed at Westside Family Healthcare
• Amanda Sierra, placed at Community Collaboration of Delaware
• Gerald Stratford, placed at Delaware Interfaith Power * Light
• Alexandra Telenta, placed at Philanthropy Delaware
• Alexys Turner, placed at ChristianaCare
  

​Emily Loughlin, one of our M.A. students in Urban Affairs & Public Policy, presented at US's annual GIS day as a featured speaker. Her topic "Mapping opioid overdose deaths and efforts to prevent them" highlighted county-level trends in Delaware related to this imporant issues. This year's GIS day was held on November 16th at the Roselle Center for the Arts and offered a return to in-person collaboration between the many centers and departments at UD and the wider community who engage in mapping data. We are proud of Emily for continuing the tradition of CCRS student involvement in this event and of CCRS staff Becky McColl and Erin Nescott for mentoring Emily as she nears completion of her degree.

​As part of the Delaware-CTR Accel's Innovative Discoveries Series, Dr. Mary Mitsdarffer will be presenting in January on "Racial Welcome in Health Care Settings: Increasing Health Care Utilization and Health Equity." Health insurance acess has increased for millions of Americans as a result of the Affordable Care Act and state Medicaid expansion. However, the reality is that access to care does not guarantee service utilization, especially among individuals who have had marginalizing experiences in their lives like experiences of homelessness, addiction, sex work, and incarceration. Barriers such as patient social histories and associated stigma, provider experiences and expectations, and limited appointment windows persist. Therefore, out partnership - the Health Equity Research and Action Team for Inclusion Health - endeavored to imagine, through community-clinician-researcher collaboration, the practive of "Radical Welcome" in health care spaces to push past barriers of care utilization.

​An issue brief by Assistant Policy Scientists with CCRS Rebecca McColl and Erin Nescott exploring Adolescent Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic has been released. Since March 2020, communities nationwide have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the immense threat to physical health, the stress and isolation brought on by the pandemic has threatened the mental well-being of many individuals, particularly children and young adults. A high school student and community member are quoted to share what they've seen first-hand in terms of the mental health of our state's youth population. Sections include: underlying causes of mental health issues including social isolation, remote learning, screen time, health and well-being conerns, economic instability, and access to care. Recommentations are made for how to prioritize the mental well-being of Delaware's students as we enter a new calendar year.

The Medicaid Research Program is also laying the groundwork to begin two new INBRE projects with researchers from ChristianaCare. One is focused on psychotherapy, the other on violent injuries. Both explore health outcomes before, and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

​Now registering for the Nonprofit Management Essentials program for Spring 2023 (2/21-5/30)! Participants will gain an understanding of nonprofit organizations and the issues that managers face in this impactful and growing field. This course is designed for early career professionals working in the sector or mid-career professionals transitioning from other sectors or looking to move into leadership positions. Participants will be exposed to several areas of responsibility for nonprofit leaders including strategy, board governance, budgeting, fundraising, grantwriting, managing employees and volunteers, and more. This cohort based all virtual program has both synchronous and asunchronous content. Virtual classes meet on Tuesday evenings via Zoom. For more information, visit the course page or register for our information session which will be held on January 12th at 7 pm.

​A new student from Steve Metraux and Habitat for Humanity found that approximately 25,000 homes in Delaware are in need of essential repairs, increasing the shortage of affordable housing available. Results of the study were featured in Delaware Public Media.

Delaware Tri-County Habitat for Humanity Organizations joined IPA and CCRS for a webinar on repair needs for low-income homeowners. The webinar presented findings of the recently completed Habitat for Humanity-sponsored report, A Needs Assessment for Repairs to Low-Income Owner-Occupied Housing in Delaware, place its findings in a regional and national context, and discuss needs, gaps, and potential policy, funding, and practice approaches to addressing these needs. Speakers included:

• Matt Heckles, HUD Region III Administator
• Stephen Metraux, UD Center for Community Research & Service
• Kevin Smith, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County
• Tim Bailey, Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity
• Kevin Gilmore, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity
  

​KIDS COUNT in Delaware is collaboating with Help Me Grow through a Goal Concordant learning community. The mission of this work is to align Delaware's Help Me Grow goals with those of Delaware families. Currently, staff from KIDS COUNT in Delaware are helping to design an evaluation for use of the Parent Assessment of Protective Factors.

KIDS COUNT in Delaware's Board is currently housing an ad-hoc committee exploring further incorporation of Youth Voice into KIDS COUNT in Delaware's work. To offer recommendations towards this end, please email Erin Nescott (eplynch@udel.edu).

KIDS COUNT in Delaware's 2023 Legislative page-a-day style calendar will be released in early January, coinciding with the start of Delaware's legislative session. Like the annual FOCUS book, this calendar shares indicator data and policy solutions related to obstacles for Delaware children. The 2023 calendar has a special focus on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Data are grouped into categories of health, education, economic security, and family/community. A very special thanks goes out to the Delaware Libraries for co-sponsoring this year's calendar. Follow @dekidscount on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for your daily dose of data and policy!