In September 2024, the NIH ComPASS (Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society) Annual Meeting was held in Bethesda, Maryland, with all 25 CHESIs (Community Health Equity Structural Intervention projects) in attendance. These projects, funded by the National Institutes of Health through a highly competitive process, support community-based organizations from across the U.S. in advancing health equity.
For a full list of CHESIs, please see link: https://commonfund.nih.gov/compass/fundedresearch
SEAHEC was honored to participate in this prestigious event in two significant ways. First, our team prepared a poster that beautifully highlighted the Proyecto Juntos project, showcasing our goals, objectives, key strategies, and the invaluable partnerships with local agencies. The overarching aim of Proyecto Juntos is to increase access to mental and behavioral health services in four rural counties of southeast Arizona: Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham, and Greenlee.
In addition to the poster, Brenda Sanchez, Executive Director of SEAHEC, and Lupita Gonzalez, Project Manager for Proyecto Juntos, together with our partner agency University of Arizona’s faculty Martha Monroy, led an interactive session on the “River of Life”, an innovative Arts-Based Qualitative Research method. This method is an integral part of our approach to understanding community assets and barriers to accessing health services, particularly mental and behavioral health services in rural areas.
During the session, participants engaged in meaningful discussions and created drawings symbolizing their communities’ assets and challenges. The “river” served as a metaphor for the building of community, illustrating the resources and obstacles each community faces as they implement their CHESI projects. The session created an amazing sense of unity among participants, equipping them with the skills to facilitate their own River of Life sessions within their communities.
Lupita Gonzalez shared her thoughts on the experience: ““Presenting and co-facilitating this activity at the conference made me realize how much my mental health discipline has helped me transform anxiety into excitement. What initially felt nerve-wracking became a genuine desire to share more about this innovative and creative tool with all the CHESIs. On a personal note, the feeling of confidence while presenting on a panel was very rewarding. Professionally, witnessing the energy shift from people working individually to connecting as a team reinforced that we were all on the same track; moving forward with Proyecto Juntos.”
SEAHEC continues to push forward with the Mental and Behavioral Health Community Assessment, conducting River of Life sessions in three communities in Southeast Arizona: Santa Cruz, Cochise, and Graham counties.
For more information about Proyecto Juntos, please contact Principal Investigator Gail Emrick at gemrick@seahec.org.
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