562.441.3590
Jennifer.RiceEpstein@longbeach.gov
Public Affairs Officer
Department of Health and Human Services
Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) invites Latinx community members and organizations to share their feedback and guidance on the final developments of the upcoming Latinx Health Collaborative Request for Proposals (RFP). Community partners are invited to join the conversation by participating in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 9, or by completing an online survey.
The meeting will take place on Nov. 9, 2022, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Zoom. Latinx community members and organizations may provide their feedback by attending the meeting, completing a survey by Nov. 13, 2022, with their comments (only one survey per organization), or both. The Latinx Health Collaborative RFP Community Feedback Meeting will be conducted in English with Spanish interpretation. For interpretation in Khmer or Tagalog, please email Diego.Gamboa@longbeach.gov by 11 a.m. on Nov. 7.
This meeting is being conducted before publishing the Latinx Health Collaborative RFP. The City will seek to partner with a community organization that can establish and facilitate an ongoing Latinx Health Collaborative. This opportunity will provide one-time seed funding to lead and sustain a collaborative space for Latinx-owned and -serving organizations to coordinate health equity efforts and direct services informed by the Mi Vida Cuenta COVID-19 Latinx Health Initiative Report and Workplan (Mi Vida Cuenta).
On Feb. 24, 2022, Kelly Colopy, Director of Health and Human Services, presented Mi Vida Cuenta to the Mayor and Members of the City Council. The initiative called for an integrated response to engage community-based organizations and partners to address the disparate impacts of COVID-19 and the economic recovery of the Latinx community. The initial step was to assess the needs of and identify strategic approaches to improve the health and well-being of the Latinx community in Long Beach.
Mi Vida Cuenta presents four key strategies to address existing health and economic disparities:
- Strengthen the economic and social wellbeing of Latinx Long Beach residents throughout their lives.
- Expand and strengthen opportunities to support Latinx students to improve access and educational attainments.
- Expand and strengthen healthcare services, including prevention and care coordination.
- Strengthen collaborations between City of Long Beach officials and local community-based organizations and stakeholders.
The Health Department began exploring early implementation steps. These initial steps included hiring a Latinx Health Equity Coordinator to facilitate the implementation of the proposed workplan; allocating health equity funds to build the capacity for and support community health worker programs in community-based organizations; and aligning Long Beach Recovery Act funding with the workplan recommendations, focusing on non-profit relief, small business support, food/nutrition access funds, technology access, and early childhood education.
This program is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act (LB Recovery Act), a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.
The Latinx Health Collaborative Community Meetings also aligns with Goal 4 of Long Beach’s Racial and Reconciliation Initiative to invest in health care initiatives, programs and providers that are working to reduce health inequities where health outcomes are significantly below city averages.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Jennifer Rice Epstein, Public Affairs Officer, Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, 562.441.3590 or Jennifer.RiceEpstein@longbeach.gov.