Focus Area: Community

The project, Accelerating Birth Equity in Wisconsin Through a Community-based Doula Workforce, led by the Foundation of Black Women’s Wellness, seeks to improve maternal and child health outcomes for Black mothers and babies through a strategy that expands and sustains a community-based doula workforce. By providing culturally aligned perinatal care and collaborating with health system teams and community health workers, the initiative seeks to improve birth outcomes, reduce complications and promote equitable access to trusted, high-quality care. Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor, Department of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics & Gynecology, UW–Madison, serves as the academic partner.

The project, Reducing the Harms of Incarceration on Individual and Community Health, led by the Nehemiah Community Development Corporation, is launching Justice for a New Day, a community-informed educational initiative designed to reduce the harmful impacts of incarceration on individual and community health. Developed with leadership from people who have experienced incarceration, the course will educate health care professionals, social workers, educators, policymakers and advocates on how incarceration contributes to poor health outcomes and equip them to respond with empathy and systemic change. Building on Nehemiah’s successful Black History for a New Day model, this project aims to inspire cross-sector collaboration and create a blueprint for more equitable, just and healthy communities. Dan Grupe, PhD, research assistant professor, Center for Healthy Minds, UW–Madison, serves as the academic partner.

The project, Achieving Health Equity for Unhoused Parents and Children in Need of Medical Respite Shelter, led by JustDane, expands the services of Healing House, the nation’s only 24/7 medical respite shelter designed for families experiencing homelessness. By adding health care education, employment support and home visiting by community health workers, the initiative aims to improve access to medical care, enhance health outcomes and promote housing and economic stability for parents and children. The program will also evaluate the impact of medical respite care for families with minor children. Pajarita Charles, PhD, MPA, associate professor, UW–Madison School of Social Work, serves as the academic partner.

Through this project, seven regional AHEC Centers and the Wisconsin AHEC State Program Office will benefit from a central customer relations management (CRM) database, which will allow the centers to co-develop and co-deliver responsive programming in rural and underserved communities.

In this project, the Auxilia Initiative will develop, promote and coordinate early mental health interventions for first responders and community members of Bayfield County and Ashland County who have experienced a crisis.

This project will invest in staff professional development and leadership training to build organizational skills and knowledge to support Scenic Rivers AHEC’s work of addressing shortages of health care workers in southwest Wisconsin.

This project will identify, attain and retain new institutional funding sources to support Nia Imani Family’s positive co-parenting and conflict resolution programming to empower families in the 53205 zip code and surrounding neighborhoods.

In this project, Moms Mental Health Initiative will develop a comprehensive donor development and fundraising strategy to sustain their work of providing essential mental health support to birthing individuals.

Through this project, Hudson Area Backpack & Food Program will purchase refrigerators and freezers in order to provide perishable goods to A.L.I.C.E. (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households in St. Croix County from their new, permanent Fresh Harvest Pantry location. This grant has ended. 

This project will establish a marketing strategy to promote community partnerships and bring awareness to the resources DaneMAC offers to ensure that survivors of gender violence have access to services when, where and how they want.