The Community Connections and Collaboration Project intends to address health disparities, specifically the health disparities experienced by African immigrant women and girls residing in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area by establishing partnerships with community-based African immigrant and refugee organizations, identifying African women's and girls' perspectives of their health and health education priorities, and co-designing community learning and translational research to address the community-identified priorities. The essential and ultimate goal of this academic-community partnership is community empowerment such that African women and girls and their families are empowered to express their health concerns and actively participate in finding and implementing solutions of crucial importance to their health and well being. The Integrated Mindfulness for Participatory Action and Community Transformation (IMPACT) model will be implemented in an academic-community partnership between community-based, African-led organizations, the College of St. Catherine, and Minnesota International Health Volunteers. IMPACT as a process provides guidance to community health professionals who, in partnership with concerned community members, inquire about community health concerns (such as appropriate outreach and health information dissemination to immigrant groups), develop a shared commitment to address the concern, actively participate in the work of planning and organizing for community and organizational learning, and reflectively and reflexively infuse new ideas into communities, organizations, and institutions. Departing from the traditional model of community health planning, IMPACTS six stages include inquiring, meeting, partnering, acting imaginatively, crafting, and transfusing. Inquiry partnerships with African immigrant organizations and African women and girls are established before expanding the dialogue in the final three stages to include key stakeholders, such as health care organizations, local schools, and service organizations. The strong, grassroots community link is vital to the success of the Community Connections and Collaboration project. ? ? Eliminating health disparities in immigrant populations is essential to public health. Connecting meaningfully and partnering effectively with diverse communities are central factors in improving public health and require individual as well as community learning. ? ? ? ?
| Pavlish, Carol Lynn; Noor, Sahra; Brandt, Joan (2010) Somali immigrant women and the American health care system: discordant beliefs, divergent expectations, and silent worries. Soc Sci Med 71:353-361 |
