Infant Mortality Among African Americans Project Community Co-Learning Sessions
The Community Co-Learning Sessions are underway! The first round of co-learning sessions for Cohorts 1 and 2 ran from September through December 2017. The second round for Cohorts 3 and 4 ran from January through April 2018.
The co-learning sessions have two main purposes: to deepen the community’s understanding of the structural determinants of African American infant mortality, and to motivate participants to take action to change the policies and systems that perpetuate infant mortality rates and disparities. The community co-learnings are one of several project activities designed to address the Triple Aim of Health Equity: expand our understanding of what creates health, strengthen the community’s capacity to create their own healthy future, and to take a “Health in All Policies” approach with health equity as the goal.
Each cohort is comprised of four or five community members who were recruited based on suggestions from our project leadership team, Community Voices and Solutions (CVAS). The four cohorts are:
- Health professionals/paraprofessionals: CHWs, doulas, midwives, nurses or nursing students
- Family or children’s services providers: supervisors, case managers, counselors, social workers
- Women: teens, moms, peer leaders, community activists
- Men: fathers, grandfathers, male partners, community activists
Each of the two rounds of co-learnings has two phases. Phase 1 is comprised of seven sessions: sessions 1-5 are educational sessions where cohorts learn from invited speakers on a variety of topics selected by CVAS; session 6 is a brainstorming session where CVAS and cohorts identify strategies and interventions for addressing African American infant mortality in Hennepin County; and session 7 is when cohorts and their CVAS Peer Adviser select a strategy or intervention for their mini project and create an action plan around it. Phase 2 runs through the end of the grant in 2020 and involves cohorts implementing their mini project focused on a policy, systems or environmental change and reporting on their progress.
For more information, please refer to the Co-Learning Program (PDF) describing the first round of Sessions 1-4, co-learning topics, speakers and cohort members.
Session 1: September 11, 2017
Racism and Health Inequities Presentation by Dr. Rachel Hardeman, PhD, MPH
Discussion Questions (PDF)
Session 2: September 18, 2017
Hennepin County Infant Mortality Presentation (PDF) by Karen Adamson RN, MPH
Legacy of Trauma: Context of the African American Existence Presentation (PDF) by Brandon Jones, MA
Session 3: September 25, 2017
Mother-Baby Program Presentation (PDF) by Jesse Kuendig, LICSW and Helen Kim, MD
Maternal Mental Health: Developing Emotional Wellness (PDF) by Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, PhD, LP
Wellness Bill of Rights (PDF) by Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, PhD, LP
Healthy Building Network Presentation (PDF) by Gina Ciganik
Session 4: October 2, 2017
Best Babies Zone: The BBZ Initiative and Approach and BBZ Castlemont Site Presentations (PDF) by Emily Warming and Mariela Uribe
Building our Collective Capacity to Act Presentation (PDF) by Jeanne Ayers
Infant Mortality Reduction Programs Presentation (PDF) by Mia Robillos
CelebrateOne: Addressing Infant Mortality in Partnership with Community Stakeholders Presentation (PDF) by Erika Clark Jones and Patrice Allen Brady