Community Grant Supporters
$150,000 Grant awarded by Cal OES -Listos CA
The Center for Healthier Communities at Northridge Hospital Medical Center was recently awarded $150,000 from Cal OES to provide education and awareness on disasters.
“Listos” means “Ready” in Spanish, and Listos California is funded by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). It is on a mission to prepare Californians for wildfires, floods, earthquakes, droughts, heatwaves, and other disasters. Listos California engages a statewide network of community-based organizations and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to boost resiliency and provide accessible and culturally appropriate disaster preparedness.
$250,000 Grant Awarded to Center for Healthier Communities (CHC)
Northridge Hospital Foundation’s Center for Healthier Communities (CHC) has received a $250,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for a Mental Health Awareness Training Grant.
The grant is targeted to helping the homeless or those who are experiencing housing instability by referring them to resources that promote mental health. The CHC staff will conduct educational sessions using Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)/Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), and Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR).
Training will be provided to homeless service providers, security officers, health and mental health professionals, support staff, families, and community members to better identify and respond to individuals experiencing severe mental illness or severe emotional disturbances who are homeless or facing housing instability and connect them to local mental health resources.
$25,000 Grant Awarded to C·A·T·S
The Mark Hughes Foundation awarded the Center for Assault Treatment Services (C·A·T·S) a $25,000 grant. This is a new funder for C·A·T·S. Victims are referred to C·A·T·S by law enforcement, the LA County Department of Child and Family Services, our hospital and partner agencies, mandated reporters, or self-referrals. Victims have been sexually assaulted, physically abused, suffered child maltreatment, are living in homes with domestic violence, witnessed familial homicide, or been involved in human trafficking.
C·A·T·S has expert Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners conducts medical exams, evidence collection and assessment of injuries, laboratory testing, medical referrals, and follow-up examinations as necessary. They also conduct forensic interviews and collect forensic evidence (i.e. physical DNA, touch DNA, photographs of bruises, etc.) for use by child protective services and law enforcement in criminal prosecution. In addition, Outreach Forensic Nurse Examiners provide education on how to identify and report child abuse to over 1,000 mandated reporters each year. Our gratitude to the Mark Hughes Foundation for this grant.
In & Out Burger Foundation Provides a $20,000 Grant to C·A·T·S
The Center for Healthier Communities received a $20,000 grant for general operating support for the Center for Assault Treatment Services (C·A·T·S) which continues to be dedicated to treating children and adults affected by sexual assault, physical abuse, and domestic violence.
C·A·T·S priority is providing medical evidentiary exams with the highest level of DNA evidence collection and forensic interviews. The forensic evidence (i.e. physical DNA, touch DNA, photographs of bruises, etc.) is used by child protective services and law enforcement in criminal prosecution. Nurse Examiners are frequently called on by the District Attorney’s Office as expert witnesses at trial.
In addition, Forensic Nurses provide community outreach and education to mandated reporters and law enforcement on how to identify abuse, the short and long-term effects of abuse, and how to repot child abuse. C·A·T·S goal is to train 1,250 mandated reporters in FY 2022.
Special thanks to In-N-Out Burger Foundation for supporting C·A·T·S for numerous years.
$1,256,355 Grant for Support for Moms and Babies
The Welcome Baby Program continues to be offered at no cost to women who deliver their baby at Northridge Hospital. The program is funded by First 5 LA who provided a $1,256,355 to help moms with caring for their newborn and supporting healthy development. During the hospital visit, new moms receive assistance with breastfeeding and information about bonding and attachment, taking care of her baby, and resources her family may need as she transitions into motherhood. A home visit from a Registered Nurse is provided to assess both the mother and baby, provide postpartum recovery education, and breastfeeding assistance, if needed. One-on-one appointments with a personal Parent Coach continue until the baby is nine months old. Baby-and mom-friendly items such as thermometers, nursing pillows, toys and baby-proofing supplies for the home are provided.
$375,000 Grant for Helping Victims of Elder Abuse
The Center for Healthier Communities is in its third year of implementing the Local Elder Abuse Prevention Program (LEAP) grant. A three year grant totaling $375,000 was provided through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime. The grant helps vulnerable older adults who are victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation and provide awareness and educational outreach to professionals and community residents. Victims are linked with services appropriate to their specific needs. A multidisciplinary team comprised of several organizations in the community provides services including the Center for Assault Treatment Services (C·A·T·S), Valley Care Community Consortium, the Alzheimer’s Association, ONEgeneration, and at least one member each from the neuropsychology, law enforcement, and forensic accountancy professions.
$304,000 Grant for COVID Outreach and Education
Communities of color and low-income areas continue to be disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19, including experiencing higher rates of positive cases and deaths. To help reach vulnerable communities in the San Fernando Valley, Northridge Hospital Foundation received a $304,000 Community Equity Fund grant for COVID-19 for outreach and education. The Community Equity Fund is a joint effort by the L.A. County Department of Health Services and the L.A. County Department of Public Health in partnership with Community Partners. Staff from the Center for Healthier Communities are doing virtual and in-person education on best practices for staying safe, addressing fears and misinformation, providing information on testing locations, obtaining PPE supplies, and accessing community resources.
$1,000,000 Grant for COVID Vaccinate Los Angeles
Northridge Hospital Foundation received a $1 million grant from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to educate and assist individuals in accessing and receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. Our target population is Latinx from underserved areas in the San Fernando Valley, with a strong focus on those who are housing unstable, living in poverty, and dealing with food insecurity.
The Center for Healthier Communities is partnering with several organizations: ONEgeneration, North Valley Caring Services, San Fernando Community Health Center, Valley Care Community Consortium, Meet Each Need with Dignity, Goodwill, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on this grant. Through our partnerships, we will be able to bring COVID-19 education and pop-up vaccine clinics (both walk-in and drive-thru) to where our target population frequently visits.
$120,000 Grant for Behavioral Health Pilot Project
The Department of Health Care Services has awarded the Foundation a $120,000 grant for helping patients with substance abuse/mental health disorders in the Emergency Department. The grant supports a Social Worker/Substance Abuse Navigator (SUN) who performs a psychosocial assessment and collaborates with ED physicians on medicated assisted treatment (MAT). She helps find patients' placement after discharge at treatment facilities based on their insurance and provides community resources.
Grant Renewed for Prevention Forward Program
The California Department of Public Health is parterning with Northridge Hospital on a program called “Prevention Forward.” The program is open to patients that have been in the hospital and residents in the community who have prediabetes, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Participants are offered a series of diabetes and cardiovascular education classes, meetings with physician specialists, medication review with a pharmacist, referrals to nationally recognized lifestyle change programs, grocery store tours, and food preparation workshops. A team of Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists, Community Health Worker, and Project Coordinator will provide oversight to support patient success.
Department of Justice Awards The Center for Healthier Communities $718,000
Northridge Hospital Foundation was awarded $718,000 through the Department of Justice’s STOP School Violence Program to create the L.A. School Empowerment Program (LASEP).
LASEP’s goal is to reduce all forms of youth violence (i.e. bullying, suicide, dating violence) in partnership with schools, through comprehensive and culturally informed programs. We will be partnering with San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center and LAUSD’s Northwest Region to train educators to use evidence-informed violence prevention curriculums while providing counseling to youth who are at risk for violence and empowering parents to prevent violence through workshops.