Update on the Backyard Initiative An Integral Community Care System
By Janice Barbee, Cultural Wellness Center and Lovel Trahan, AmeriCorps VISTA, Allina Health Systems
On September 23, the Circle of Healing CHAT of the Backyard Initiative hosted a community forum entitled “An Integral Community Care System: Responding to the Health and Wellness Needs of Community” to present a framework for developing a community care system that will combine community resources and knowledge with conventional, professional resources.
The Backyard Initiative (BYI) is a partnership between Allina and community residents to improve the health of the community. Residents of Central, Corcoran, East Phillips, Midtown Phillips, Phillips West, Powderhorn Park, and Ventura Village have formed Citizen Health Action Teams (CHATs) to work together on health-improvement projects they have designed.
The Circle of Healing CHAT is working to blend traditional community knowledge of health and healing with institutional Western medicine. At the September forum, Elder Atum of the Cultural Wellness Center led the group through a facilitated discussion that explored how a community model of providing health care could achieve the lasting results necessary to improve quality of life. Some of the themes included connecting with a patient”'s story, identifying community partners for implementing a holistic model of patient care, and sharing knowledge across disciplines.… Read the rest “Update on the Backyard Initiative An Integral Community Care System”
The Alley”'s Roving Reporter at the August 13 Bridging Event: What are examples of “Bridging” you have experienced in Phillips?
Muriel Simmons:
“We worked on building bridges in the neighborhood; between the community and the police;Â between corporations and neighborhood organizations; and between young people and older people.”
Back then, drug dealers called police on me, that”'s when I knew I had their attention. Respectful relationships were formed with the police. Our home just about became a community center.”
Back then, we started knocking on doors – asked people, are you aware of the crime around here, do you want to join the block club? We invited people into our home, we didn”'t have much but made it clean and comfortable. People began to trust me. I gave myself a birthday party and invited everyone, including the police.” We created a “Seniors walk” on Friday nights.  They were scared but we wanted to take our sidewalks back. We practiced looking people in the eyes. It was like a bridge, people coming out of their homes into the neighborhood. We knew we were successful when we started seeing wheelchairs and walkers out in the neighborhood.”
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Letter to the editor
Dear Editor,
Has the electoral process withered while our legislators balked at compromise?
The resignation of Senator Linda Berglin opens a seat to be filled by a special election. The first campaign candidates”' forum at the Mercado Central August 26 brought up some traditional and newfound issues. The citizens of Senate District 61
will decide by their votes which way to turn as we come to this fork in the road.
Are the Minnesota legislators to remain in their traditional role of part-time service to the common good? Or are we headed on the path toward professional career politicians using the legislative process as a staging platform by which to create their next higher opportunity? Infotainment has become a business.”
Take a look and ask the questions. Are media staff persons really jackals, as Governor Jesse Ventura liked to say? “Is politics as usual ”really dead and buried? Has governor Pawlenty”'s “no new taxes” pledge been saved by the Republican mantra of “no new compromise?”'”
These antics brought us to a government shut-down. With this in mind, we must ask what are the needs of SD 61, and where is the political talent to match our issues and concerns? We begin the first post shut-down election with one major party candidate, DFL Representative Jeff Hayden. … Read the rest “Letter to the editor”