ALMetro360 July 2018

Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter JULY 2018 85 and resources to promote the arts. Head emphasized how fortu- nate and blessed he has been to be surrounded by such special Al- abamians. The Council will immediately begin a national search for a re- placement of Al Head with the intention of having a new director in place by January 1, 2019. Until that time Head will remain ac- tive in the director’s position and available to oversee a smooth transition. A job announcement with application details will be distributed widely before the end of the month. The Alabama State Council on the Arts is the official state arts agency of Alabama. The staff of the Council, directed by Al Head, administers the grants programs and provides financial assistance in arts planning and programming. The Council receives its sup- port through an annual appropriation from the Alabama Legisla- ture and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. G ROWING N ETWORK OF C OMMUNITY H EALTH W ORKERS C HANGING O UTCOMES FOR V ULNERABLE R ESIDENTS OF C ENTRAL A LABAMA The Wellness Coalition (TWC), located in Montgomery has been expanding a network of nonprofit organizations with Com- munity Health Workers (CHW) by teaching organizations how to provide healthcare access and support for people with little or no health insurance in Montgomery, Macon, and Lowndes counties. For many, access to healthcare services is limited due to a variety of factors such as lack of transportation, language barriers, few local service providers, lack of—or inadequate—insurance, and lim- ited knowledge about the healthcare system. When people have difficulties accessing healthcare services, their health can suffer due to a reduction in addressing early warning signs or symptoms and preventing hospitalizations. Having a medical home or primary care physician can help in- crease appropriate medical care, patient trust, and communication between the patient and physician, and CHWs are the key to find- ing medical homes for those in need. “Community HealthWorkers have been used to improve life ex- pectancy in geographical areas where there are too few doctors and within communities vulnerable to poor health due to low educa- tion or income levels,” said Molly Stone, executive director for The Wellness Coalition. “By training staff in nonprofits where some form of supportive community services are already being offered, we’ve been able to create a network of support for people with lim- ited access to healthcare throughout the region.” T HE R OLE OF CHW S — CHWs are not doctors or nurses, but trained professionals who are well-versed on available healthcare resources. They are staff members at existing agencies who are already providing some kind of support to their clients, perhaps housing, employment, or social services. They build trust with their clients through the provision of other services and have the opportunity to add healthcare to the conversation. F AMILY P ROMISE OF M ONTGOMERY J OINS THE N ETWORK — The most recent member of this growing CHW network is Family Promise of Montgomery. In partnership with local churches, Family Promise shelters homeless families with children until permanent housing solutions can be found. Based in Montgomery, Family Promise receives dozens of calls daily from both homeless families and childless adults seeking housing services. Rather than turn those adults who don’t qualify for their housing services away, Family Promise engages these callers in problem-solving and later follows up with them to de- termine if the solutions discussed were utilized and resulted in pos- itive outcomes. Since their CHW training, Family Promise’s intake process also includes questions related to healthcare access needs. “People experiencing homelessness are uniquely vulnerable and at risk for a variety of health problems including chronic illness, hunger, pain, and infections,” said Jayme Teague, executive director for Family Promise. “For the homeless, preventive healthcare is usually an unaffordable luxury. We’ve found that homeless single women with children are particularly hesitant to make time for preventive healthcare services for themselves because they are more concerned for the wellbeing of their children. In many cases, these women haven’t seen a doctor in up to three years.” Teague reports that many Family Promise clients are not taking prescribed medications because of their irregular visits to a doctor. “The role of medication in the management of health is a fre- quent topic of conversation and another reason why we emphasize the need for regular visits to a primary care doctor,” said Teague. Family Promise’s collaborative partnership with TWC has strengthened their ability to serve the health and wellness needs of homeless families and adults. As part of TWC’s cooperative agreement with CDC, data will be collected, and Family Promise’s CHW services will be evaluated through this month to measure the impact on the health of those served. “Existing healthcare resources don’t always make their way to the people who need them,” said Stone. “Community Health Workers close that gap and we’ve now found a way to expand their reach throughout the River Region. We are grateful to all the or- ganizations who have become part of this network, and we look forward to partnering with new organizations in order to help even more friends and neighbors in need.” W ETUMPKA H IGH S CHOOL ’ S J EFF G LASS R ECEIVES E DUCATOR OF THE Y EAR A WARD Jeff Glass, theatre director and chair of the Fine Arts Department at Wetumpka High School, received the Troy University Educator of the Year Award during the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s “Stars in the Park” event. The award, which represents a partnership between TROY and the Festival, was presented by Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor, and Dr. Hank Dasinger, former dean of TROY’s College and cur- rent interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Student Services and Ad- ministration. “Successful educators not only possess the tools to teach in the classroom, but also the heart to make a difference in the lives of their students,” Dr. Hawkins said. “Mr. Glass represents that type of commitment and the students at Wetumpka High School are the beneficiaries.” Glass, who interned at the Shakespeare Festival in 2003-2004, revived the previously dormant theatre program at Wetumpka High School, his alma mater. Under his guidance, the Wetumpka High Theatre Guild has grown to include 100 production students and offers acting, musical theatre and technical theatre. Glass is the immediate past chair of the Alabama Conference of Theatre’s Secondary Division and chaired the 2017 Walter Trum-