When choosing how to distribute the grants, St. Luke’s gave special consideration to organizations whose proposals target significant health needs identified through St. Luke’s Community Health Needs Assessment. Consideration is also given to nonprofit organizations that work collaboratively and have equity-driven approaches to address community health needs or social determinates of health such as safe neighborhoods, transportation, and access to nutritious foods.
Because the assessment is both quantitative and qualitative, it takes into consideration the voice of local experts and community members to identify needs from their lived experience.
“In addition to guiding the types of health improvement programs we provide, St. Luke’s uses this the information to guide our grant support and collaboration with community partners,” said Theresa McLeod, St. Luke’s Health System administrator of community health and engagement.
Prioritized community health needs include:
- Affordable housing and homelessness.
- Behavioral health, including mental health and well-being, suicide prevention and substance misuse.
- Access to affordable health care, including oral and vision health.
- Access to health-related services, including improving language and cultural barriers.
- Cost of living, including caregiving and early learning.
Here is how just a few of the programs St. Luke’s is supporting make a difference:
Treasure Valley
Jesse Tree serves Treasure Valley renters who qualify as low-income (under 80% Area Median Income) and who are at risk of eviction and homelessness. All of the clients Jesse Tree serves are low-income and in the legal eviction process when they contact Jesse Tree. A majority of households served are asset limited, income constrained, and employed (ALICE). The ALICE population has access to little or no state financial support programs and are often one crisis away from financial instability.
Jesse Tree has been providing homelessness prevention services to the Treasure Valley since 1999. The work to develop and maintain partnership with health care providers, including St. Luke’s, to improve community health through housing stabilization.
Their CHIF grant will support their Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program that offers support, education, and financial assistance to keep individuals and families safely housed during a financial crisis and empower them to find stability.
Elmore County
The Mountain Home School District is expanding an existing program that offers an alternative to suspension or citation for teens caught using tobacco products in school.
Students who take the class are allowed to continue playing sports, participate in other after school activities and stay in school instead of being placed on suspension.
The four-week class provides education on the dangers of addiction and will now offer, through the support of a CHIF grant, cessation programs that are not currently available for teens in the Mountain Home area.
By participating in the class the desired outcome is improved health of the students and the opportunity for students to serve as positive role models for others.
McCall
Ignite Idaho Family Resource Center located in McCall, provided mental and behavioral health services to individuals and families in the region. Many of the parents they serve have young children and work varying schedules leading to a lack of childcare options. As a result, it makes it difficult for parents and caregivers to regularly attend appointments for their own health.
The new Wellness Drop-In Childcare program was piloted last fall. Due to the positive response Ignite Idaho is expanding the program with the support of a CHIF grant.
Parents can drop off their children at Ignite Idaho’s childcare facility for one to two hours. Giving the parents an opportunity to take care of their wellness and health care needs, while the kids are being cared for in a safe, developmentally appropriate and supportive environment.
