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More Mini-Parks Mean Better Mental Health

Nora Macaluso

July 29, 2021 |

Next Avenue |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

PHS LandCare, with support from the city, develops small vacant lots into mini-parks that bring people out of their homes and engage with their community. A 2018 study found that people living near LandCare lots reported a decrease in feelings of depression and a reduction in feelings of poor mental health. The city's role is important to the program’s success, especially in providing money to hire contractors to maintain the green spaces, especially local residents and formerly incarcerated people. Sites must be in low-income neighborhoods and near business areas, schools, and recreation centers.

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Listen to me: pioneering hearing care in Chad

Laura Joffre

July 27, 2021 |

Pioneers Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Chad

Funded by the Hear the World Foundation, Écoute-moi! provides audiological care in Chad. Working closely with children at a school for hearing loss, the group conducts audiograms to assess hearing loss levels, fits the children with hearing aids, and supports them afterwards with things like speech therapy. In order to create a sustainable model of care, the nonprofit has also trained four local audiological care technicians, the first in the country to provide services. Speech therapy is an important part of the follow-up support to help children speak after not hearing for years.

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‘I'm not alone': survivors organise against sexual violence in Colombia

Megan Janetsky Kiran Stallone

July 22, 2021 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia

Mujeres Sembrando Vida is a network of women that supports victims of sexual and domestic violence by guiding them through the reporting process, ensuring cases are handled appropriately by authorities, and holding workshops for women about gender equality and their rights. The group has also set up a collective savings account to help women in emergencies.

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Mental health support in preschool may help lower sky-high expulsion rates

Chabeli Carrazana

July 20, 2021 |

The 19th |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Arkansas

Project PLAY, the third of Arkansas’ three-tiered mental health consultation system, has reduced high expulsion and suspension rates for children in child care settings. The program provides consultants who go into classrooms for several months of weekly visits to observe children and then work with staff and parents to address behavioral and mental health issues. The consultations can lead to earlier diagnoses of sensory disorders and increase the confidence and empowerment of child care providers. Lower expulsion rates have a long-term impact on children’s social, emotional, and educational development.

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In Assam, ATMs purify arsenic-laced water

Aatreyee Dhar

July 19, 2021 |

The Third Pole |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Barigaon, Assam

A water management committee manages Barigaon’s water ATM, which uses a nanotechnology-based ion exchange resin to remove iron and arsenic from groundwater. Residents, who swipe a pre-paid card to collect water in their own containers, pay 40 cents per 20 liters or a flat monthly fee of less than $3. Water is free for families who can’t afford the fee and delivery is arranged for those who are unable to transport water. Around 250 villagers use the ATM each day and its success inspired five additional ATMs, with plans to install 172 statewide. Fees cover maintenance and the landowner’s electricity costs.

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Hey Siri, Learn to Speak Kinyarwanda

Tolu Olasoji

July 13, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Rwanda

Common Voice is an open-source initiative to capture more languages for voice-recognition software. Users “donate” their voices by recording themselves reading text out loud. They can also validate the accuracy of already donated voices. The platform has over 9,000 hours of voice data for 90 languages contributed by more than 166,000 people. The group runs creative campaigns to encourage native speakers to contribute, like “Digital Umuganda” in Rwanda, which is a play on a national holiday when people engage in community service. The campaign gathered over 1,700 hours of Kinyarwanda language from 840 people.

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'I am not alone:' How a California county is helping Hispanic family caregivers find peace

Natalia Rodríguez Medina Tom Kisken

July 12, 2021 |

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ventura, California

La Buena Vida connects caregivers from Latino households with respite care, training, and support groups. Using federal funding, the program serves as the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s resource center for Spanish-speaking family caregivers. The program also provides safety equipment, like ramps and railings. In addition to much needed emotional and physical breaks from their responsibilities, the group connects caregivers to Spanish-speaking professionals who offer counseling and support. The program staff regularly checks in with its 66 clients to see how they are doing and assess their needs.

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Colorado screening newborn babies for spinal muscular atrophy

Jennifer Brown

July 12, 2021 |

The Colorado Sun |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

A joint project between Wyoming and Colorado screens newborns for spinal muscular atrophy, allowing them to receive gene therapies to prevent the deadly disease’s progression. Once researchers identified a protein missing from the cells of people with the disease, they developed treatments that are most effective the earlier they are started. The tests have significantly increased the number of cases identified across the two states, all of which are sent to Children’s Hospital Colorado for immediate treatment. Most babies are diagnosed within four days of birth and can start treatment soon after that.

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Financially Challenged But Fierce, Griffin Hospital Innovates Its Way Through Pandemic

Carol Leonetti Dannhauser

July 12, 2021 |

Connecticut Health Investigative Team |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Derby, Connecticut

Griffin hospital used innovative strategies to test, vaccinate, and care for patients during the coronavirus pandemic. The hospital stocked up early, including with donated ventilators, and repurposed unused spaces and object to help care for COVID-19 patients. They offered large-scale testing, at the height administering 35,000 weekly tests at five drive-through locations. They also provided testing at 124 nursing homes to stem high infection rates. Once vaccinations were ready, Griffin set up clinics where people were, vaccinating thousands in nursing homes, local shops, schools, parks, and at churches.

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‘Know Your Script' initiative shows success in fight against opioid epidemic

Sydney Glenn

July 08, 2021 |

KSTU-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Utah

Intermountain Healthcare implemented an opioid reduction plan as part of Utah’s statewide ‘Know Your Script’ initiative. The plan, which includes an opioid-free surgery program that utilizes nerve blockers and non-opioid pain medications, has led to 11 million fewer opioid prescriptions. While not all surgeries can be performed this way, it has given recovering addicts a treatment alternative. The healthcare system also educates medical staff on ways to reduce opioid prescriptions and empowers patients to tell their providers that they do not want opioids.

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