Overview
Our Community work and services address the health and health-related social needs of our African Heritage communities, with enhance training and skills in African heritage cultural competent interventions for those of us infected and affected by the COVID – LONG -COVID pandemic. The work and services involves collaboration between our healthcare professionals, our community representatives, and our social service providers from and to the African American, Eritrean, Somali, and Ethiopian Oromo speaking communities in King County. Our work and services focuses on promoting cultural humility, whole-person health, and access to healthcare and health related social services.
We serve our African Heritage communities, specifically African American, Eritrean, Somali, and Ethiopian Oromo speaking communities in King County. Our communities face significant health disparities and health-related social needs, compounded by the ongoing COVID – LONG -COVID pandemic. By focusing on our specific populations, we aim to address the unique challenges we face and provide targeted support to improve our health outcomes.
The need is to address the debilitating impact of COVID – LONG -COVID on our served communities. Our communities face multiple challenges, including inequitable exposure to the virus, negative healthcare outcomes, limited access to healthcare services, and systemic and medical racism within the healthcare system. There is a pressing need to mitigate these disparities and ensure equitable access to quality healthcare and health-related social needs services. Additionally, our communities require culturally sensitive care that respect our unique needs and experiences.
Sisters In Common’s mission, and vision align closely with our work and services. As a non-profit community-based organization, Sisters In Common is dedicated to reducing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) disparities and empowering individuals, families, and our communities in crisis. Our organization’s mission to re-introduce cultural values, traditions, and history that promote healing and empowerment resonates with the goal of addressing the health-related social needs of our served populations. Our work and services focuses on providing community-informed and culturally competent services to address client SDoH needs. Sisters In Common’s commitment to training, and hiring directly from cultural and ethnic communities ensures effective communication and understanding of our clients’ cultural context and language. Our approach aligns with our organization’s mission of cultural empowerment for families in crisis. Additionally, the services offered by Sisters In Common, such as client SDoH screenings, consultations, referrals, counseling, and case management, directly contribute to the work and services objectives. By identifying problems related to trauma, social determinants of health issues, and family dysfunction, SISTERS IN COMMON plays a crucial role in assessing the needs of individuals and families and providing appropriate support.
The driving force behind our work and services is the pressing need to address the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) disparities and promote healing and empowerment for our individuals, families, and communities in crisis. Witnessing the profound impact of SDoH on the overall well-being and health outcomes of our communities, it became evident that a targeted and culturally informed approach was essential to address these challenges effectively. As an organization committed to serving our communities, we recognized that traditional healthcare approaches often fell short in adequately addressing the underlying factors contributing to health disparities. We saw the need for a comprehensive and holistic approach that considers the social, economic, and environmental factors impacting the health of our individuals and families. Our mission to re-introduce cultural values, traditions, and history that promote healing and empowerment provided the guiding principles for our work and services. We understood that by incorporating cultural competence, community engagement, and tailored services, we could make a meaningful difference in the lives of those of us facing crisis situations. The driving force behind our work and services is the unwavering belief in the power of community-informed solutions and the urgent need to address the root causes of health disparities. We are driven by a passion for social justice, equity, and a deep commitment to ensuring that our clients receive the support they need to overcome challenges and achieve optimal well-being. Through collaboration, partnerships, and leveraging the need for emerging to evidence-based practices, we seek to create a sustainable model that not only provides immediate support but also empowers individuals to take control of their health and navigate the complex social and healthcare systems that influence their well-being.
Our work and services focus on addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) disparities and promoting cultural empowerment in the face of crisis. It encompass various issues and areas of focus that are critical in achieving equitable health outcomes for our individuals, families, and communities. Some key areas of focus include: Access to Healthcare: The work and services aimed to improve access to quality healthcare services, particularly since we are underserved and marginalized communities. It seek to address barriers such as lack of insurance, limited healthcare facilities access, race bias and cultural incompetency within the healthcare system. Health Related Social Needs (HRSN): Our work and services recognized the significant impact of social factors on health outcomes and work to address HRSN, such as exposure to the health hazard, (e.g. Covid-Long-Covid exposure), issues with basic needs ( e.g. food insecurity), access to health care ((e.g. transportation barriers), Behaviors (e.g. Covid-Long-Covid risk taking Life challenges), psycho-social, (e.g. Covid-Long-Covid stigma, emotion dysregulation and isolation), and Biology (e.g. negative Epigenetics) . By connecting individuals and families with the necessary resources and support, our work and services aim to mitigate the negative impact of these social determinants of health. Cultural Competence: Cultural competence is a fundamental aspect of our work and services. Recognizing the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our members and their communities, our innovations provide culturally sensitive care and services. This include hiring staff from the same cultural and ethnic communities as the client, incorporating cultural practices and traditions into interventions, and promoting cultural empowerment as a means of achieving positive health outcomes. Community Engagement: Our work and services emphasize community engagement and collaboration. We work closely with community, CBO organizations, faith-based groups, and networks to raise awareness, build trust, and ensure that their health related services were tailored to meet the specific needs of the client-community member. Engaging community members as active participants in the decision-making process and service delivery is essential to the success of our interventions. Holistic Approach: Our innovation take a holistic ( whole person) approach to address the multifaceted nature of our health disparities. It integrate physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being in the interventions and emphasized the importance of whole-person health. By considering the interconnectedness of these dimensions, our work and services aim to achieve comprehensive and sustainable improvements in health outcomes.
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