In September and December 2018, the PHP Board awarded more than $950,000 to 17 nonprofit organizations participating in the foundation's strategic initiatives on medical-legal partnerships, early childhood health and development, immigrant and refugee health access and navigation, and community voice and leadership. Read the 2018 Grants Announcement below to learn more about how PHP grantees are advancing health equity and addressing social determinants of health through the integration and coordination of care and services.
2018 Grant Awards
Medical-Legal Partnerships Initiative:
Integration of public interest law services into health care settings to address social determinants of health.
Community Legal Services (CLS) - $170,000 (two-year grant) in support of the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Program at Rising Sun Health Center and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Karabots Pediatric Center. The MLP Program provides health center patients with on-site access to a lawyer to address health-harming legal needs and applies learning from casework to policy and systems change efforts. In addition to sustaining current staffing at both sites, CLS will hire a new habitability attorney based at CHOP’s Karabots Pediatric Center to provide legal services to families living in substandard housing conditions. To learn more, click here.
Legal Clinic for the Disabled (LCD) - $60,000 in support of PhilaKids, the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. PhilaKids provides patients and their families in the Ambulatory Pediatrics Practice, the Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs, and the Asthma Clinic with on-site access to a lawyer to address issues that affect their health, independence, and quality of life. Launched in 2018 with PHP support, the expansion of PhilaKids to the Newborn Clinic and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Step Down Clinic aims to identify and address legal issues at infancy in order to prevent them from adversely affecting a child’s health over time. To learn more, click here.
Philadelphia Legal Assistance - $120,000 (two-year grant) in support of the Medical-Legal-Community Partnership (MLCP) Program at Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health (PDPH) Health Centers #3 and #4. The MLCP aims to address the socio-legal needs of health center patients, improving outcomes for individuals and families that face barriers to accessing care and services. Through collaboration with health center staff, MLCP team members work in partnership with PDPH to improve patient and community health and well-being. To learn more, click here.
Children and Families Initiative:
Collaboration to strengthen programs, policies, and systems that support early childhood health and development.
Kids Smiles (KS) - $60,000 in support of the Early Childhood Caries Prevention (ECCP) Project. The ECCP project is a three-year national demonstration project that aims to reduce the incidence of caries (the presence of one or more decayed, missing, or filled tooth surfaces in a primary tooth) in young children. As an ECCP pilot site, KS partners with Head Start and Early Head Start centers to provide oral health exams and screenings to children, case management for children identified as high risk, and parent education and engagement. To learn more, click here.
Maternity Care Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (MCC) - $30,000 in support of the Early Learning Initiative. MCC is building capacity to incorporate child development and early learning practices and assessment tools across their home visiting programs. MCC will implement a parenting measure developed in 2018 with PHP support to assess changes in parent-child interactions, parenting skills, parenting efficacy, and maternal self-care. MCC will also pilot the Growing Great Kids home visiting curriculum with the aim of training all staff in 2019. To learn more, click here.
Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) - $30,000 in support of the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) in South/Southwest Philadelphia. PCHP provides families of young children with high-quality learning tools and guidance to stimulate parent-child interaction; develop language, early literacy, and social-emotional skills; and build school readiness. PCHP will provide immigrant and refugee families with culturally- and linguistically- sensitive home visiting services. To learn more, click here.
Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) - $65,000 in general operating support for PCCY’s work to advance public policy solutions that meet the health and early learning needs of children. Priorities include advocating to prevent childhood lead poisoning, make health insurance coverage available for every child in Philadelphia - including children who do not have legal immigration status, and increase access to high-quality infant and toddler child care. To learn more, click here.
Supportive Older Women’s Network (SOWN) - $40,000 in support of the Grandfamily Resource Center (GFRC) and Integrated Care Model. The GFRC provides support services for grandparents raising grandchildren, including group treatment, individual counseling and crisis intervention services, wellness workshops, and educational events for grandchildren and grandparents. Through the Integrated Care Model, the GFRC provides grandfamily support groups and behavioral health services in primary care settings in partnership with the Family Practice and Counseling Network. To learn more, click here.
Immigrants and Refugees Initiative:
Health access and navigation support to improve care and service utilization.
African Cultural Alliance of North America (ACANA) - $20,000 in support of the Healthy African Woman Program (HAWP). HAWP offers peer-facilitated health education workshops for African and Caribbean women in collaboration with health care and social services providers. In partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s African Diaspora Health Initiative, ACANA strives to facilitate connection with health screenings and care. To learn more, click here.
African Family Health Organization (AFAHO) - $20,000 in support of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Program. AFAHO works to mitigate barriers and facilitate access to care and services – including maternal and child health, family planning, teen pregnancy prevention, breast and cervical cancer, and female genital cutting – for African and Caribbean women. Through a peer support model, AFAHO’s Cultural Health Navigators use shared language, cultural expertise, advocacy, and systems knowledge to support health access and navigation. To learn more, click here.
Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia (CAGP) - $40,000 in support of the Family Support Services Program. Through case management and health navigation assistance, the Family Support Services Program assists community members in accessing, using, and maintaining benefits and insurance coverage; navigating systems and support structures; and understanding and complying with health care instructions and information. To learn more, click here.
Justice at Work (JaW, formerly Friends of Farmworkers) - $60,000 in general operating support for JaW’s work to support low-wage migrant and immigrant workers as they pursue economic and social justice through legal services, education, and advocacy. By seeking to protect workers from workplace exploitation, forced labor, and unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, JaW addresses employment as a critical social determinant of health in collaboration with diverse partners. To learn more, click here.
La Puerta Abierta (LPA) - $30,000 in general operating support for LPA’s work to provide Philadelphia Latinx immigrants with access to holistic, culturally, and trauma-informed mental health support. Using a service-learning model, LPA offers pro bono individual, family, and group counseling to youth and families who cannot access services elsewhere due to language, economic, legal, and social barriers and builds the capacity of systems and providers to support the mental and behavioral health of immigrant families. To learn more, click here.
Nationalities Service Center (NSC) - $50,000 in general operating support for NSC’s work to provide immigrants and refugees with comprehensive client-centered services that promote their health and well-being. Programs include a focus on promoting health access and navigation through case management, connection to care, and wellness support and on addressing social determinants of health through safety and survivor services, legal consultation, and workforce development. To learn more, click here.
SEAMAAC - $30,000 in support of the Health and Social Services Program. SEAMAAC strives to cultivate a culture of wellness within Philadelphia’s immigrant and refugee families and communities, with a focus on health access, education, and referral; domestic violence services and advocacy; elders’ health and wellness services; and refugee post-resettlement services. SEAMAAC’s outreach workers provide linguistic- and culturally-appropriate case management services; community outreach and group education; and interpretation and translation. To learn more click here.
Community Voice and Leadership Initiative:
Active engagement of community members in designing and implementing programs, policies, and systems that advance health equity.
Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE) - $50,000 in support of CARIE LINE and Community HealthChoices outreach, education, and advocacy. CARIE LINE is an education, consultation, and advocacy service for older adults and caregivers. CARIE is also focusing on assisting participants and providers in navigating Pennsylvania’s shift to mandatory managed care for long-term services and supports through Community HealthChoices. To learn more, click here.
Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) - $75,000 in general operating support for PHAN’s work to expand and protect access to high-quality, equitable, affordable health care. PHAN blends coalition-building and policy advocacy with community health organizing to support and empower consumers to get the treatment they need and to become advocates for better health care. PHAN’s current focus includes consumer education and advocacy related to Pennsylvania’s shift to mandatory managed care for long-term services and supports through Community HealthChoices. To learn more, click here.