experiences, successes, & best practices

[Guest guest]

October 5, 2007

Dear Migrant Health Colleague,

Based on our findings from the 2005-06 National Needs Assessment of

Farmworker-Serving Organizations, Farmworker Health Services, Inc. is

collecting resources and information on the following topics in order

to improve outreach to farmworkers: transportation solutions,

appropriately responding to indigenous farmworkers, and effectively

using or participating in farmworker coalitions. We know that there

are many organizations out there in addition to the ones we have

identified already that have implemented effective solutions and

models. And so would like to learn more and share information such

as successes, best practices and concrete advice.

If you and your organization have experience in addressing any of

these issues at your organization and would be willing to talk with

me in greater detail, I would appreciate it. Please contact me off-

line by Friday, October 12 and I will follow up with you shortly

after. kristie@...

I have posed some questions below to give you an idea of the kinds of

information we would like to discuss with you and share with other

farmworker-serving organizations (with your permission).

Transportation

1. Does your organization provide transportation to your

farmworker patients or some means to ensure that they can get to/from

appointments?

2. What are some of the challenges you have faced in ensuring

transportation for farmworkers? How have you dealt with them?

3. What has worked well in terms of transportation options at

your health center and why?

4. What has NOT worked and why?

5. What advice would you give another health center that would

like to provide or ensure that farmworkers have transportation

options for getting/to from appointments?

Farmworker Coalitions

1. Does your organization participate in or serve as the lead

organization in a farmworker coalition?

2. What have been your coalition's successes to date?

3. What have been the key elements that sustain your coalition's

ability to make positive change in your community?

4. What have been your challenges and how have you addressed

them?

5. What advice do you have for other health centers that would

like to start or get involved in a farmworker coalition?

Serving Indigenous Farmworkers

1. Has your organization seen an increase in the arrival of

indigenous farmworkers to your community?

2. What has your organization done to be responsive to the

unique needs of this subset of the farmworker population?

3. Have these strategies worked and why?

4. What have been some challenges you've faced in trying to

effectively reach out to this population? How has your organization

addressed these challenges and have you been successful?

5. What advice would you have for a health center that would

like to improve its ability to respond appropriately to the needs of

indigenous farmworkers?

Thank you very much for your assistance and I look forward to hearing

from you soon!

Kristie McComb

*************************************

Kristie McComb, MPH

Project Manager

Farmworker Health Services, Inc.

1221 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Suite 5

Washington DC 20005

tel: 202-347-7377

fax: 202-347-6385

www.farmworkerhealth.org

Executive Office:

405 14th Street, Suite #809

Oakland, CA 94612

tel: 510-268-0091

fax: 510-268-0093