Providence is proud to partner with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center to provide a critical resource for Spokane’s east central community.
Background
In 2020, Providence made a commitment to address health care disparities in our local communities. The Providence family of organizations designated $50 million over a five-year period to support evidence-based solutions. Here in Spokane County, Providence chose to address the lack of mental health care support for the Black community.
Care where it’s needed
In working with the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, Providence learned that an in-house resource would be most effective, so Providence funded a full-time community health care worker to serve directly from the center.
Melanie Flores began her work as a behavioral health coordinator at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in November 2021. While her work focuses primarily on helping young parents and parents-to-be access mental health resources, her door is open to all. She also serves as a bridge to other important services, such as food and housing assistance.
Additional data
For more than fifteen years, the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report has found that Black Americans are less likely to have access to mental health care and more likely to receive lower quality care. Data like that is guiding Providence toward measurable change as we recognize that long-standing inequities and systematic injustices exist in the world.
To learn more about Providence’s commitment to address racial disparities, please visit our website.
To learn more about the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, please visit their website.
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