St. Joseph Community Partnership Fund

Orange County Community Resilience Fund Evaluation Report 21 • Preservation of funding for nonprofits that serve as health enrollment navigators. Nonprofit advocacy prevented those cuts. Organizations are also prioritizing the coming need. According to Joel Cazares of Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities 7 , as rent moratoriums expire and aid packages run out, nonprofits are working with and supporting organizations who can offer legal help and fight for protections. This also overlaps with the need for deportation defense, for those families who fear the immigration repercussions of this administration's handling of the pandemic. They also see a great need to acknowledge and address intersectionality in aid interventions, primarily for the members of the undocumented community who also identify as LGBTQ+. Many of the organizations serving one population in the crisis are not necessarily equipped to adequately serve the other. Domestic Violence As noted earlier, among agencies, there is an increase in domestic violence and fear that it is continuing undetected. According to Maricela Rios-Faust, the CEO of Human Options, agencies hve a difficult task in responding to this new environment. The impact of COVID on this community has included delays in accessing services and prolonged abuse, including more severe forms of abuse such as strangulation. Organizations serving this population had to shift their service delivery dramatically, especially making adaptations to the way shelter and housing services are provided. Although tele-service options have been available, it is difficult for some survivors to access these when the abuser is nearby. These organizations have received an outpouring of support and willingness to be flexible from the philanthropic community. However, Rios-Faust worried "In times of crisis, the need everywhere increases creating additional barriers to accessing needed support in a timely manner. This results in higher rates of depression and anxiety among an already vulnerable population. The need for support will continue far beyond the pandemic"? At this point that the community is out of the initial shock of the pandemic, service organizations are in a learning stage about how to best serve the population, evaluating to what extent they can better communicate with their populations and get information to them when they are at home. Rios shared that in a service industry such as that which serves survivors of domestic violence, even while adapting many services to telephone and/or video delivery, it is important too to be innovative so as not to lose the warmth and human touch. For example, one organization provided art project supplies for residents and a staff member taught a class in therapeutic art while the residents remained in their apartments. Organizations working on this will evolve to become organizations that integrate technology and human service well. Women's Health As noted earlier, the pandemic has had a particularly effect on women and women's health. It has also affected providers that focus on Women's health. As noted earlier, providers of services for DV survivors, as well as sexual reproductive health and mental health providers have responded innovatively to the barriers to accessing care in a number of ways. For example, almost every STI clinic in Orange County saw a 50% drop in use, and Planned Parenthood and others converted their delivery system to accommodate drive through testing, treatment access, and telehealth follow-up. These innovations were partly made possible and incentivized by policy change at the Federal and State level, with regard to flexibility with service modality (Via zoom) and in reimbursement parity (for telehealth vs. in-person visits). Allyson Sonenshine, Founding Director of the OC Women's Health Project spoke to several challenges and opportunities for women's health in the near and longer term future. While COVID-19 impacted 7 Cazares was not interviewed; these observations were provided via email after the interviews concluded.

• Cover