The Urban League Movement is actively involved in promoting health among African Americans. Affiliates around the country are tackling major health issues such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and substance abuse. In addition, League affiliates are supporting the development of healthy families through programs that emphasize the importance of breastfeeding, well baby care, and active male involvement in the lives of children.

This section of NUL Health highlights the health-related activities and initiatives of Urban League affiliates. Click on the links below to find out what some affiliates are doing to improve the health of our communities.

The Urban League of Greater Dallas sponsor's local church and community health fairs

Affiliate Health Programs, Initiatives and Activities

• Chicago Urban League
• Detroit Urban League
• Greater Washington Urban League
• Greater Phoenix Urban League
• Indianapolis Urban League
• Los Angeles Urban League
• Milwaukee Urban League
• Northern Virginia Urban League
• Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts
• Urban League of Greater Dallas
• Urban League of Greater Hartford
• Urban League of Wichita

• League Affiliates Work To Halt Spread of AIDS (link to Affiliates AIDS Activities.doc)
• National Urban League Diabetes Initiative (link to LiftEveryVoicebrochure.doc)

Chicago Urban League
Health and Family Services
3432 S. State St., 4^th Floor
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 326-4485
(312) 326-9725 Fax

The Chicago Urban League's Health and Family Services department provides a comprehensive array of social and health-related services to lower-income families and individuals of all ages. The overall goal is to improve the health and quality of life for Chicagoans. The programs focus on improving and strengthening families in the community while reducing infant mortality; improving and increasing health care services; educating and sensitizing the community on the nature and consequences of diabetes; and increasing the participation of fathers in the family.

The department's programs include:

Chicago Family Case Management provides services for pregnant women and infants from birth to age one. The program provides counseling services for the entire family and assists with the coordination of medical services.

Healthy Families Illinois promotes positive parenting and child health and development, which prevents child abuse and other high-risk incidents. The program endeavors to increase the quality of parent-child relationships and conducts extensive community outreach efforts with a number of external partners.

Breastfeeding Counseling provides one-on-one assistance to new mothers in the art of breastfeeding.

Male Involvement Program provides support services to 18-40 year old non-custodial fathers, custodial fathers and other male father figures who are involved in the lives of their children. MIP provides resources, information and services to empower males as a means to build stronger families.

• Diabetes education and prevention
• Emergency Pampers and formula
• Health, wellness and nutrition classes
• Counseling and referrals for pediatric care, pregnancy tests and women's health services

Detroit Urban League
208 Mack Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 832-4600
(313) 832-3222 Fax

The Detroit Urban League's mission is to enable African Americans and other persons of color to achieve their fullest potential. Since 1916, our programs and services have anticipated and responded to the changing needs of the Metropolitan Detroit community. We nurture, counsel and empower children, adults and seniors to live healthy and productive lives.

Health programs offered by the Detroit Urban League include:

2 Smart 2 Start Tobacco Prevention Program
The goal of 2 Smart 2 Start is to help eliminate exposure to the dangers of secondhand smoke through presentations to individuals, community based organizations and churches. Through presentations, the 2 Smart 2 Start Program staff educates adults on the effects of second hand smoke on children as well as adults, and advocates for policies and ordinances that promote smoke free environments.

Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP)
The Child and Adult Care Food Program is a federal program administered through the Michigan Department of Education. CACFP provides financial assistance and nutrition education and training to licensed day care providers. The Detroit Urban League serves day care providers located throughout Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland, Macomb, and St. Clair counties.

The Child and Adult Care Food Program promotes good eating habits among children, which requires a balanced diet of wholesome foods. Monthly financial reimbursements are paid to day care providers who submit their menus of foods fed to children. All meals must meet USDA meal guidelines.

Male and Female Responsibility Program (MAFRP)
The Male and Female Responsibility Program is a gender specific training that runs from 12 to 24 weeks. Participants engage in thought provoking, age-specific discussions concerning respect, responsibility, self-esteem, communication, peer pressure and conflict resolution. The program also addresses the following topics: African & African American History and Culture, Phases of Life, Spirituality, History of Substance Use and Abuse, Social Skills Development, Human Sexuality, Self Expression and Self Concepts, and Health and Nutrition. MAFRP also provides social service referrals, and non-crisis telephone counseling to youth and adults via the Male Line at (313) 832.MALE.

Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
WIC helps correct or prevent malnutrition in income eligible pregnant women, breastfeeding women, women who recently had a baby, infants from birth to 12 months and children up to 5 years old who are at health risk due to inadequate nutrition. WIC provides supplemental food, offers professional nutrition education, promotes breastfeeding through the first year of life, and makes referrals based on health screening and assessment of needs.

Greater Washington Urban League
Division of Aging of Aging and Health
3501 14^th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20010
(202) 265-8200
(202) 265-6122 Fax

Lift Every Voice Diabetes Education Program

As part of the National Urban League's Lift Every Voice national diabetes education program, the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) plans to take a more pro-active stance in the prevention of diabetes among African American residents.

Washington, D.C. is experiencing a diabetes epidemic among its African-American residents, presenting the community with special challenges. Approximately half of all diabetes cases are occurring in people older than 55 years of age. This chronic metabolic disease, in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy, impacted over 28,000 D.C. residents in 2000. Of all states, the District of Columbia had the second-highest rate of death due to diabetes and its complications in 1999. The numbers continue to grow.

The Lift Every Voice Diabetes Educational Program will feature workshops on diabetes risk factors, how to live with diabetes, fitness, cooking for the diabetic, and healthy soul food cooking demonstrations. There will be expert presenters, videos, tours and lots of helpful “gift-give-a-ways” for those who enroll in this life saving program.

In addition to the GWUL, local Washington area partners include CVS Health Connection (a CVS Managed Care, Inc. Pfizer Health Solutions, Inc. Company), National Kidney Foundation of the National Capital Area, American Diabetes Association, Washington, D.C. Chapter, Howard University Hospital Diabetes Self Management Program, and the District of Columbia Department of Health, Diabetes & Cardiovascular Program.

The program is open to senior citizens 55 years of age and older in Ward 5 of the city.

Health Resource Center

The Greater Phoenix Urban League is concerned about the health and welfare of those we serve. Diabetes is one of the most serious health challenges facing the United States today, and is the 4th leading cause of death among African Americans.

The Health Resource Center, located in our central office, provides educational information, videos and research material concerning diabetes. Information is also available on other diseases that negatively impact the African American community, including cancer, sickle cell anemia, and hypertension.

Our goal is to inform the community of various health issues and how these issues can be prevented or controlled.

Special Populations Support Program -
HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse

The Indianapolis Urban League (IUL) offers HIV/AIDS and substance abuse services that meet the needs of our community. As local, state, and national HIV/AIDS statistics continue to rise in the African American and other communities of color, the IUL HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse staff are working hard to provide effective programs that embrace the community.

The Special Populations Support Program (SPSP) provides:

• On-site substance abuse treatment
• One-on-one counseling
• Free HIV testing (on or off site) which can be either anonymous or confidential
• Emergency housing assistance for persons living with AIDS and
• HIV/AIDS education and training at various levels

• Immunizations for children and adults
• Glaucoma testing for youth & adults
• Lung capacity tests
• Blood pressure screening
• Hemoglobin A1C/Diabetes testing
• HIV testing

• Human Growth & Development                        
• Human Sexuality                                                    
• HIV/AIDS
• STDs                                                   
• Family
• Responsibility
• Decision Making
• Smoking Prevention
• Anger Management
• Relationships
• Domestic Violence
• Asthma Control

Northern Virginia Urban League
1315 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 836-2858
(703) 836-8948 Fax

Resource Mothers & Fathers Project

The Northern Virginia Urban League (NOVAUL) Resource Mothers and Fathers Project is currently in its tenth year of operation and is recognized by the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County, Virginia as a critical component in each jurisdiction's efforts to reverse its teen pregnancy rate.

The Resource Mothers & Fathers Project has established a proven track record of successfully engaging first-time pregnant and parenting teens of diverse backgrounds to promote positive birth outcomes and to encourage effective parenting. By serving the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County with professional and culturally diverse staff, the Resource Mothers & Fathers Project has established a mentoring relationship with teens and their families from the prenatal period until the infant's second birthday.

Females receive paraprofessional training to serve as “Resource Mothers” and provide care and support for the teens up to their baby's second birthday. Program support includes:

• Ongoing provisions for home visitations
• Referrals and assistance for teen mothers to schedule appointments with the Health Department and Clinics for reproductive health services and information (transportation is provided if needed)
• Counseling
• Nutrition training
• Mentoring
• Health and effective parenting training and
• Advocacy support

Resource Mothers assist the teen mother in making child care arrangements prior to returning to school. They also help the teen mother establish short and long-term goals for herself and her baby, emphasizing the consequences of repeat pregnancies. By establishing a mentoring relationship with teen fathers, male staff encourages fathers to support and participate in their infant's child rearing.

Resource Mothers assist enrolled teen mothers not enrolled in school to enroll in alternative educational programs and English as Second Language classes if appropriate. They monitor teen mother's school attendance and performance upon return to school. Resource Mothers also work with school counselors to arrange academic support for the new mother, if needed.

The Girls Empowered to Move Towards Success component of the Resource Mothers & Fathers Project provides mentors for young siblings and/or family members residing in the households of Resource Mothers participants.

The key program goals are:

• Promote positive pregnancy outcomes among teens
• Facilitate good health practices and parenting through lay home visitations
• Provide support to the fathers of the babies and young siblings
• Help keep fathers involved in their child's life
• Promote effective parenting
• Prevent school dropouts and repeat pregnancies

Working collaboratively with multiple community partners, the Resource Mothers & Fathers Project has yielded impressive outcomes for enrolled pregnant and parenting teens and their infants. Below is a snapshot of FY 2002 program outcomes for the program serving both the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County:

• 98% of enrolled pregnant teens attended regularly scheduled prenatal appointments.
• 100% of enrolled pregnant and parenting teens were exposed to appropriate health and nutritional information.
• 97% of enrolled pregnant teens delivered at gestation.
• 100% of enrolled teens received information and engaged in some method of family planning.
• 98% of enrolled teens participated in formal parenting training and/or received parenting, child development, and child safety information.
• 100% of enrolled teens received information and reinforcement of good child practices, child development and child safety prior to delivery.
• 98% of enrolled newborns weighed 2500 grams+ at birth.
• 98% of enrolled infants received the scheduled immunizations.
• 99% of teens mothers reported to have no repeat pregnancies while enrolled in the program.
• 86% of teens mothers were enrolled in school, graduated, were working, or attend post-secondary institutions.

The Angry Heart Screening and Panel Discussion

The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts recently co-sponsored a screening and panel discussion on the Boston-produced video documentary The Angry Heart. The Angry Heart, by Jay Fedigan, is about the impact of racism on heart disease among African-Americans.

The documentary follows what happened to Keith Hartgrove, a middle-aged Roxbury resident who had three heart attacks and a quadruple bypass. The video looks at Keith's life, his family, his church (Charles St. AME) and his encounters with the healthcare system and discusses the effects of the stress of racism on people's health and the differential preventive health care and treatment received by people of color.

The event brought health care leaders together to explore the impact of racism on disease, the issue of racial disparities in health care, and ideas for action to foster real change within the health care system. The discussion panel included Keith Hargrove and representatives from the following organizations:

• Brigham & Women's Hospital
• Office of Civil Rights, US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Center for Community Health, Education, Research & Services
• New England Regional Black Nurses Association
• Roxbury Heart Center, American Heart Association
• Harvard School of Public Health
• Boston Public Health Commission
• Law, Policy and Society Program, Northeastern University

In addition to the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, event sponsors included:

• Project Healthy Plus / ABCD
• Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Community Change, Inc.
• World View Service

The Urban League of Greater Dallas (ULGD) Health Programs serve over 100,000 clients a year through street outreach activities, community health fairs, and case management services. Through the ULGD, minority members of the community receive information to make choices that can improve their health and quality of life.

The ULGD works in collaboration with the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, Dallas County Hospital District, City of Dallas, Dallas Medical Society, Parkland Health and Hospital System, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and other agencies in its efforts to combat issues that plague the community.

The ULGD works closely with the Texas Department of Health, Parkland Memorial Hospital (County Hospital), and other community-based organizations to educate, inform and empower African Americans and other minorities at risk for diabetes, cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, domestic and random violence, substance abuse, and other health issues. Other components of the ULGD health programs include local church and community health fairs, adolescent workshops, and a series of health promotion seminars.

Maximus
This program provides clients who are recipients of Medicaid with information about the availability of benefits through the Texas Health Steps Program. It ensures that clients, from infancy up to 20 years old on Medicaid are provided physical and dental exams, immunizations and WIC. A nutritional program for pregnant mothers and infants and children up to age 5 is also available. Texas Health Steps Program provides transportation to those who need it. Case management counselors are also available to individual families with special needs.

Links-to-Care (TDH)
The Links-To-Care Program facilitates participation of incarcerated and recently released HIV-infected women and men, in the Texas HIV Medication Program (ADAP). The program, which focuses particularly on minorities, attempts to keep participants compliant and healthy by providing clients immediate access to primary care. Participation is voluntary and all services are free. All clients are eligible to take part in all available programs and referrals that Parkland and the ULGD provide including access to medical and psychosocial case management services.

HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention
The ULGD also has an HIV street outreach program targeting African Americans and other minorities. Dallas County has one of the highest and fastest rates of infection for African American males in the nation. The outreach teams service approximately 10,000 clients a year with condom distribution and safer sex kits. For those clients identified as high risk or HIV-positive through outreach efforts, ULGD has a prevention case management program that focuses on risk reduction education through individual sessions. This prevention concept suggests that one can increase risk reduction practices through one on one education and individual sessions to address any and all barriers detrimental to one's ability to practice safer sex, use “clean works,” and over time improve quality of life.

Urban League of Greater Hartford
Department of Community Health
140 Woodland Street
P.O. Box 320590
Hartford, CT 06132
(860) 527-0147
(860) 249-1563 Fax

The mission of the Department of Community Health is to reduce the disparities in health status among populations of color in the Greater Hartford Area.

The mission includes a commitment to the following principles:

• Maintaining and strengthening partnerships for maximum effectiveness and efficiency of operation.
• Continuously striving for excellence in all programs and activities
• Maintaining a client centered environment with our clients being our priority.
• Applying a holistic approach to health and wellness.
• Being culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate.
• Continuously striving to be self-supporting.

Department of Community Health Programs and Services

The MECA Center is a community-based resource center dedicated to serving those who are infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. The Center is located in the North End of Hartford and offers a range of services to the Greater Hartford Area in a clean, safe and sober environment which include:

• Acupuncture & Massage Therapy
• Behavioral Health Program
• Bilingual Case Management
• Educational Workshops
• Field Trips
• Food Pantry & Meals
• Substance Abuse Counseling
• Supportive Counseling
• Mental Health Referrals
• Crisis Related Services

AIDS Prevention and Education Programs - the Sistahs Helpin' Sistahs Program serves African American women 18 to 44 years of age who are at high risk of HIV infection and 're-infection' through:

• Risk Reduction Counseling
• HIV Health Education
• Support Groups
• Referrals to Needed Services
• Community Networking
• Community Activities
• Advocacy
• Supportive Counseling
• Alternative Activities

Hartford Engagement & Recovery Support Program (HERS) targets African American and Latina women ages 16-25 with substance abuse disorders and/or HIV/AIDS. The program helps women to develop healthy lifestyles and supports them throughout their quest for betterment. The program offers a new approach that is culturally sensitive, gender specific and based on motivational empowerment, building on women's strengths and their resiliency. Objectives of the program are realized through:

• Outreach and Engagement
• Screening and Evaluation
• Case Management
• Substance Abuse & HIV/AIDS Services
• Individual Counseling
• Personal Development
• Support Groups
• Referral to Additional Services as Necessary

The UJIMA mission is to take leadership in eliminating HIV/AIDS in Black women of all ages and their children through advocacy, awareness and education, as well as identification, provision and distribution of local state and federal resources at the community level. UJIMA is the third principle of Kwanzaa. It stands for “Collective work and Responsibility”.

UJIMA work to accomplish our mission through the following “Four Fold” goals:

• Develop a community awareness campaign
• Provide Community Prevention Education and Activities through the use of media, forums and conferences
• Identify resources to support women and HIV/AIDS initiatives
• Advocate for resources for women living with HIV/AIDS

Ryan White II provides focused case management services that include coordinating medical, psychological, financial and other HIV/AIDS care related needs for persons infected with HIV/AIDS.

Drug Treatment Advocacy Program serves any adult who is abusing or addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and is seeking substance abuse treatment through:

• Risk Reduction Counseling
• Referrals to Treatment
• Community Networking
• Aftercare Support

The Breast Health Program provides a range of services including:

• Referrals for uninsured women 40 and older to receive free mammograms (35 and older if there is a family history of breast cancer or symptoms).
• Referrals for free pap smears for uninsured women 19 and older.
• Transportation to doctor appointments (when available)
• Support
• Presentations
• Workshops

The Hartford Youth Project (HYP) is a comprehensive family focused program for youth ages 10-17 who are experiencing problems associated with substance abuse in the Hartford area. It is designed to match the youth to the type of treatment that will best address the youth and family needs. HYP is designed to make available a range of services based on the identified needs of the youth and family such as:

• Early identification and intervention of youth in need of substance abuse treatment
• Link youth to services based on strengths and needs (vocational, recreational, educational, etc..)
• Link parents to supports if necessary
• Educate parents, community leaders, and schools about the nature of youth substance abuse and new treatment methods and
• Enhancement of caregiver parenting practices

Aetna Community Outreach & Research Center (Sponsored by Aetna) provides resource materials, health information, and audio and video tapes to support program initiatives in the areas of:

• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Heart Disease
• Smoking Prevention & Cessation
• Asthma
• HIV/AIDS
• Substance Abuse Prevention
• Wellness

Urban League of Wichita
1802 East 13^th Street N.
Wichita, KS 67214
(316) 262-8841
(877) 520-7751 Toll Free
(316) 262-8841 Fax

Health Education and Screening Cluster

The Urban League of Wichita Health Education and Screening Cluster promotes wellness through medical and health education and screening. The program targets those with high-risk lifestyles and medically underserved populations. Program activities include:       

• Disability awareness and assistive device services
• Church-based high blood pressure monitoring
• HIV/STD prevention and awareness
• Sickle cell awareness and screening
• Cholesterol education and screening
• Diabetes education and screening

Program partners include:

• Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation
• Wichita Center for Health and Wellness
• University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita
• Hunter Health Clinic
• KNOX Center