New Jobs | Statement: CA Strengthens Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Safety Net System | Join PHI at APHA 2024

Statement on Governor Newsom’s Passage of Legislation to Strengthen the Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Safety Net System

Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation to dramatically expand access to care and improve health outcomes for Californians facing substance use disorder and severe mental illness. The package includes AB 2376, which makes it easier for hospitals to use available beds to provide chemical dependency recovery services such as?evidence-based medication for addiction treatment (MAT). PHI's CA Bridge, which has?implemented MAT programs in 276 hospitals throughout?California, worked alongside Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains on its passage. "When addiction is an emergency, EDs can respond. But after the ED, patients need somewhere to land. That’s where AB 2376 comes in," wrote Dr.?Aimee Moulin, director of PHI's?Bridge Center,?and PHI Chief Program, Policy and Government Relations Officer?Matthew Marsom. "This bill acknowledges that hospitals offering chemical dependency recovery services can help."?Read the full statement →

Join PHI at APHA 2024

Will you be at?this year's American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting, held in-person in Minneapolis, Minnesota from October 27-30? Don't miss PHI's 20+ posters, presentations and special sessions—including "The Healthy Places Index (HPI) in Action: From Mapping Community Data to Health Equity Impact" with PHI's Public Health Alliance of Southern California, on Monday October 28, from 10:30am-12pm CST. Explore our APHA 2024 Digital Guide?→

PHI in the News: High Risk of Heat-Related Illness & Mortality Among Farmworkers

As climate change drives more frequent and extreme heat, scorching temperatures pose a greater risk to more communities—but not all communities are impacted equally. Isabella Kaser, a climate resilience project manager at PHI’s Tracking California, spoke with the?Ventura County Star about how rising temperatures put farmworkers at a higher risk of heat-related illness and mortality. She also discusses some of the structural and systemic barriers they face to protect themselves from heat, both inside and outside of the workplace.?Read the article?→

Upcoming Webinars, Events & Trainings

Strategic Collaboration for Outbreak Response & Prevention in Healthcare Settings: TODAY: Tuesday, October 1?| 11am-12:30pm PT. How can local health departments build equity into outbreak response in healthcare settings? What role do partnerships play in this work? What are the most effective approaches to using and managing data to inform outbreak response and prevention? This webinar, part of a series hosted by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and PHI’s Population Health Innovation Lab MERLIN team, will discuss integrating partnerships into?local health department’s data utilization strategies as well as the application of an equity framework in this work, enhancing collective reach and impact. Register →

The Power of Girls' Education & Leadership: A Spotlight on Africa: Thursday, October 3 | 9-10am PT. Join PHI’s Rise Up and She's the First for a free, virtual event to celebrate the power and potential of girls everywhere, with insights on how communities can take action to create a future where every girl can succeed. The event will feature a powerful lineup of speakers including Rise Up leaders Margaret Bolaji, executive director of the Stand With A Girl Initiative in Nigeria; and Rukia Sebit, co-founder and executive director of the Sunflower Trust in Kenya. They will share the innovative work they are doing with and for girls in countries across Africa. RSVP →

Telehealth & Cross-State Licensure Court Cases: Thursday, October 3 | 11am-12pm PT. Two recently filed court cases—MacDonald et al v. Sabando and McBride et al v. Hawkins—challenge the constitutionality of states requiring providers licensed in another state to obtain a license issued by the state a patient is located in during the telehealth interaction. This webinar, hosted PHI's Center for Connected Health Policy, will discuss the impact of current existing licensure laws, what impact these cases may have should the plaintiffs succeed, and how the court cases may unfold. Sign up →

DEIA in Focus: Advancing MPT Science & Equity Through Diverse Inclusion: Thursday, October 17 | 7:30am PT. With increased understanding of the?critical role of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) for product development, this webinar from PHI’s CAMI Health focuses on the importance of inclusion of diverse populations in clinical research, including people with disabilities.?This aligns with new FDA guidelines and NIH priorities around DEIA. Jan Garrett,?of PHI's Pacific ADA Center?will be among the speakers. Join →

CA Rural Resilience Innovation Hub Convening: Tuesday, October 22 | 10am-3pm PT | Cost: $50 | Redding, CA. Join PHI’s Population Health Innovation Lab and its Northern ACEs Collaborative’s Rural Resilience Innovation Hub for an in-person convening that will explore California’s state-level initiatives that are addressing trauma and building community resilience. Register →

More from PHI

• PHI AmeriCorps VISTA Leader?Recognized: Reed Nolan, an AmeriCorps VISTA Lead at PHI’s Center for Health Leadership and Impact, is one of twelve recipients of the 2024 Service Year Alum Awards which recognize exceptional ability to bridge divides across lines of difference. During his service with COPN, Reed identified a critical gap in overdose prevention efforts: a disconnect between those with firsthand experience of substance use and healthcare providers. He addressed this by openly sharing his journey, which bridged the gap between personal struggles and professional care. Read more →
• Watch: Intergenerational Trauma Among Asian Communities in the U.S.: This webinar series, hosted by?PHI’s Lotus Project,?explores the profound impacts of intergenerational trauma on Asian American and Asian immigrant (AAAI) communities and highlights community-led solutions for healing and change. The most recent session explores community and clinical strategies to promote intergenerational communication and healing, including barriers and benefits of cross-generational communication; success stories of community programs that bring generations together; and more.?Catch up on the recordings →
• Podcast: Improving the Land &?Lives of Those Who Raise Good Meat: On the latest episode of "Flipping the Table," a podcast from PHI's Roots of Change, host Michael Dimock speaks with Montanan rancher Cole Mannix. Cole's?family ranch is one of the founders of the Old Salt Co-op, a successful beef brand that prioritizes stewardship of both land and livestock. "The way we use resources affects people's lives... if we cannot avoid spoiling land where we live and where we manage land—the land that supports us—then we're going to be bound to exploit people elsewhere," said Cole. Listen to the episode?→
• Webinar Recording: Air Quality & Wildfire Smoke: In this webinar recording, presenters provide an overview of the health impacts associated with exposure to wildfire smoke, tips on creating “clean rooms” and other strategies to minimize exposure during wildfire events. One tip: Avoid using evaporative coolers or portable air conditioners during wildfires because they could potentially increase the smoke entering your home. This webinar was hosted by?the California Healthy Housing Coalition (CHHC), a coalition co-founded and coordinated by PHI’s Regional Asthma Management and Prevention. See the webinar?→
• Study: Socioeconomic Inequalities & Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality: A new study from PHI’s Alcohol Research Group and partners found that lower socioeconomic status is associated with higher rates of death from ischemic heart disease compared to higher socioeconomic status. Smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol use?and BMI together explained 74% of the inequalities between low- and high-education groups in men and 61% of the inequalities in women. See news coverage →
• Funding Local CBOs?to Advance Health Equity: PHI’s California Alliance of Academics and Communities for Public Health Equity's?Community Action Fund (CAF) supports California community-based organizations in advancing health and equity by?partnering with public health departments and universities. In 2023, seven CBOs were selected to receive?more than $130,000—and who, collectively, are estimated to reach over 1 million Californians through their CAF projects. Read the full impact story →

We're Hiring

PHI is dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. Join us:

• General Counsel: Oakland, CA (Hybrid). This position?serves as a member of the executive leadership team of the organization with responsibility for supporting the President and?CEO’s vision for the overall success, budget and strategic direction of PHI, its subsidiaries, and legal affiliates.
• Director of Accounting: Remote, USA. This position is responsible for internal control, general ledger account set up and maintenance, general accounting and financial analysis, reconciliations, annual audits?and overall financial reporting.?
• Racial Equity Strategist. States Strategy Co-Lead (Partnerships): Remote. As part of PHI's State of Equity team, this role will?have primary responsibility for developing and sustaining organizational partnerships to advance racial equity in government practices.

See all current opportunities →

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