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HEALTH EQUITY

Cross Cultural Community Services is addressing the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), making resources more accessible and equitable- especially for black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)

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Aging Mainers

Cross Cultural Community Services is proud to announce its new Achieving Healthcare Equity in Aging initiative, in partnership with the Maine Council on Aging. We've identified key priorities through focus groups and provider retreats:

 

  • Improving access to information and resources

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  • Addressing isolation and invisibility

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  • Enhancing predictability in services

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  • Expanding behavioral health support

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  • Promoting cultural understanding

 

Our aging advisory committee, composed of diverse stakeholders, will help drive strategic solutions to combat ageism and promote health equity.

Family Wellbeing

Since its start, Cross Cultural has expanded its Strengthen Families Well-Being program, featuring four health-focused initiatives:

 

  • StrengthenME: Collaborating with various organizations, CCCS offers stress management and resilience resources for all Mainers' well-being.

 

  • Equity in Maternal Child Health: Partnering with Market Research under a State CDC contract, CCCS conducts focus groups addressing the quality of care for BIPOC women during and after childbirth.

 

  • Sexual Assault Prevention: Teaming up with the University of Southern Maine's Catherine Cutler Institute, CCCS works on equity-centered sexual violence prevention, focusing on at-risk BIPOC populations.

 

  • Maine Child Welfare Action Network (MCWAN): Joining forces with MCWAN, CCCS contributes to ensuring safety and well-being for Maine children, emphasizing the perspectives of BIPOC families in our communities.

Oral Health 

In collaboration with the Children’s Oral Health Network and BIPOC-led community organizations, CCCS established the Oral Health Equity Collaborative (OHEC) to address oral health disparities in greater Portland. Our goals include:

 

  • Expanding access to MaineCare providers with sliding fee scales to serve all families.

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  • Enhancing providers' ability to deliver culturally relevant care to underserved communities.

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  • Empowering community-based organizations to facilitate access to care and foster relationships with providers for continuous improvement.

 

CCCS offers a comprehensive 4-part Oral Health and Race Training for providers, covering Racial Definitions, Cultural Competency, History of Race and Health, Resettlement and US Transition, and White Privilege & White Supremacy Culture.

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