Winter 2016
NAHCNEWS
Serving the Community since 1972
NAHC’s Mission Native American Health Center’s mission is to provide comprehensive services to improve the health and well-being of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and residents of the surrounding communities, with respect for cultural and linguistic differences.
7G1D stands for 7 Generations 1 Direction, our Commitment to Continued Quality Improvement for our members and our future generations.
WIC IS HELPING MEMBERS SIGN UP FOR CALFRESH
by Hillary Tran | Nutrition Aid
Our members work hard to raise a healthy family. They don’t have to do it alone. NAHC WIC staff can help members sign up for CalFresh (formally known as food stamps or SNAP)
employed individuals don’t qualify while some are deterred by negative stereotypes about people receiving food stamps. Others think they may not qualify if they own assets such as cars or homes. Many are The Bay area has a very high deterred by the long and often cost of living. However, research confusing application process shows that many people who that requires many documents. qualify for CalFresh don’t apply continued on page 2 due to common misconeptions and barriers. Many people think Serving the Community since 1972
1
WIC
Hillary Tran and Pauline Patty-Medina can help members apply for CalFresh at no cost. (To make this service accessible to as many members as possible, Hillary speaks Vietnamese and Pauline speaks Spanish.) This benefit can help our members and their families through hard times without affecting their careers or immigration status. From October 2014 to June 2015, our agency has helped enroll 73 households in CalFresh, providing 97,449 meals!
household • Proof of income including wage stubs, award letters, child support checks, etc. • Proof of housing and utility costs such as rent receipts, mortgage coupons, utility bills for heating or cooling, water & telephone. • Proof of disability for any disabled person in the household • Proof of child support paid to someone who does not live in the home
One may be eligible for CalFresh if their household See below for information on how income is income falls within certain limits. Individuals calculated along with benefit amounts. who purchase and prepare food together are considered one household under CalFresh. The amount of the benefit is based on the size of the household, income, and housing expenses. Non-citizens who are legal permanent residents (with a valid green card) can qualify for CalFresh, and some are exempt from the sponsorship rules. Effective February 1st, 2011, all CalFresh (Food Stamps) households are exempt from the resource test. Resources include money in bank accounts; cash on hand, stocks and bonds, etc. Resources also include the value of real estate, autos, and retirement accounts. Applicants will no longer need to answer questions regarding resources. Also, as of April 1, 2015, no person will be deemed ineligible for either CalFresh or CalWORKS aid if they have prior state felony drug convictions. To make the application process go as smoothly as possible, it is helpful to bring the following to determine eligibility to CalFresh/SNAP benefits: We encourage you to refer members to contact us. We can help them through the process and • Picture Identification guide them toward all the benefits they may be • Proof of status if not born in the United States entitled to. Please call our office at (510) 434• Social Security numbers for all persons in the 5300 for information and to make appointments. 2
Serving the Community since 1972
CREATIVE CORNER
This Dance That I Make
An Original Poem by Teresa Haro Manning ( Salinan Nation) | Administrative Assistant
This dance that I make, Is in honor of you, Creator.
I dance in silence Which once was forced upon us.
My steps will be light as the air That carry my prayers to heaven
But also,
My arms will be open wide To embrace your love and beauty My heart will receive all that you have to give And more
I dance in thankfulness For the gifts that you have given I dance in hope That only good will come in the future
This dance that I make‌.. is in honor of you.
I dance in joy For the healing of my People.
I dance in anger For the indiscretions of the past
This dance that I make, Is in honor of you, Creator.
I dance in frustration For the things I cannot change Serving the Community since 1972
3
NUTRITION AND FITNESS
Just Move it Walking Challenge Faciliated by Laura McLively, RD | Nutrition and Fitness Manager
On October 21st, 2015, thirty-two NAHC staff from all departments got motivated and participated in the JUST MOVE IT Challenge facilitated by Nutrition and Fitness. Just Move It is a North American campaign to promote physical activity for Indigenous Peoples.
Emily Wise, Guili Ma, Louise Torrez, Athena Apostle, Richard Erhard, Courtney Cummings Phyllis Aguilera, Marla Preston-Bill, Gloryanna Valerio-Leonce, Cherie Jalipa-Shirley, Eulalia Valerio, Elena Padilla, Adrian Marcus-Florez, Meriah Gille, Valerie Arnold, Tina Benitez, Natasha Crawford, Nicole Lesnett, Sandra Monk, All staff were encouraged to to complete a Marla Preston-Bill, and Chris Yglesias all power walk at least 20 minutes long some- participated in JUST MOVE IT 2015. Keep up time during the day. Some went on a lunch the good work in 2016! break walk with coworkers, others went on early morning jogs or after work hikes. The For more information on the JUST MOVE IT challenge was a helpful reminder that fitting campaign, go to justmoveit.org. exercize into the day is often not as difficult as we might think. Everyone who completed the challenge was entered into raffle for a prize, and those who sent in selfies were entered into the raffle twice. We are sharing the selfies sent in by staff here to celebrate our healthy community. Congrats to everyone who participated in the challenge! Jerri Classen, DiAnn Tokars, Jerusha Norman Sarah Monje, Christina Scott, Bunny Begay (Tamana), Anola Small, Kenia Lopez, Juliet Kinkaid-Black, Aarati Sawhney, Orvelina, 4
Serving the Community since 1972
NUTRITION & FITNESS
Serving the Community since 1972
5
HUMAN RESOURCES
How HRIS Has Changed My Work Life by Patricia Leyva (Navajo, Choctaw) | HR Generalist Looking back to when I first started with NAHC in 2012, I remember meeting with Michelle Shawnego in Human Resources (HR) to learn how to use the Human Resources Information System or HRIS for the very first time. I had so many questions: what is this system? Why are we using it? Isn’t this duplicate work? How is this going to make my job easier? Three years later, I am the first to say, that HRIS has changed my work life in so many ways. The most significant change is that there is less paper! Less paper to file in 300 personnel files. Less paper to track. Less paper to get signed. It is unbelievable the amount of paperwork HR manages for every single employee. Though we still have documents we need copies of for the HR files, HRIS has eliminated more than half of the amount of paperwork HR receives on a daily basis. The time I needed to get filing completed has been cut in half over the last 2 years. Another big change that took place was no more appointment forms! If you are a supervisor who has worked here in the last 3 years, you understand how daunting these forms were and the amount of steps, signatures and travel between multiple sites was needed to process them. Starting with HR creating these forms, collecting signatures from the Site Director, COO, Supervisor and Employee, ensuring originals were submitted to the Fiscal Department, and the last step was to make sure the final copy ended up in 6
Serving the Community since 1972
HUMAN RESOURCES the personnel file. It was a lengthy process HR managed from start to finish. Now that we have HRIS, the process has narrowed down to just three basic steps that are all completed electronically through the HRIS system. This has eased supervisor’s ability to make changes for their staff and eradicated the countless hours of time spent on tracking, gathering signatures and ensuring these forms were executed and filed.
organized and precise as possible. It gives me great relief to know that all the information our employees enter into the system will be sent to our broker accurately and efficiently. The 2015 Open Enrollment was our very first year completing benefit enrollments and changes for NAHC staff electronically during Open Enrollment and it was a huge success! This must have been the second biggest culture shock for our staff next to the roll out of EHR here in the history of NAHC. Although Another major change is the automated it was a success for staff it was also more alerts that are generated by the HR system. work than anticipated on the back end for Before HRIS, HR had to manually track health HR, especially since it was our first time. This requirements, evaluations, status changes, year was our learning curve and we are ready expiration dates for licensures, etc. via excel to tackle Open Enrollment next year! spreadsheets. Once the information was Not only has it made my work life in HR a populated in the spreadsheet, HR would lot cooler, I’ve also heard tons of positive have to manually set calendar reminders to feedback from employees, supervisors and ensure important dates were not missed. HR executive staff as well. HR has heard that had to follow up with supervisors constantly for employees the HRIS portal is a swift and in order to collect paperwork and then circle easy way to make updates to their personal back with our Fiscal department to confirm information like their address or phone they received all of the necessary paperwork. number, sign forms electronically instead of With HRIS, HR can enter the information into on paper, find the most current NAHC forms, the system and it will automatically send receive updates on things going on around out alerts based on the type of information the agency and is a quick and easy way for entered. Supervisors are now alerted when them to review their benefits and pay. The their staff are due for an evaluation or if HRIS system has improved the lives of many HR needs their assistance with collecting NAHC staff and there are more areas of the signatures on required documentation. Site system that will be rolled out in the next year, directors and our COO are even alerted when so stay tuned! there is a status change in our system that needs electronic approval and there is no NAHC continues to rise in our community need for wet signatures. All the approvals are and with that we must learn to embrace documented in our system and it notifies the change and learn new ways of improving Fiscal department via e-mail of all executed our work processes. Change isn’t always changes. easy. HRIS is something I had to embrace in order to succeed in my job and in doing My personal favorite feature of HRIS is so I’ve learned new ways to develop my the “My Benefits” module, as it has made work efficiencies and product. HRIS is my life as the benefit administrator less something new and different to get used to burdensome. It’s the best feature in HRIS, in and hopefully everyone will soon grow to my own opinion. Employees are able to see appreciate it as much as I do now. all the benefits they are currently enrolled in as well as the bi-weekly breakdown costs. They can also see all of their elections on an itemized statement printout with the click of a button to keep for their own records. Utilizing HRIS for benefits has provided me with all the resources to do my job as Serving the Community since 1972
7
HUMAN RESOURCES
What’s Next For HRIS
by Michelle Shawnego, CERP (Shawnee, Kickapoo, Sac & Fox and Creek Nation) Sr. Human Resources Generalist/HRIS Administrator What’s next on the horizon for NAHC’s HR Information System (HRIS)?
Benefit Enrollment & Administration: •Open Enrollment, New Enrollment, •Broker Export
Candidate Self-Service (CSS) Candidates will apply via our Candidate Por- Automated Alerts and email notifications: tal and Supervisors will search for candidates •Licenses, TB/CPR, Physicals, Employee Annithrough the portal for their open positions. versaries, Birthdays and much more! The portal will be linked to NAHC Website! Employee Self-Service: Performance Evaluations •My Benefits, My Information, HR will be rolling out a new performance •NAHC News, Employee related Calendars evaluation system and process. and important documents •Edit My Information Which modules are already live in HRIS? •View my job and pay and status etc.. •Company Directory Personnel Workflows •Employee Personnel Changes (salary chang- Query Builder and Reporting Functions es, transfers, job title changes etc..) •Mandated HR Compliance Reporting •New Hires •TB, Physical, CPR •Provider Licensure New Hire On-Boarding •Grant Allocations •I-9, W-4, Direct Deposit •Analytical Reports •Employment Documents, Change of Address etc.. 8
Serving the Community since 1972
Holiday Festivities Relive some wintertime fun with these photos from our 2015 Staff Holiday Party, Oakland Community Holiday gathering, Adopt an Elder Celebration, and Capp Street’s Ugly Sweater Party. Wishing everyone in our community a happy and healthy 2016!
Serving the Community since 1972
9
STAFF STAYING HEALTHY
Freewheelin’ by Meriah Gille, RD, MSHI (Choctaw, Cherokee, Siouan) | Senior Program Director Do you love to be physical? To move fast, hit hard and fly free? Then you might also love my sport, Roller Derby. I have been playing for over 3 years and can’t imagine my life without it now. Maybe you’ve heard of it before (a lot of people have), but weren’t quite sure what it was all about. Well let me give you a rundown.
design and a few rough periods when roller derby disappeared from play, its popularity began to grow and new leagues popped up around the country all putting their own spin on the game. Some of these styles were aired on TV over the years including a version called Roller Games that featured an alligator pit and a wall of death! After a lot of negotiation and consolidation we ended up with the current 4 Roller derby comes in four sanctioned versions. flavors: WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association), USARS (Unites States of America The most common and widely known style is Roller Sports), RDCL (Roller Derby Coalition of WFTDA. In this version, there are two teams Leagues) and ASRD (American Roller Skating competing against one another, each with a Derby), and I have had the pleasure of playing roster of 14 players. It is played on a flat track all four and currently play two types with the (see inset). A game between the teams is Quad City Derby Bombshells and the Bay referred to as a bout, as in boxing. A bout is Area Black Widows. All of these versions of divided into two thirty minute halves, which the games started from what was initially a are in turn broken up into segments of game full contact endurance race on roller skates play called jams. A jam can be up to two between competing couples. It started in 1935 minutes long, but may be shorter if the lead and was a spin-off of the six-day bicycle races jammer calls it off early for strategic reasons. of the Great Depression. It was 57,000 laps In each jam, each team has five players on long and represented the distance you travel the track. One has a star on their helmet and when going between New York City and Los is called a jammer. Another has a stripe on Angeles. After several revisions of the game their helmet and is called a pivot. The other 10
Serving the Community since 1972
STAFF STAYING HEALTHY three have no helmet designation and act a blockers. The object of the game is for the jammer to make their way from the back of the pack of skaters to the front as fast as they can, and then to lap the opposing team’s players as many times as they can before the jam ends; they get a single point for each player they lap each time around after the initial break out. Whichever jammer makes it out of the pack first is designated the lead jammer. The blockers’ job is to stop the opposing jammer from getting through and to help their jammer get through. They are allowed to use their body to block any opposing player on the track and to hit them with chest, hips or shoulders in the legal hitting target zones (shown below).
come the jammer for the rest of the jam. This might happen if the jammer can’t break out of the pack or if they get too tired. Whichever team has the most points accrued at the end of the bout wins. The second style is USARS. It is also played on a flat track. This is considered fast derby. That is because unlike in WFTDA, the skaters can never stop skating during a jam, they must always be in motion or they will get a penalty. All the players are the same, but they align a bit differently at the start of the jams, with the pivots in their own box in front of the other skaters. They start here instead of with the other blockers, because once one of the jammers makes it out of the pack the first time, the opposite team’s pivot can become the jammer without having to take the jammers helmet cover. The pivots must stay on one another at all times so as not to allow the other one to break away when this happens. Another difference is that the jams in USARS are only one minute long. This is because you are moving so fast you would get worn out too fast if you had to go all out for two minutes straight each time. Also, unlike WFTDA, the lead jammer can change during the jam depending on which jammer is in lead at that moment.
The third style is RDCL, also known as modern or 21st century banked track derby. This is the first style played on a banked track, more familiar with those who used to watch roller derby on TV back in the 70’s. The banked track allows skaters to generate a lot more speed while skating than the flat track does, but can also be more dangerous if you take a big hit. Like USARS, RDCL is fast derby, no stopping. In addition, there are four periods which are shorter in duration, only 12 minutes each, but still broken into one minute jams. Also like USARS, the lead jammer can change during the jam. Like in WFTDA however, the jammer must pass their helmet cover to the pivot for the pivot to become the jammer. The fourth style is ASRD, also known as exhibition derby or old-school derby. This is the The pivot acts as the head blocker on the track style that most people today remember from and can for a single time during each jam, TV back in the 70’s. This is a banked track verswitch helmet covers with the jammer and be- sion that is pretty fast and loose with the rules.. Serving the Community since 1972
11
STAFF STAYING HEALTHY
Freewheelin’ Continued from pages 10 & 11 It is the kind in which you might see a fist fight break out between players, refs or even coaches. There is a lot of flipping over the rails and big hits. Players can elbow and even kick one another, unlike in the other three types. This type of derby is primarily focused on entertainment and not as much on the sport itself; it is known to have partially scripted shenanigans included in each bout.
And for ASRD we have: • The Bay Bombers: http://www.baybomber. com/ - SF, San Jose, Alameda, Sacramento
•Undead Bettys in Antioch undeadbettys.com
•”Roller Derby: The Basics of Flat Track Roller Derby - WFTDA” video on YouTube •bostonrollerderby.com •wftda.com •rollerderbycoalitionofleagues.com •battleonthebank.com
Many of these leagues have junior leagues with players between 8-17 years old and a couple even have men’s leagues. The women’s leagues are most common and accept players 18 and up. Age isn’t really a limitation and I have played with skaters in their 60’s While all four types of derby have their differ- who were amazing! If the thought of getting ences they are all incredibly fun to play and knocked down is too much for you but you to watch. And what’s even better, you can are interested in participating in some way, play and watch all four kinds right here in the consider refereeing, coaching, becoming a Bay Area! non-skating official or even just volunteering at events. Everyone is welcome! For WFTDA we have these local teams: •Bay Area Derby Girls in Berkeley, Oakland, If you are interested in learning more Richmond, SF about derby check out these additional www.bayareaderbygirls.com resources.
•Peninsula Roller Girls in Redwood City peninsularollergirls.org •Resurrection Roller Girls in Rohnert Park resurrectionrollergirls.org •Silicon Valley Roller Girls in San Jose svrollergirls.com •Quad City Derby Bombshells in Pleasanton (my team!) quadcityderbybombshells.com For USARS we have: •Port City Roller Girls in Stockton portcityrollergirls.com For RDCL we have •Bay Area Black Widows in Pleasanton (my team!) blackwidowsmedia.com
12
Serving the Community since 1972
INTEGRATION
Serving the Community since 1972
13
HEALTHY COOKING
14
Serving the Community since 1972
COMMUNITY WELLNESS
Serving the Community since 1972
15
Want your voice heard? Submit an article to the newsletter! Write an article
We’re looking for program updates, poetry, recipes, tips and more! Contact Media at any time with questions by emailing NAHCMedia@nativehealth.org
Submit your article
Send content directly to media staff by emailing NAHCmedia@nativehealth.org
Read and enjoy your article with staff!
Look for your article in an upcoming quarterly newsletter
Deadlines and Release Dates for our Newsletter Spring Newsletter Fall Newsletter Submission Deadline | March 2nd 2016 Submission Deadline | September 9th, 2015 Release Date | March 19th, 2016 Release Date | September 23rd, 2015 Summer Newsletter Submission Deadline | June 1st, 2016 Release Date | June 20th, 2016
Winter Newsletter Submission Deadline | December 15th, 2015 Release Date | January 18th, 2016
THANK YOU FROM THE MEDIA TEAM Anesti Vega (TupinambĂĄ) Media Program Manager | Chris Yglesias Media Coordinator
OUR MISSION Native American Health Center’s mission is to provide comprehensive services to improve the health and well-being of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and residents of the surrounding communities, with respect for cultural and linguistic differences.