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July Resource Center in Action
Promising Practice: What does a “public health approach” really mean in Indian country?
New Staff Feature: Annie Ferguson
Voices From The Community – The Story of the Pesa Sooname
Featured Resources & News
The July Resource Center In Action – IA2 is very excited to bring many updates to the Resource Center in Action. IA2 has been creating connections with various organizations and growing in capacity. “Resilience for Tomorrow… Together,” the American Indian elders conference hosted by the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) will unfold in Reno, Nevada, August 1 – 6, 2021. The International Association for Indigenous Aging is hosting multiple sessions and trainings on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
These sessions include:
- Savvy Caregiver for Indian Country Program Leader Training (3-day training; dementia-specific) pre-register online at IA2 Attendee Workshop Registration & Scholarship Application for National Indian Council on Aging Conference Survey (surveymonkey.com)
- Native Elder Caregiver Curriculum Training for Professionals (1-day training; not dementia-specific)
- Dementia Friends Champion culturally adapted workshop training and certification (4-hour trainings on new culturally adapted content)
- Dementia wandering session presented by IA2 Executive Director Dave Baldridge
- Daily listening sessions for participants to discuss community needs for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia information resources & more
Training is provided through the support of grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC Foundation, and Dementia Friends training support provided by the University of Nevada, Reno. Click to learn more.IA2 participated in the Community Health Assessment Institute hosted by the Center for Native American Health at the University of New Mexico. The training is designed to increase the capacity of tribal communities and American Indian-serving organizations to proactively identify the factors that impact the health of their communities and to develop health planning efforts informed by a community health assessment (CHA).
In addition, IA2 had multiple meetings with local New Mexico groups. Meetings included one with the State of New Mexico’s Director of Indian Elder Affairs and the Alzheimer’s Association New Mexico about tribal and pueblo community needs and a brainstorming session on possible strategies surrounding Alzheimer’s and dementia in American Indian communities in the state.
IA2 also participated in the National Indian Health Board’s (www.nihb.org) introductory session discussing plans for a national collaborative on brain health.
IA2 also engaged in an informational webinar with the National Indian Health Board about their plans to convene a brain health learning community in the coming months. Check out the event page of their brain health website for details on future events.
IA2 has continued to host quarterly Advisory Group meetings with the Healthy Brain project’s national multidisciplinary members. The current focus is centered around the needs assessment and creation of a description of tribal public health social networks involved in Alzheimer’s and dementia. These networks provide insight into connections between various levels of interaction in communities including elders, caregivers, family members, health services, organizations, community services, and beyond. The needs assessment is slated to kick-off at the National Indian Council on Aging’s (NICOA’s) elders conference in August.
IA2 is in the final stages of launching its new brain health website. The new site will feature an updated look, be more mobile-friendly, and feature an online resource library of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and brain health materials and promising practices designed by and for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.
IA2’s new Public Health Communications Assistant, Annie Ferguson, has joined us and we are very excited to have her. Read more about Annie, as our featured staff member this month.
Through continuous growth and expansion, IA2 is committed to gathering information and resources developed by and for American Indian and Alaska Native communities on Alzheimer’s Dementia and Related Dementias (ADRD).
Stay tuned for next month’s Resource Center in Action update!
For questions contact: annie@iasquared.org or Mary Ann maryann@iasquared.org
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New Staff Feature
Annie Ferguson is the newest addition to the IA2 team!
“This initiative will help these communities feel heard…”
Annie Ferguson, Public Health Communications Assistant is currently attending Montana State University in hopes of attending medical school next fall with the intention of serving Native communities. As an Alaskan Native woman, Annie has felt health disparities first-hand in her community.
When asked why she applied for this position Annie responded “I have always been passionate about serving Native communities and to work for an organization that is working towards a common goal is a true honor.”
Annie is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology – Environmental Health with a minor in Global Health at Montana State University. At Montana State, Annie has participated in numerous community organizations, including The Childhood Advancement Project, Office of Admissions Diversity Ambassador, The American Indian Council, The Befrienders program, Expanding Your Horizons mentorship program, and Eagle Mount.
Beyond community involvement Annie has gained valuable experience through her job as a Caregiver, working in underserved areas within Montana. She has also worked as a Crisis Stabilization Worker at Western Montana Mental Health Center, serving Gallatin County and The Northern Cheyenne Tribe on the Lame Deer reservation.
As an enrolled member of the Sugpiaq people, Annie has been able to conduct community participatory research in her Village of Ouzinkie, Alaska, aiding in creating a cultural preservation project. Annie is also working with Dr. Mark Shure as a research assistant to help create a trauma-informed response to help improve the mental well-being of the Apsaalooke tribal community. Annie has also assisted in teaching courses at Montana State, helping educate students and faculty of the importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and providing a culturally inclusive curriculum for students at Montana State. Annie is interested in the use of community research to promote indigenous communities’ overall health and well-being.[insert page=’community-voices-healthy-brain-blog-the-story-of-pesa-sooname’ display=’excerpt’]
Featured Resources & News
- Promising Practice: AD8 Culturally Adapted Screening Tool for Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Promising Practice: Dementia Capability in Indian Country – Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council Implements Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative Grant
- Services and Supports: BOLD Center of Excellence on Dementia CaregivingUnveils New Website & Tech Assistance
- Printing Assistance: IA2 Now Offers $250 Print on Demand for Brain Health Resources
- Resource: Memory Loss and Alzheimer’s in Native People
- ResourcesDiverse Elders Coalition’s Toolkit for Providers on Caregiving
- Flyer: Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain: Steps for Protecting the Heart, Brain,& Body Customizable
- Funding Opportunity: Funding Opportunity From Alzheimer’s Association – $48,000 for Local Tribal Health Department Dementia Strategists
- Funding Opportunity: From National Indian Health Board – $15,000 for Implementing 1+ Strategies from Road Map for Indian Country
- Announcement: Participants Needed for Research to Help Change the Way We Talk About Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Conference: American Indian Elders Conference August 1-6 in Reno, NV
- Article: How to Be and Remain an Age-Friendly World
- Research:Social Determinants of Health: Underreported Heterogeneity in Systematic Reviews of Caregiver Interventions
- New Research: Association of Neighborhood-Level Disadvantage With Alzheimer Disease Neuropathology
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