African Aid

AFRICAN AID - Healthy New Americans for a Vibrant Twin Cities

Our Programs:

  • We help African immigrants and refugees navigate the complex systems of healthcare and insurance through referral, access and advocacy efforts by offering language/cultural interpretation for African immigrants by accompanying them to medical appointments; meeting one-on-one with persons to help explain the healthcare system, including: access to care, making appointments, accessing transportation, understanding insurance, HMOs and medical assistance, explaining physical and mental health services in the community and common treatment methods; and by collaborating with local refugee programs to ensure their awareness of our program and referral of persons in need.


  • We educate healthcare providers about the culture of the African community, by providing cultural sensitivity training to 12 healthcare clinics and 12 mental health clinics in the Twin Cities annually; we inform clinics of the availability of cultural sensitivity training offered by African Aid through the mailing and distribution of flyers.


  • Content of our training includes:

    1. Cultural awareness.

    2. History of clients (cultural, economic, social and political)

    3. Mental health as viewed and treated in their homeland.

    4. Religious practices.

    5. Examples of ways staff can better connect with patients and gain trust.



  • We educate African communities about mental health and raise awareness of treatment options.


  • By collaborating with mental health professionals, we produce written educational brochures in Somali, Oromo, Ethiopian and Liberian. (5,000 Brochures will be distributed through neighborhood gathering places such as stores, health clinics and social service agencies.)


  • We offer presentations to groups through community centers, apartment buildings, organizations, mosques and other neighborhood-based African groups.


  • We spread news about mental health problems through local community cable TV and we focus how to overcome barriers of language, culture and religious beliefs.  This is important because some African immigrants don’t read or write, especially elders.





 



  • African Aid Minnesota
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