Rainbow Health Initiative

RAINBOW HEALTH IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER (LBGTQ) COMMUNITY THROUGH RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY.

BLUE CROSS-BLUE SHIELD CENTER FOR PREVENTION FUNDS RAINBOW HEALTH INITIATIVE'S EQUITY IN ACTION PROGRAM. THIS GRANT SUPPORTS THE BULK OF RHI'S ADVOCACY WORK AND PROVIDES SOME SUPPORT FOR THE VOICES OF HEALTH SURVEY AND RHI'S EDUCATION PROGRAM. RAINBOW HEALTH INITIATIVE PUBLISHES THE VOICES OF HEALTH DATA REPORT AND USES THE DATA TO SUPPORT OUR ADVOCACY WORK TO ADVANCE POLICIES WITH BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS AND EVENTS THAT SUPPORT HEALTHY EATING, ACTIVE LIVING AND TOBACCO FREE SPACES AND EVENTS. RHI ALSO ADVOCATES FOR THE INCLUSION OF LGBTQ DATA IN PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS AND THE EXPANSION OF DATA COLLECTION TO INCLUDE SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY. RHI'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDE CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAININGS ON LGBTQ HEALTH ISSUES AND DATA FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, ORGANIZATIONS SERVING MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, EDUCATORS, AND SCHOOL SYSTEMS. OUR ON-LINE PROVIDER DIRECTORY HELPS INDIVIDUALS FIND CULTURALLY COMPETENT HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. RHI'S ADVOCACY WORK INCLUDES THE FACILITATION OF THE LGBTQ HEALTH ADVOCACY ROUNDTABLE WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER BOTH LGBTQ ORGANIZATIONS AND LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT STAFF TO DISCUSS AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGES TO SUPPORT LGBTQ COMMUNITIES IN MINNESOTA AND NATIONALLY.

IN 2017, RHI COMPLETED THEIR FINAL YEAR OF A 5 YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES-ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE DIVISION, IN SUPPORT OF THE PROUD RECOVERY PROGRAM. MID-2017, RHI RECEIVED A FINAL YEAR OF FUNDING FROM THE MN DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO BEGIN AN ANALYSIS OF THE CD AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND EXPERIENCES OF LGBTQ FOLK IN MINNESOTA. THIS CONTRACT ALSO INCLUDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW CD AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. THESE INTERVIEWS WILL HELP DEFINE THE GAPS IN UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTS NEEDED TO HELP PROVIDERS BETTER SERVE LGBTQ FOLKS. IN EARLY 2018 DHS WILL BE ISSUING A NEW RFP FOR CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES AND SUPPORTS FOR CULTURAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS DATA WILL PROVIDE A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF AND DATA TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF LGBTQ INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN RECOVERY IN PREPARATION FOR THIS APPLICATION PROCESS.IN 2015 RHI RECEIVED A BUSH FOUNDATION COMMUNITY INNOVATION GRANT. THIS 18 MONTH GRANT WAS EXTENDED TO 24 MONTHS. IT SUPPORTS THE CREATION OF THE MN LGBTQ STANDARDS OF INCLUSION FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS. THAT PROJECT INCLUDED THE CREATION OF THE STANDARDS AS WELL AS A STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION. IN 2016 THE ADVISORY BOARD OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS COMPLETED THE REVIEW AND COMPLETION OF THE MN LGBTQ STANDARDS OF INCLUSION FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS. THESE STANDARDS WILL BE THE FOUNDATION FOR AN EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS AND SYSTEMS. TO COMPLEMENT THE STANDARDS, IN 2016 RHI BEGAN CREATING A SERIES OF ELEARNING MODULES TO HELP PROVIDERS DEVELOP UNDERSTANDINGS AND THE SKILLS NEEDED AS A FOUNDATION FOR IMPLEMENTING THE STANDARDS IN THEIR SYSTEMS. IN 2017 THIS WORK CONCLUDED WITH THE RELEASE OF 3 ELEARNING MODULES. RHI RELEASED THE STANDARDS AT ITS FIRST ANNUAL OPPORTUNITY CONFERENCE. FOLLOWING THE CONFERENCE, RHI HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS REQUESTS FOR AND CONTRACTS TO PROVIDE TRAININGS AND CONSULTING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STANDARDS FROM HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AND CLINICS ACROSS THE STATE.IN MID-2015, RHI AND DR. ABEL KNOCHEL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MN-DULUTH RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MN-CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM TO SUPPORT A TRANSGENDER AGING RESEARCH PROJECT. THIS PROJECT WAS EXTENDED TO 24 MONTHS. THE FOCUS IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH ISSUES, NEEDS AND GAPS IN SERVICES AS IDENTIFIED BY TRANSGENDER SENIORS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THROUGHOUT 2016, DR. KNOCHEL AND RHI STAFF CONDUCTED PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH TRANSGENDER SENIORS IN THE METRO AND ARROWHEAD AREAS OF MINNESOTA. A SURVEY OF PROVIDERS IN THOSE TWO REGIONS WAS ALSO CONDUCTED. IN LATE 2017, DR. KNOCHEL AND RHI STAFF PRESENTED THE FINDINGS OF THIS RESEARCH TO COMMUNITIES AND PROVIDERS.DURING 2017, RAINBOW HEALTH INITIATIVE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE IN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP CONVERSATIONS WITH TWO OTHER NON-PROFITS. ON AUGUST 31, 2017, THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF RAINBOW HEALTH INITIATIVE AND THE MN AIDS PROJECT AGREED TO PURSUE A MERGER. THE MERGER OF THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS WILL RESULT IN THE CREATION OF A NEW ORGANIZATION, JUSTUS HEALTH. RAINBOW HEALTH INITIATIVE WILL DISSOLVE ONCE FINAL STATE FILINGS ARE COMPLETE. IN DECEMBER, 2017 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR RAINBOW HEALTH INITIATIVE TRANSFERRED THEIR ASSETS TO THE MN AIDS PROJECT. THIS WILL BE THE FINAL 990 FILING FOR RAINBOW HEALTH INITIATIVE.

MN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FUNDS RHI'S SHIFTMN PROGRAM. CORPORATE TOBACCO TARGETS THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND YOUTH WITH THEIR ADVERTISING AND CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT. SHIFTMN PROVIDES LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR LGBTQ YOUNG ADULTS. IN LATE 2016, RHI RECEIVED A NEW 5 YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE MN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, TOBACCO FREE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM IN SUPPORT OF THE SHIFT MN PROGRAM. AS PART OF THIS NEW CONTRACT, THE SHIFT MN STAFF AND COORDINATORS WORKED WITH CLINICAL STAFF AT FAMILY TREE CLINIC TO ASSESS AND STANDARDIZE THEIR TOBACCO CESSATION SERVICES FOR THEIR LGBTQ CLIENTS. AS PART OF THE MERGER OF RAINBOW HEALTH INITIATIVE AND THE MN AIDS PROJECT, A NEW LGBTQ BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC WILL BE OPENED IN EARLY 2018. SHIFT MN STAFF ARE WORKING WITH CLINIC STAFF TO IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO PROMOTE A TOBACCO FREE SPACE AND TO INTEGRATE CESSATION SERVICES IN THE CHEMICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

IN EARLY 2017, RHI HOSTED ITS FIRST ANNUAL OPPORTUNITY CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITIES. TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE PEOPLE ATTENDED THIS FIRST CONFERENCE. EVALUATION RESULTS INDICATED A 90% SATISFACTION RATE WITH OVER 90% OF PARTICIPANTS INDICATING THAT THE INFORMATION SHARED WAS NEW TO THEM AND IMPORTANT TO THEIR WORK. NINETEEN CORPORATIONS, PRIMARILY HEALTH RELATED PROVIDED SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT FOR THE CONFERENCE. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CONFERENCE, RHI BEGAN PLANNING THE 2018 CONFERENCE WHICH WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 26-27TH.