The Healthy Families (HF) program is designed to empower the health consciousness of immigrant families so they may live their healthiest lives. The long-term impact of the HF’s efforts is improved health outcomes of immigrants and their families over generations. The program has three key initiatives that advance these purposes and outcomes: Access to Care, Health Education and Outreach, and Healthy Living.

• Access to Care: The goal is to increase community members’ access to primary and behavioral care, as well as to other services by offering in-depth case management. All HF staff members perform full screenings of community member’s overall social determinants of health; they screen/refer clients for healthcare coverage and a medical home/PCP; and provide interpretation on behalf of clients when working with other public and non-profit agencies. They also provide referrals based on needs they identify, as well as based on any request from the clients. These services are offered six days a week and are ongoing throughout the fiscal year.
  
• Health Education & Literacy: Due to the complexity and identified ongoing need for improving health literacy in the immigrant communities of Lake County, along with years of Mano a Mano being recognized as the pioneer agency in the development and implementation of a robust community health program and curriculum, this initiative became a fully staffed and grant-funded project under the Healthy Families program in fiscal year 2019-2020. The Community Health Education and Outreach program’s goal is to build community health knowledge and consciousness through culturally and linguistically relevant education campaigns and other messaging. The Community Health Workers staff and volunteer:
  • Connect community members with resources and services to meet their needs.
  • Provide education on health topics, especially those related more to the Latino community, like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, mental health, cancer, and others.
• Healthy Living: The goal of the Healthy Living initiative is to provide community members with accessible opportunities for fun, family-friendly, and health and wellness activities that support positive health outcomes in culturally accessible spaces. MaM’s Healthy Living activities include free Zumba Classes; a community garden (a partnership with the Round Lake Area School District), and a summer farmers market; regular community health fairs and free monthly health screenings from clinical community partners.

If you are looking for:

• Schedule an appointment for healthcare
• Other social services support
• Request further information on access to care
• The community garden
• Zumba Classes
• Request health education and/or outreach support

If you are seeking the services above fill out the form below to contact Irma Barrientos, Healthy Families and Successful Children Programs Manager