I wrote a short excerpt for RFC’s annual newsletter. And so I have taken the time to reflect on my journey so far and write a few notable points as my term comes to a close.
The following is an extended version of what I submitted:
The Social Services Committee aims to advocate for patients and create a comfortable environment in which patients can share their concerns and receive the care they deserve. Patients often are in need of additional or specialized care, optometry check-ups and services, or temporary shelter before finding more permanent homes.
Projects
In the past year, our committee has been involved in several projects to gather more relevant resources and services while making them more accessible and coherent. First, we centralized community resources and services, such as health clinics, food assistance programs, and housing for patients at RFC. Our resources were made available through handouts and online and shared with other free clinics to assist their patient populations. Next, we shifted our attention to systematizing social service screening in collaboration with nurses to assess the social needs of each patient who came to clinic. Lastly, in continuation with previous years, we have maintained our partnerships with Planned Parenthood and IEHP representatives while also expanding our free services in collaboration with AHF.
As my term as an officer comes to an end, I want to see through additional projects and community involvements. We have intentions of creating a patient referral system to connect patients to more specialized services, such as those offered at UCR Health. As spring is approaching, our committee is preparing for our 3rd annual food drive, with the goal of providing food to 700 families this year. We also intend to expand our collaborations as our clinic continues to serve more patients. Our committee looks forward to forming ties with the Riverside Department of Public Social Services social workers as well as social workers in training to provide educational materials and assistance to improve the social situations affecting health and well being.
Team
What makes the Social Services Committee special is its ability to assist patients in coping with overwhelming challenges and to find professionalism in connecting them to resources and services to safeguard their health and promote growth and well-being. Social services have a broad scope of practice, which enables our committee to directly connect with other organizations as well as the community at large. Our interconnectedness with the Riverside community gives us the strength to empower and advocate for patients in need.
Thankful
I am proud of each and every member of the team. Morine and Melika have continuously shown their willingness to help and improve our impact. We have gone far together, and I look forward to seeing how much the committee can grow as a team and together with the community in the future.