From sarena@u.washington.edu Sat May 31 17:16:02 1997 Received: from jason03.u.washington.edu (root@jason03.u.washington.edu [140.142.77.10]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.04/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id RAA39508 for ; Sat, 31 May 1997 17:16:01 -0700 Received: from homer10.u.washington.edu (sarena@homer10.u.washington.edu [140.142.78.11]) by jason03.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.04/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id RAA27474 for ; Sat, 31 May 1997 17:16:00 -0700 Received: from localhost (sarena@localhost) by homer10.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.04/8.8.4+UW97.04) with SMTP id RAA55308 for ; Sat, 31 May 1997 17:16:00 -0700 Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 17:15:59 -0700 (PDT) From: Sarena Seifer To: ccp@u.washington.edu Subject: university-community partnerships Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hi everyone - I thought you would be interested in seeing how other universities are involved in community partnerships. Below is a description from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Sarena ------------------------------- Building Capacity in Milwaukee's Inner City: Partnerships for a Sustainable Future Consonant with the roles Robert Wood has suggested for the urban university --CAPACITY BUILDER, RESEARCH RESOURCE, and CONVENER for the community it serves--the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) collaborates with three community organizations in inner-city Milwaukee to enhance training and the delivery of high priority health and social services in one of Milwaukee's most distressed neighborhoods. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), designated the "urban university" of the University of Wisconsin-System, is the sole public, doctoral granting university in the southeastern Wisconsin metropolitan area. Located less than two miles from the UWM campus, the targeted area represents a core section of what is known as Milwaukee's Near North Side. Through continuing partnerships with long-established community groups, the University seeks to expand investment of the institution's resources and expertise in order to alleviate high priority problems in the target neighborhood. As a struggling northern industrial city, Milwaukee has been particularly susceptible to the problems that plague many urban communities: a dramatic loss in the number of manufacturing jobs over the last decade; a rise in unemployment, especially among African Americans; an increase in the number of working poor households; a dramatic rise in food stamp assistance case loads; and a rise of persons without medical insurance. UWM's five-year project centers on capacity-building for Near North Side residents by enhancing (1) access to and delivery of health care and health education, (2) substance abuse treatment, education, and training services, and (3) independence skill-building for at risk youth and their families. UWM academic units working jointly on the project include the School of Nursing, the School of Social Welfare, and the Division of Outreach and Continuing Education Extension. In its roles as research resource and capacity builder, the University is increasing its resources in the community to complement ongoing efforts there. Through a consortium of partnerships, the project addresses priority health and social problems faced by families in Milwaukee's Near North Side neighborhood. In response to the needs of inadequate health care, family dysfunction, and substance abuse identified by a number of community entities, the University is delivering the following health and social services in collaboration with existing community organizations: * general and individualized nursing services by culturally sensitive practitioners * health education programs * alcohol and drug abuse (AODA) awareness and referral for familiesand individuals * training in independent living skills for at-risk youth and adolescent parents * educational services for caregivers of troubled youth UWM's Urban Community Services Program has interventions that are grouped under three designators: HEALTH CARE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, and AT RISK YOUTH SUPPORT. HEALTH CARE: The School of Nursing The School of Nursing provides regularly accessible nursing services for all users of the Near North Side's House of Peace Community Center through the ongoing presence of nursing faculty, nurse clinician staff, and UWM nursing students at House of Peace. The service delivery program is modeled on the School's nationally recognized community-based nursing center on the far northwest side of Milwaukee (the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center). At the House of Peace, the School of Nursing focuses on the promotion of family health so that parents can learn to care for themselves and their children, prevent major health problems, and seek appropriate treatment. SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES: Center for Addiction and Behavioral Health Research The Center for Addiction and Behavioral Health Research (CABHR) addresses one of the neighborhood's severest problems in a way that brings CABHR's research expertise to the neighborhood through both awareness and referral programs. Statistics generated by Milwaukee County leave no question of the need for alcohol and drug abuse intervention services in Milwaukee's inner city: Approximately 50% of the admissions to hospital trauma units in the county are inner city minority individuals. Studies show a higher rate of reported alcohol and drug-abuse related domestic violence, assaults, crime, and motor vehicle accidents in the inner city than elsewhere in the county. With the assistance of local hospitals, CABHR addresses the family AODA-related issues of inner city community residents through a program of family treatment. AT RISK YOUTH SUPPORT: Child and Youth Care Learning Center In Milwaukee County, approximately 40% of the troubled youth in the foster care system will be forced to become independent at the age of 18. These young people, who are developmentally, emotionally, socially, and academically disadvantaged, must deal with real-life situations such as finding a job, renting an apartment, managing money--in general, confronting daily problems--with little or no adult guidance. This priority problem--the need for counseling, training, and caregiving services for these troubled youths--is addressed by UWM's Child and Youth Care Learning Center (CYCLC). Specifically, these youths need independent living and job skills, competent foster parents and youth-care workers, and a high school diploma or GED. By building on existing independent living programs and coordinating services with other University participants (the Center for Addiction and Behavioral Health Research and the School of Nursing) and community organizations, CYCLC focuses its efforts in two areas: (1) training for parents, foster parents, and youth workers to work with troubled and at risk youth in group care, their homes, foster homes, community centers, and neighborhoods; and (2) providing independent living, support, and parent self-sufficiency programs for troubled and at risk youth. Services are provided through collaboration with a local Boy's/Girl's Club and a local high school, both located in the target area. EVALUATION: Center for Urban Initiatives and Research Both summative and formative evaluations of project activities are being conducted by the Center for Urban Initiatives and Research. For more information on the project contact: Stephen Percy, Project Director Center for Urban Initiatives and Research University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee P.O. Box 413 Milwaukee, WI 53202 phone (414) 229-5916 fax (414) 229-3884 email percy@csd.uwm.edu also see home page: www.uwm.edu/Dept/CUIR .