Community Outreach Strategies and Immigrant Populations

Minh NguyenExecutive Director

Workshop Objectives

• Learn how to analyze, engage and outreach to youth & immigrant populations

• Assess your current understanding of engaging youth and immigrant populations.

• Analyze the role of young people and immigrant populations

• Analyze the good and bad practices for meaningful engagement

What is VAYLA?

Mission Statement– VAYLA is a progressive multi-racial

community-based organization in New Orleans that empowers youth and family through supportive services and organizing for cultural enrichment and positive social change.

What does VAYLA do?

• Provide opportunities for youth and families to learn, grow, develop, and become self-sufficient, productive community members.

• Provide effective advocacy services to youth and families to empower them to advocate for themselves and actively engage and participate in community and society.

• Provide social support services to youth and families by promoting education, health, leadership, cultural, and generational connections.

• Develop VAYLA to become a resource center where youth and families can get the information they need to make effective decisions.

How to Analyze, Engage and Outreach

to Youth & Immigrant Populations• Breaking down what Community Outreach means:

– Community & Outreach

• Who is your target population?– Demographic – Language Spoken– Accessibility– Education– Culture

Understanding of Outreach & Engaging [Youth & Immigrant Populations]

• Get them INVOLVED!!– LISTEN to their interests/concerns/needs– IDENTIFY who else is interested/concerned– FIND out who are the natural allies/partners– ENABLE access to enrollment

• Messaging is Very Important– Needs to be relatives– Culturally sensitive

Outreach Strategies

• Community Outreach– Provide information and post announcements about the

health care at local schools, local faith-based institutions, community centers, businesses, health centers, restaurants, libraries, etc.• Identify existing meetings/events

• Education Forums/Workshops– Educating community members about the Health

Insurance Marketplace• Partner/Collaborate

Roles of Young People and Immigrant Populations

• Important role for youth and immigrant is for them to be informed about these opportunities so they can get enrolled and covered to treat chronic conditions and emergency situation– For example: a broken leg can cost up to $7,500– Important role for immigrant who are bilingual – this is key because

they can help community members who are limited-English proficient get enrolled in the new Health Insurance Marketplace

• Empower youth to spread the word to their peers and community to ensure our community has access to affordable health care.

Good & Bad Practices for Outreach

Good• Setting-up resource

table to share information

• School fairs/events• Creating video by target

population about getting health insurance

• Run conference workshop

• Email• Social Media

Bad• Long Emails• Not targeted population on

Social Media • Not going into the

community• Not leaving anything for the

community to follow-up

E-mail

Sample:HEY! Do you have Health Care Coverage?Make sure you’re covered. Prepare for the new

Health Insurance Marketplace.Enrollment begins October 1, 2013

Visit: HealthCare.gov for more information

Social Media

• Twitter & Facebook

Sample:18% of AAPIs don’t have health insurance. Get Covered: prepare for the #Marketplace. More info @HealthCareGov @vaylano

Youth – Text Messaging

• Average youth text an average of 3,339 text messages a month– Opens every single one– Texting has a 100% open rate– Reaches all youth (rural and youth of color)– 11x more powerful than email– Texting Hotline

Host Session/Events

• The best way to get people’s attention is through their stomachs!– Lunch and Learn sessions, dinner

presentations– Games

• Example: Bingo Night– In between games, educate and quiz new

knowledge and reward with prizes

Contact Information

Minh Nguyen

minhnguyen@vayla-no.orgPhone: (504) 253-6000

@minh28

VAYLA New Orleans

contact@vayla-no.orgPhone: (504) 253-6000www.vayla-no.org

@vaylanola@vaylano