Health

Navigating the Affordable Care Act

Despite the government shutdown, open enrollment for health insurance begins today. About 5 million uninsured people are going to be newly eligible for insurance through Covered California, according to Morgan Westfall, a project coordinator with the Community Clinic Consortium, a group that advocates for nonprofit health clinics in Contra Costa and Solano counties. Another 2.6 million will qualify for subsidies.

Reduce, recycle, reuse and rot in El Cerrito and Richmond schools

A new project aims to usher in a waste management transformation. This month, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the Watershed Project, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting East Bay watersheds and ecosystems, a $30,000 grant to educate children and their community about recycling, reusing and composting.

Team to assist mentally disabled in Richmond

Health-care professionals have partnered with law enforcement officers and community organizations to locate and assist the mentally ill. The newly formed joint team, called the Forensic Multidisciplinary Team, will work together to intervene and provide treatment and refer those in need to services that include food, clothing or temporary housing, said Erika Barrow, an administrative service analyst with Contra Costa Health Services. “We just had our first meeting and we are excited to get it started,” Barrow said, referring to…

County supervisors adopt suicide prevention plan

The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors has taken steps to curb what it considers an unacceptably high rate of suicides. More county residents die by suicide than homicide, according to recent statistics, from a special county committee. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan. It was the work of the county’s Suicide Prevention Committee, made up of more than a dozen agencies and groups, including representatives from the RYSE Youth Center, Contra Costa Behavioral Health,…

Contra Costa County receives federal grant

The U.S Department of Justice has awarded $700,000 in federal grants to two organizations in Contra Costa County, paying for programs to enhance the services given to trafficking victims and battered women. “It is really huge for us and we are really rejoicing,” said Rebekah Truemper who works for STAND! For Families Free of Violence. “The grant will keep the transitional housing program going and it also allows us to use other funds to support crisis intervention, prevention and other…