Monthly Archive for September, 2007

The Wellness Initiative was launched by the Suitcase Clinic in the Spring of 2007. Our goal is to provide weekly counseling services and workshops to help improve the mental well-being of our clients. We have established a collaboration with theWright Institute, which currently provides us with a counselor to help our clients. In addition, we are in the midst of collaborating with the student groups The Movement and Cal Slam Poetry to provide dance and poetry workshops, respectively. We are also working on an exhibit that tells the stories of our clients through photographs, portraits and documentaries by UC Berkeley undergraduates. We hope to display our work at the end of the semester. We have received funding from the Bears Breaking Boundaries Competition and the American Medical Association, who gave us $2000 each. We are still working to expand services, and are running a pilot program at the Women’s Clinic. We are always looking for innovative ideas and are welcome to any feedback and enthusiasm! Visit our page in the “Detailed Information” section of suitcaseclinic.org for contact information.

Agenda
Check-In/Question Game
Robert Ratner
Icebreaker
Expansion & Future
Needs Assessment
Lunch
SWOT
Goals and Transitional Binders
Robert Ratner
510-849-3455

Expansion Ideas
• Showers
• Laundry
• Policy change- (health care lobby, training/edu., activism, being exemplary, research/publish)
• Continue case-working after clinic
• Expand vaccination
• Expand Mental Health Services
• Fund-raising- Alumni, service providers
• Involve other Student Groups- (Resident Assistants, trainings. SSPC (Student to Student Peer Counseling))
• Business and Info Cards
• Outreach Expansion- (client, volunteers, Berkeley High)
• Social Events
• Clients more integrated in community programs
• Have Podiatrist for foot-washing
• Have Clubs/workshops
• Group Interactions with Clietns- Team building
• Workshops- Legal rights, resume critiquing
• Clients work on semester long project
• New Services (DO, homeopath at other clinics, children education, health education
• New supplies
• Substance abuse (NEED- needle exchange)
• Community Projects
• More Clinic unity
• More publicizing

Ideas for Needs Assessment
• Form
• Asking “Do you have needs that are unmet?”
• Double sided: service providers
• Paper at clinic
• Suggestion box
• Experience interview
• Mix of open ended questions and rating

Questions for Needs Assessment
• What is the service that brings you to Clinic each week?
• Is there something you wanted that you couldn’t find? (supplies)
• How comfortable do you feel?
• Do you go anywhere else in the community; if so, where?
• Gener? Any other clinics/organizations you attend?
• Interested in Mental Health/showers, etc.?
• What do you think of the volunteers/How were you treated tonight?
• Open ended?
• New ideas: If there was anything at all Suitcase Clinic could give you, what would it be and why?
• Elaboration on particular services? –chiro, medical, etc.
- service, overall experience
- rate 123…
- comment: Why?
• How did you hear about Suitcase Clinic?
• What current services need improvement?
• What supplies do you need?
• What would help entertain you/make you feel more at home?
• Organizational comments/communication/information

Ex-Comm- Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 7:30 PM at FSM
• General-Sheila
• Women’s Clinic- Lijia
• Youth Clinic- Sandhya
• Class- Addie and Courtney
• SPEAC- Jodi
• SHARE- Addie
• Secretary- Neera

Agenda
Check-In
Announcements
Updates
Retreat
Other
Check-Out

Announcements
• Shruti- the Homeless Action Center is making clients apply every 6 months for general assistance, instead of every year; the bill for this is being passed on November 20th; Suitcase Clinic clients might interested in signing a petition against the bill, so it should get posted at each clinic. Shruti has more information
• Courtney- a signboard is now up on the drawbridge; it looks good
- if people want to get units for caseworking, HMS 197 is what they need to sign up for; they will have to meet with the doctor once to get credits
- pay Courtney if you have gotten a sweatshirt and haven’t paid for it yet; also, there are still shirts and sweatshirts, so let her know if you want one
• Vaibhavi- she has taken over Brianna’s position as CoCA for Youth Clinic, since Brianna now has a time conflict; she has been trained by Brianna, attended CoCA meetings, etc.
o Vote taken on Vaibhavi’s new position- vote in favor
• Robert- Touro University has said they’re interested in doing health ed for Suitcase Clinic; they weren’t clear on what they want to do- maybe develop a program for health ed for clients; he will find out more
• Austin- new kids from the class will be going to clinics, so their names and small groups need to be written down; let him know who comes to clinics
• Juggy- the wellness initiative has received a grant for $2.000, so if people are interested in being involved, contact him

Clinic Updates
• Women’s- clinic went well; coordinators split up service coordinating, which worked well; there was some confusion about the massage chair/sign-up; a caseworker came from Children’s Hospital- they are starting a new program with caseworking and free primary care for kids under 19; they’ll be coming every Monday to Clinic; the movement dance group wants to start workshops, leading to an end of semester performance
• Youth- the volunteers talked about new ideas for the small group to work on, such as employment services and housing; medical has been moved to a different location within the Clinic; LeTanya and Joey came from Oakland Children’s Hospital- went well; clinic was crowded, with a lot of volunteers and clients
• General- clinic went really well; people from class showed up; opto students came and took care of people; medical services came; they are working on getting vitamins; chiro cancelled; legal came, and did really well- they will be back in full swing soon; business cards are needed; socks have been donated- some were separated out for Women’s Clinic, so Women’s Clinic can come get them; SHARE began for the semester; CARE service took a break during the summer, but is getting started again- more students need to get involved with it- let Sheila know if interested at sloharuka@gmail.com
o SHARE came up with an agenda of topics and projects for the semester; project ideas- getting computers for General Clinic, clean clothes, getting clients signed up to vote

Other
• Io talked about the ideas that Youth Clinic came up with:
o Employment- help with resume writing; Suitcase Clinic could start acting as a reference by coordinating with the city of Berkeley, if clients come to Clinic regularly on time and help out, Clinic could be a good reference for jobs
• Leanne wants some outreach to be done for Legal Services at General Clinic; maybe some officers could come to class and talk to students about mentioning Legal Services while caseworking

Retreat
Retreat will be this Saturday, September 15th, at 213 Wheeler from 10-3 (breakfast served at 9:30); the cost is $7/person. Information about retreat is on the website, and attendance is mandatory for all officers. All officers need to bring transition binders to retreat.

Actions
• Social- needs to be handled by volunteer coordinators
• Cards- Courtney
• Officers contact coordinators
• Retreat- bring transition binders
• Youth/CARE
• Robert/Youth- find out more about Touro project
• For retreat- find out about coordination with other student groups
• Join Google groups
• Women’s Clinic- collaboration with Oakland
Clinic/SHARE- email Austin about class attendance

Agenda
Check-In
Rules
Announcements
Clinic Updates
Name Game
Other
Check-Out

Rules
•    Agenda decided at the beginning
•    Time contracts
•    Open time at the end
•    Attendance is mandatory for PC members (email Juggy if cannot attend)
•    Open facilitation
Announcements
•    Sunnie made a photographic documentary that is on the Google site; please look at it and give her feedback
•    Dan: socks were donated to General Clinic, let him know if anyone needs pressure socks, will be donated to Womens Clinic
•    Austin: dental is going well, it will be 2 nights a week at General Clinic, and will try to expand to Youth/Women’s Clinics
•    Nyssa: she won’t be able to fulfill her position of footwashing coordinator; Natalie is a good candidate to fill her place
o    Vote: Natalie is approved as footwashing coordinator
•    Io: strengthening connections with the city of Berkeley, creating a focus group for outreach with the city government, wants to see if Suitcase Clinic supports this
•    Courtney: sweatshirts ($25), T-shirts ($10) are available if you ordered one previously, or want one
o    Retreat: Sept. 15th in 213 Wheeler, 10-3, mandatory for all officers, breakfast served at 9:30
o    Reimbursements: for this semester, contact Jodi
o    Attendance: contact Juggy
o    Suitcase Clinic has a space to put a signboard up on the Sproul drawbridge, but a board needs to be made- contact Io or Dan
•    Nyssa: has the Suitcase Clinic banner; it needs to be put to good use- can be stored at General Clinic
•    Io: procedure: if giving a point of information, raise one finger (talk now signal)

Clinic Updates
•    Womens: Monday was really mellow, with 2 services, went well, last week was good as well; new toys/coloring books have been bought
•    Youth: summer was good; want to dicuss the new project for UGSIs
•    General: summer went well, thank you to DJ, no med students were around, 2 opto appointments/week (overcrowded); dental is going well, blankets are needed (not clothes); emails going out to certain providers soon; medical went well; tours went well; opto wanted to confirm the budget for appointments
•    Class: Robert Ratner (started SHARE) is taking on Dr. Steinbach’s role by educating the class; he has been great; a lot of interest has been shown for the semester