Central Oklahoma

In Oklahoma County, the focus was on community voice and providing resources to increase community voice to the other counties involved in the grant. To demonstrate and educate on community voice, there were three Community Advisors selected in this area. They were Amber Adams, Betty Hawkins Emery and  La’Chanda Stephens-Totimeh.  This newly formed role continues to be an important strategy to inform decision-making of PHIO, improve quality, and increase coordination of services with individuals, families and communities. Community Advisors are compensated for their time and expertise, while removing barriers for involvement.
The goal of the Community Advisor is to help increase:
❖ Communication
❖ Coordination
❖ Transparency
❖ Positive health and social outcomes for Oklahomans, especially children
and families

For Amber Adams, she focused on Handle with Care OK (HWC- OK), a statewide trauma-informed response to children’s exposure to adverse childhood experiences. She served as a community voice representative for a HWC- OK interim study at the Capital. She spoke about her lived experience and the impact of adverse childhood experiences. She had an incredible impact and increased bipartisan support from democrat and republican legislators.

For Betty Hawkins Emery, she removed barriers for participation to allow for community voice.  She recently supported an event for Douglass High School Special Needs cooking classes on the end of school year field trip. The Cooking Class reduced stress, increased social connections, and improved life skills among participants Through grant funding, Betty was able to assist with barrier removal for the students and families to attend this fun, end of year celebration. 

For La’Chanda Stephens-Totimeh, she focused on provided resources for Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Coaching. A PAC is leadership group comprised of program participants who provide input, guidance, and feedback on a regular basis. The purpose of a PAC is to incorporate parent/community voice, informing you of the population you serve and learn how to meet those needs presented. La’Chanda partnered with the Regional Coordinators from each area to provide PAC coaching. She coordinated with each area to area to increase awareness of the importance of community voice and steps for implementation with local community coalitions.  

Through each of the Community Advisors, Oklahoma County focused on the importance of community and parent voice.  They increased coordination of services with individuals, families and communities in not only Oklahoma County, but in all of the inequity hot spots supported by CATCH-UP 2.0.