Here’s a two-hour training that can help you support people suffering from life’s many disorienting events. M Health Fairvew is sponsoring a Psychological First Aid webinar set for Wednesday, June 15, 1 – 3 p.m. that will give you tools … Continue reading →
Here’s a development in the DeafBlind world that New Yorker reporter Andrew Leland describes as a new language. In DeafBlind Communities May be Creating a New Language of Touch, Leland writes about ProTactile, a mode of communication that moves beyond … Continue reading →
President Joe Biden has promised that as many as 100,000 refugees from the war in Ukraine may be resettled in the US. But when and how: those are matters that remain blurry. For a rundown on the resettlement programs and … Continue reading →
There’s a world of personal pronouns beyond he/she/they. To name just a few: ze/zir/zirs ze/hir/hirs xe/xem/xyrs ey/em/eirs Here’s some help from LGBTQNation on navigating the sometimes tricky business of addressing patients and clients in the way they prefer. See Everything … Continue reading →
Generally people think of interpretation and translation as a way to solve problems. Here’s a story from St. Paul that proves just the opposite can be true as well. In Dialect dispute has St. Paul Hmong group calling for Dai … Continue reading →
Here’s an encouraging example of how to work alongside a Native community with public health messaging and support to dramatically boost the ranks of the vaccinated. In a recent CDC blog post, Stories from the Field: The White Earth Nation, … Continue reading →
As with so much else, when it comes to the impact of climate change, communities of color and the poor will be disproportionately affected by less access to clean air, safe drinking water and shelter, and nutritious food. Find out … Continue reading →
Here’s a nicely made video from Red Lake Hospital Indian Health Service that stresses specific Ojibwe cultural values as reasons to get vaccinated against COVID. Among a cast of elders, Dan King, President of Red Lake Nation College and Hereditary … Continue reading →
The influx of new refugees, COVID, war in Europe and the day-to-day realities of poverty and racism mean that if you’re a community health worker, you’ve heard your share of sad stories. Here’s a webinar — Witnessing: Understanding the Effects … Continue reading →
Here’s another tool you can use to urge parents to get their kids vaccinated. Five 5-11-year old Minnesotans who have finished the COVID vaccination series are eligible to enter a drawing for a $100,000 scholarship package at any public or … Continue reading →
The rapidly unfolding refugee crisis in Ukraine provoked a heartbreaking and fascinating story in the New York Times recently on the practicalities of flight. If you are forced to leave your home with little chance to plan or to take … Continue reading →
Need a translated overview of COVID at-home rapid tests for limited English speakers? Here’s a one-page Minnesota Department of Health info sheet in English and multiple other languages available for download. COVID-19 At-Home Rapid Test Overview iHealth (English).pdf COVID-19 At-Home … Continue reading →
When are medical interpreters simply conduits for information shared between providers and patients — and when do they have an obligation to intervene and advocate on the behalf of patients? The U.S. National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (NCIHC) came … Continue reading →
Having others understand the language you speak is one thing, but having your language survive in the face of globalization is another. That’s the subject that James Griffith takes on in his book, Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics … Continue reading →
Get an inside view on survival in a war-torn country, as Dr. Okechukwu (Okey) Ukaga, Assistant Dean and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Minnesota Extension, appears at the Global Book Club’s virtual meeting to discuss … Continue reading →
N95 respirators are the gold standard for keeping COVID-19 at bay. But as with so many things, there’s a right way and a wrong way to use them. Here’s expert guidance from the CDC, in English, and translated into Simplified … Continue reading →
Here’s a story from the New York Times that’s equal parts romance and practicality. In A Love Language Spoken with Hands, a gay deaf man recounts his relationships with would-be paramours who promise that for him, they will learn sign … Continue reading →
Here’s another find via the excellent online immigrant/refugee news source, Sahan Journal. In this piece — After having a daughter, Reona Htoo couldn’t find children’s books in the Karen language. So she wrote one herself— St. Paul resident Htoo translates … Continue reading →
If you’ve spent time studying Old Testament iconography (and who hasn’t?), you may have wondered why Moses is often depicted with horns after having talked with God on Mount Sinai and descended with the ten commandments. Why the horns? It’s … Continue reading →
Does your organization send Community Health Workers into the field? If so, here’s a pair of webinars that will give them the tools to help combat the plethora of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations. Set for noon, Thursday, January 13 and … Continue reading →
Local Ethiopian immigrant Zinet Kemal found she had some extra time on her hands. Since moving to Minnesota nine years ago, she had earned degrees from St. Paul College and Metropolitan State University, taken a job as an IT auditor … Continue reading →
Here’s a Tip of the Week a step outside the usual — the short story, Lu, Reshaping, by Madeleine Thien, which recently appeared in the New Yorker magazine. In the broadest terms, it’s a story about a Chinese immigrant’s struggle … Continue reading →
Here’s a fascinating piece from the New York Times, Burning, Crushing, Stabbing: How Words Affect Pain — the language you use could make a difference on the pain you feel. Reporter Cameron Walker runs through a list of surprising observations … Continue reading →
Need a colorful reminder to mask up for visitors to your facility? Here are simple, printable posters in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hmong, Karen, Lao, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Health. Materials and … Continue reading →
Get a rundown on the current turmoil in Ethiopia, and its effect on the local Oromo community, via Sahan Journal, the online news source that covers immigrant and people-of-color issues. With an estimated 40,000 Oromos living in Minnesota, they are … Continue reading →
Frustrated by the plethora of misbegotten opinion and non-facts regarding COVID-19? Here’s a toolkit and training package offered by the Office of the Surgeon General that will help you get solid information to your community. You can find the Addressing … Continue reading →
Get an inside look at the newly opened Hmong Cultural Center Museum at Western and University Ave.in St. Paul during it’s online launch from 5-6 pm, Thursday, December 2. You can attend the virtual event by signing in here. Get … Continue reading →
Here’s an another resource offered by the YMCA of the North for new immigrants seeking help with referrals to social services, employment, medical assistance and more. The YMCA’s New American Welcome Centers and Refugee Hubs support immigrants through integration services, … Continue reading →
In case you haven’t noticed, the Minnesota Department of Health offers a deep repository of translated COVID-19 education materials in one convenient location. Take a look at translated Stay Safe Minnesota materials here. You’ll find pieces on testing, vaccination, masking … Continue reading →
For a examination of an Afghan family’s exodus to Minnesota, take a look at this detailed story just published in Sahan Journal, “The 44-day journey that changed Muhammad Nishat’s life.” (Sahan Journal describes itself as a “nonprofit digital newsroom fully … Continue reading →
Here’s a package of infographics from the Minnesota Department of Health that may help convince reluctant limited English speakers to get vaxed up against COVID-19. The pieces explain that the vaccination is safe, can keep the vaccinated from getting seriously … Continue reading →
Struggling to explain monoclonal antibody therapy as a COVID treatment to patients who speak primarily Hmong, Somali or Spanish? Take a look at these easy-to-read info sheets from the Minnesota Department of Health. COVID-19 Medication Monoclonal Antibodies handout(ENGLISH).pdf COVID-19 Medication … Continue reading →
Find a variety of health education pieces related to COVID for recently arrived Afghan refugees in Pashto, Dari, Farsi and English at the University of Minnesota’s National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants website. Resources include basic fact sheets, … Continue reading →
With a new wave of Afghani refugees right around the corner, here’s an opportunity to learn more about best practices when interacting with recent arrivals. The free webinar, “Best Practices in Newcomer and Immigrant Health: A Virtual Short Course for … Continue reading →
For a different idea on how to approach public health messaging, check out this video on violence against women, sung by the Mexican singer Silvana Estrada for the organization La Red Nacional de Refugios. Find the translated version of the … Continue reading →
Need an extra jolt to convince people of color to get vaccinated? Here’s a video featuring public health officials and physicians of color explaining that COVID vaccines are safe and effective, and that getting vaccinated is socially responsible. The video … Continue reading →
As US involvement in the 20-year war in Afghanistan winds down, here’s an inevitable question: What becomes of the thousands of Afghans who helped US troops and now face retribution as the Taliban takes over? This month the US House … Continue reading →
With the pull-out of US troops from the 20-year ware in Afghanistan comes a new international refugee crisis, as aid groups declare that they’re prepping for the displacement of tens of thousands as the Taliban takes over swaths of the … Continue reading →
As it turns out, Australia is a font of translated health material, including difficult-to-find mental health resources. Take a look at this site — Beyond Blue — for both translated information sheets in numerous languages, plus material directed toward lesbian, … Continue reading →
The American Immigration Council is a quick and easy source for an overlook at Minnesota’s immigrant community. It’s Minnesota-specific fact sheet is available here. You’ll find some surprising information within. For example: Nine percent of state residents are immigrants; This … Continue reading →
Are safety concerns preventing your clients and patients from getting the COVID vaccination? Here’s an infographic translated into 15 languages that points out that the COVID vax is the result of years of research, and was subjected to extensive clinical … Continue reading →
Thinking about saving money by having your Aunt Betty translate a few simple words for your organization? Really, what could go wrong? Plenty, needless to say. Check out 40 hilarious translation fails from different languages, published on The Language Nerds … Continue reading →
Looking to stay abreast of where the next groups of refugees and asylees are likely to come from? One top source for news of tough times in other countries is the International Rescue Committee website. By its description, IRC “responds … Continue reading →
Governor Tim Walz is urging Minnesotans to get a Pfizer vaccination for their 12- to 15-year olds. But if your patients and clients say, Yeah, but where do I get it? what’s your answer? An easy way to find out … Continue reading →
Looking for insight on current efforts to reduce health disparities Minnesota? Here’s a series of video interviews with local experts and activists conducted by Minnesota’s US Senator Tina Smith. Subjects include: In a Q & A with Dr. Charity Reynolds, … Continue reading →
Looking to boost your ongoing COVID information campaigns? Take a look at this repository offered by the Minnesota Department of Health. In addition to Stay Safe Minnesota logos, social media content and newspaper ads, you’ll find health education materials translated … Continue reading →
Want to get your COVID-related messaging out as effectively as possible? Here’s a toolkit from the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative that features downloadable graphics, plus messaging recommendations, do’s and don’ts, and tips about language and tone. The non-profit Ad … Continue reading →
For Black patients who need convincing that it’s a good, safe move to get a COVID-19 vaccination, here’s a video from the Black Physicians Network of Columbus, Ohio that makes the case. Dozens of Ohio Black physicians in this short … Continue reading →
Not all translation depends on words, as is made clear by a New York Times obit for graphic designer and artist Rajie Cook. In 1974, Cook’s design firm was hired by the US Department of Transportation as it prepared for … Continue reading →