Overcoming COVID disparities in diverse communities

The University’s Office of Academic Clinical Affairs recently launched a Disparities in COVID Response Task Force charged with increasing COVID testing and vaccinations in diverse communities and reducing disparity by coordinating and disseminating resources on testing, mobile care, and immunization events.

The task force is a collaboration with the U of M system across Minnesota health departments, local and regional health care systems, and communities.

Saida Abdi, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work, is part of the work group focusing on the task force’s community communications. The work group is identifying the means to effectively engage communities as partners and to communicate upcoming testing, screening, and vaccine events to communities across the state among various demographics. The goal is to build trust and share information between communities and the providers of COVID testing and vaccinations.

Some of the communication strategy have been adapted from Mental Health Practice With Immigrant and Refugee Youth: A Socioecological Framework (American Psychological Association, 2020), co-authored by Abdi and Heidi Ellis and Jeffrey Winer of Boston’s Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

Read more about the Disparities in COVID Response Task Force.