Outreach & Education Project

Sometimes people are unaware of the fact that they are eligible for assistance through state, federal, or local programs, or may be unfamiliar with the requirements or application processes.  The Outreach and Education Project places advocates in CHCs and other safety-net agencies for the sole purpose of helping people gain access to services for which they are eligible.

The Outreach and Education Project is a two-year program that assists community health centers, Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems, and other selected nonprofit safety-net healthcare agencies to conduct outreach and enrollment assistance for various DHS programs, including TANF, public housing, food stamps, Medicaid/Med-QUEST, Hawaii Immigrant Health Initiative, Medicare QMB/SLMB, and subsidized child care. In the first phase of the project, which started in March 2004, six health centers signed up to participate in the program. The second phase began in July of 2004, with the goal of hiring over 30 new outreach workers by the end of the contract year. Each of the current outreach workers has been trained on the enrollment requirements of, and benefits offered by, various DHS programs.

The following is a list of the participating community health centers and health organizations:

• Kalihi-Palama Health Center
• Waimanalo Health Center
• Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
• Community Clinic of Maui (Maui)
• Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services
• Waikiki Health Center
• Queen Emma
• Ke Ola Mamo
• Hamakua Health Center (Big Island)
• Molokai Community Health Center (Molokai)
• Hana Community Health Center (Maui)
• Hola Lahui Hawai‘i (Kaua`i)

Some of the duties of the project’s outreach workers are:

• to provide accurate information, competent enrollment assistance, and follow-up assistance for various DHS programs;
• to refer clients to appropriate providers and for additional services where necessary, including referral to health care providers that offer sliding-fee scale or free care to low-income clients not qualified for public health insurance or assistance;
• to make outreach and enrollment services available during non-traditional hours, (i.e., outside of the hours of 8 am-4:30 pm, Monday through Friday), as appropriate to the population served.

For more information, please contact Kathy Suzuki-Kitagawa or (808) 536-8442, ext. 222