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04-21-2020 Human Rights Commission
Human Rights Commission April 21, 2020 Electronic Formal Meeting- 5:30 PM Zoom Meeting Platform Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. You can participate in the meeting and can comment on an agenda item by going to https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMlfu6ogzMPG92RxXcCzPC16TVPXQ4TLIQu via the internet to visit the Zoom meeting's registration page and submit the required information. Once approved, you will receive an email message with a link to join the meeting. If you are asked for a meeting ID or webinar ID, enter the ID number found in the email. A meeting password may also be included in the email. Enter the password when prompted. If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you may call in by telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799. When prompted, enter the meeting ID or webinar ID. The ID number for this meeting is: 978-9705-8319. Once connected, you may dial *9 to "raise your hand," letting the meeting host know you would like to speak. Providing comments in person is not an option. Agenda: 1. Call Meeting to Order and Roll Call. 2. Approval of the February 18, 2020 meeting minutes. 3. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda. (Commentators shall address the Commission for no more than 5 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public concerning said items). 4. Items to be discussed: a. Correspondence; b. COVID-19 and Vulnerable Populations; c. Social Justice and Racial Equity Grants for FY19; April 17, 2020 Page 2 d. Funding Request: Christ Reign; e. Funding Request: Iowa City Fair Trade; f. United Nations Convention Rights of the Child; g. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Proclamation (May 2020); h. Strategic Planning; i. Youth Awards (Canceled); j. Awards Breakfast (October 21, 2020). 5. Staff/Commission Announcements. (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one another concerning said announcements). 6. Comments of Staff. 7. Adjournment. /f you will need disability -related accommodations to participate in this meeting please contact the Equity Director, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at Stefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission City Hall, Helling Conference Room February 18, 2020 Members Present: Ashley Lindley, Bijou Maliabo, Jessica Andino, Jason Glass, Cathy McGinnis. Not Present: Zachary Rochester, Noemi Ford, Mark Pries, Adil Adams. Staff Present: Stefanie Bowers. Recommendation to Council: No. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:41 PM. Approval of the January 21, 2020 meeting minutes: Glass moved, and the motion was seconded by Lindley. Motion carried 5-0. Women's History Month Proclamation: Commissioner Lindley will accept the proclamation at the March 3, 2020 City Council meeting on behalf of the Commission. Funding Request: Night of 1000 Dinners: The Commission approved giving $300.00 to this annual event that is held in honor of International Women's Day. The program includes an international buffet and recognizes 3 local groups founded by, led by, and/or serving women. It will be held on March 11, 2020 at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center in the Social Hall. Glass moved, and the motion was seconded by McGinnis. Motion carried 4-0. (Andino abstained due to a conflict). The Commission approved the request in the amount of $390.00. DVIP will be hosting this conference that is open to community members and professionals to celebrate 40 years of serving victims of domestic violence. It will be held at the Coralville Marriott on April 28, 29, 2020. Glass moved, and the motion was seconded by McGinnis. Motion carried 4-0. (Andino abstained due to a conflict). Funding Request: Health Equity Advancement Lab UI College of Public Health: The Commission approved the request in the amount of $400.00. This Summit will focus on health inequities related to the criminal justice system via a community focused event, created to bring Iowa City community members to the University of Iowa and provide < platform for local projects to be highlighted on a larger scale. Glass moved, and the motion was seconded by McGinnis. Motion carried 4-0. (Andino abstained due to a conflict). Page 1 International Transgender Day of Visibility: Chair McGinnis will accept the proclamation on behalf of the Commission at the City Council meeting of March 24, 2020. Youth Job Fair: On March 6, 2020, the City along with Iowa Works and Vocational Rehabilitation Services will be hosting a youth job fair to be held at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center in the gymnasium. Commissioners, Glass, Maliabo, and McGinnis will plan to attend to assist with the event. March Meeting Date: Commissioners opted to hold its March meeting on the scheduled date of March 17, 2020. Commissioner Glass will be unable to attend due to spring break commitments. Anti LGBTQ Bills: Commission staff spoke on bills currently pending in the Iowa House and Senate that would allow a business to deny services to LGBTQ persons based on a religious exemption. Committees & Strategic Planning: This item will be placed on the March agenda for Commissioners to discuss in more detail. Black History Month Proclamation: Commissioner Glass accepted this proclamation on behalf of the Commission at the City Council meeting of February 4, 2020. Youth Awards: Save the date May 13, 2020. Human Rights Breakfast: Save the date October 21, 2020. Adjournment: Motion to adjourn at 6:33 PM. (Due to lack of a quorum). Page 2 Member Attendance Sheet Member Term 1/7 1121 2/18 3/17 4/21 5/19 6/16 7/21 8/18 9/15 10/20 Maliabo 1/2021 Present Present Present McGinnis 1/2021 Present Present Present Rochester 1/2021 Present Present Excused Adams 1/2022 Excused Present Excused Andinc 1/2022 Present Present Present Ford 1/2022 Present Present Excused Lindley 1/2023 1 Present I Excused I Present Glass 1/2023 1 Present I Presentl Present Pries 1/2023 1 Present I Present I Excused Page 3 Cover Letter (required reading) Thank you for your interest in seeking sponsorship from the Iowa City Human Rights Commission. The Commission provides funding to organizations and agencies to offset the costs of organizing, planning, and facilitating educational public forums or programs and activities that are designed toeliminate racial, religious, cultural, and other intergroup tensions, including but not limited to, sex, color, creed, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, and national origin. To process your request for sponsorship, we need you to take a few minutes to fill out this application form. Please note sponsorship requests are due by S p.m. on the second Monday of each month. The Iowa City Human Rights Commission will review the request at their monthly meeting and staff will contact you to let you know whetherthe request has been approved. If you are awarded funding, you will be required to submit a full (one page) summary of funding impact, including but not limited to, numberof persons involved in your project, anecdotal stories to share with the team about the event, frequency of the event, and otheressential information. If you have any questions aboutthe application process, please do not hesitate to contact Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at 319-356-5022orStefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org. Please sign here to verify you have read the cover letter to this form. * c`.;r.Fd*r?t",rsr?rr!}xifcr`r#! Application Date * 2/24/2020 Group/Organizaton Name* Christ Reign Contact person Jonathan P Massaki Phone number* 7187515987 Email * jmassaki@icloud.com Date of activity/event/program 4/12/2020 If your event occurs on multiple dates, list here Event location and address* Englert Theater Is the event wheelchair accessible?* * Yes f No Is the event accessible to individuals with visual impairments?* * Yes f No Describe the activity/event/program and how it contributes to Human Rights.* Christ Reign is hosting an Easter conference that is open to community members and professionals to celebrate African cultural diversity through music and dance. Our mission is to bring different churches and people together for a gathering and to promote intercultural and to speak on howto abide by the Iowa law. We will be having performers and a guess speaker. Everyone is invited and there is no charge. There will be some refreshment and free t-shirt give away to all attendees. Amount of funds requested. Attach an itemized budget (field below).* $ 800.00 Attach itemized budget.* Celebration Paques.docx List other funders below: None 12.4KB Has this organization applied for any other City of Iowa City funding for this activity/event/program? f Yes r- No If yes, what department were the funds requested through? How much funding was requested? Was this request granted? O Yes O No Has the organization received any funding from the Cityof Iowa City in the last year?* O Yes r No If yes, what department were the funds requested through? How much funding was requested? How will this activity/event/program be marketed? Social Media such as facehook, instagram, snapshot, tveeter. Posting flyers in different places in Iowa City. Printing invitation to different churches and community organization. Will sponsors he mentioned and/or logos be used in the marketing of the activityleventlprogram? 0 Yes O No Is the activity/event/program a fundraiser?* O Yes O No Celebration Paques Budget EXPENSES Venue $2,300 Instruments $280 Performer $1,900 Refreshments $420 T-Shirt $ 240 Total $5,140 Cover Letter (required reading) Thank you for your interest in seeking sponsorship from the Iowa City Human Rights Commission. The Commission provides funding to organizations and agencies to offset the costs of organizing, planning, and facilitating educational public forums or programs and activities that are designed toeliminate racial, religious, cultural, and other intergroup tensions, including but not limited to, sex, color, creed, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, and national origin. To process your request for sponsorship, we need you to take a few minutes to fill out this application form. Please note sponsorship requests are due by S p.m. on the second Monday of each month. The Iowa City Human Rights Commission will review the request at their monthly meeting and staff will contact you to let you know whetherthe request has been approved. If you are awarded funding, you will be required to submit a full (one page) summary of funding impact, including but not limited to, numberof persons involved in your project, anecdotal stories to share with the team about the event, frequency of the event, and otheressential information. If you have any questions aboutthe application process, please do not hesitate to contact Equity Director Stefanie Bowers at 319-356-5022orStefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org. Please sign here to verify you have read the cover letter to this form. * 4"7- T r f- Application Date * 3/9/2020 Group/Organizaton Name* Iowa City Fair Trade Coalition Contact person * Zachary Rochester Phone number* 712 Email zachary@fairtradecampaigns.org Date of activity/event/program 4/15/2020 If your event occurs on multiple dates, list here Event location and address* Iowa City Public Library Is the event wheelchair accessible?* * Yes f No Is the event accessible to individuals with visual impairments?* * Yes f No Describe the activity/event/program and how it contributes to Human Rights.* The Condor and The Eagle and Partners present The Global Impact Campaign: NO MORE SACRIFICED COMMUNITIES! As we look at the destructive impacts of fossil fuels industries, we can no longer remain silent. We are nowjoining hands to stop the money pipeline. By visually a)Posing the environmental and human impacts of fossil fuel industries, our film is a powerful tool to present to large audiences the divestment movement, bringing together communities to launch effective calls to action. Amount of funds requested. Attach an itemized budget (field below).* $ 75.00 Attach itemized budget. * Condor & Eagle Screening Budget.dsx List other funders below: None 10.66KB Has this organization applied for any other City of Iowa City funding for this activity/event/program? (' Yes F No If yes, what department were the funds requested through? How much funding was requested? Was this request granted? O Yes O No Has the organization received anyfunding from the Cityof Iowa City in the last year?* O Yes 0 No If yes, what department were the funds requested through? How much funding was requested? How will this activity/event/program he marketed? We are requesting that the UIHRC will help us sponsor this even to increase turn out and to spread awareness among the commissions network. Additionally, we are hoping to partner with the UI Center for Human Rights as another event partner. Will sponsors he mentioned and/or logos he used in the marketing of the activityleventlprogram? F Yes r No Is the activity/event/program a fundraiser?* F Yes r No If yes, explain:* We will he selling $5 tickets; all proceeds will go to Indigenous Rights Movements Film Screening Budget Total Item Cost Promotional Materials $25.00 Food for Attendees $50.00 002 on NO DISCRIMINATION �3 nn BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD \lp MAKING RIGHTS REAL 5 FAMILY GUIDANCE AS CHILDREN DEVELOP 6 • LIFE, SURVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT NATIONALITY • • 9 TO • 11 ' 12 13 0 14 (19 KEEPING FAMILIES CONTACT WITH PROTECTION FROM RESPECT FOR SHARING FREEDOM OF TOGETHER PARENTS ACROSS KIDNAPPING CHILDREN'S VIEWS THOUGHTS FREELY THOUGHT AND COUNTRIES RELIGION 116 A 17 18 • 19 20 21 PROTECTION ACCESS TO RESPONSIBILITY PROTECTION FROM CHILDREN CHILDREN WHO OF PRIVACY INFORMATION OF PARENTS VIOLENCE WITHOUT FAMILIES ARE ADOPTED 23 2 • 25 0 � � 26 27 •28 F REFUGEE CH CHILDREN WITH HEALTH. REVIEW OF SOCIAL AND FOOD, CLOTHING. ACCESS TO DISABILITIES WATER, FOOD, A CHILD'S ECONOMIC HELP A SAFE HOME EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT PLACEMENT @29 30 J n 31 32 •® 33 • 34 • 35 © Y fic"iN An y AIMS OF MINORITY CULTURE, REST, PLAY, PROTECTION FROM PROTECTION FROM PROTECTION FROM PREVENTION EDUCATION LANGUAGE AND CULTURE,ARTS HARMFUL WORK HARMFUL DRUGS SEXUAL ABUSE OF SALE AND RELIGION TRAFFICKING • 36 III' 37 38 •39 40 -T_ 41 .•. 42 ill► © IG7 ono PROTECTION FROM CHILDREN IN PROTECTION RECOVERY AND CHILDREN WHO BEST LAW FOR EVERYONE MUST EXPLOITATION DETENTION IN WAR REINTEGRATION BREAK THE LAW CHILDREN APPLIES KNOW CHILDREN'S RIGHTS 43-54 4 , HOW THE ' 1 CONVENTION WORKS IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHT COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSIONS REPORT 2018 Facilitated by: Jeff Schott Institute of Public Affairs University of Iowa IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction...................................................Page 3 Update — 2014 Goals/Priorities...................................................... Page 4 General Duties of HRC ............................................................ Page 4 Areasof Interest ............................................... :........................... Page 5 Accomplishments......................................................................... Page 7 Issues, Concerns, Trends, and Opportunities .......................................... Page 8 On -Going Commitments.................................................................. Page 10 New Priority Projects, Programs or Initiatives ....................................... Page 11 Organizational Effectiveness Initiatives ............................................. Page 12 FinalComments................................................................................................. Page 13 Exhibit A — Significant Projects, Programs, Policies, and Initiatives Considered Page 14 K IOWA CITY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION 2018 Introduction The Iowa City Human Rights Commission (ICHRC) requested the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) to assist the Commission with strategic planning. IPA agreed to organize and facilitate a process that involved the following steps: 1. Prepare a questionnaire to ICHRC Commissioners regarding: the key purposes of the Commission, recent accomplishments, issues/trends/concerns/opportunities, 'potential new initiatives, programs, or policies and suggestions to improve organizational effectiveness; 2. Conduct a strategic planning and organizational effectiveness sessions with the Commission; 3. Preparation of this report. Strateeic Plannine Session A strategic planning session with ICHRC was held on February 22, 2018, at the Helling Conference Room in Iowa City City Hall. The following Commission members were in attendance and participated at this meeting: Eliza Jane Willis (Chair), Joe Coulter, Adil D. Adams, Jeff Falk, Tahuanty Pena CVice Chair), Arianna Aron, Cathy McGinnis, and Jonathon Munoz. Also in attendance and participating in the session was ICHRC Coordinator Stefanie Bowers. Or¢anizational Effectiveness Session An organizational effectiveness planning session with ICHRC was held on March 29, 2018, in the City Hall Council Chambers in .Iowa City City Hall. The following Commission members were in attendance and participated at this meeting: Eliza Jane Willis (Chair), Joe Coulter, Adil D. Adams, Jeff Falk, Tahuanty Pena (Vice Chair), Cathy McGinnis, and Jonathon Munoz.. Also in attendance and participating in the session was ICHRC Coordinator Stefanie Bowers. 3 Update - 2014 Goals/Priorities The participants reviewed the status of implementing the following goals/priorities as established during ICHRC previous planning session in 2014: 2014 Review On -Going Commitments • Youth Awards. • Awards breakfast. • Building Blocks to Employment Job Fair. • Mayoral proclamations. • l entdnuing Educational programs. • Continuing Outreach efforts. • Compliance with Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code. New Priority Projects. Programs. and Initiatives • Develop listening posts for outreach to target communities. • Enhance presence with quarterly presentations to City Council on Commission events, programs and initiatives. • Affordable/universal/accessible housing = educational programs • Hold meetings with various community groups. General Duties of the Human Rights Commission HRC Coordinator Stefanie Bowes reviewed the general duties, powers and responsibilities of HRC as set forth in Chapter 2 of the Iowa City Municipal Code. Areas of Interest The participants reviewed and discussed the following areas of interest that the Commissioners felt HRC should be involved in: Community • Events revolving around people of color and their history in the form of activities, conferences, programs etc. • I would also like to see little libraries in underprivileged neighborhoods. Part of that, would be inviting the community to participate in the making of these libraries. • Any area under the broad range of topics in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights within the geographic area of Iowa City and its immediate surroundings. These would include discrimination in employment, housing, schooling, and facilities, standards of living, law enforcement, and judicial proceedings. • Get more involved with housing issues in the community, especially in terms of the impact on undocumented and documented immigrants who appear to be suffering from discrimination. • Consider the equity issues raised by current eviction policies and practices. We should maintain and expand our relationships with organizations working for greater equity and nondiscrimination in our community. • Developing a list of community organizations concerned with social justice issues that may benefit from our assistance. • Community education regarding Racial Equity • LGBTQI - community education • Social equity in affordable, accessible housing. • Increased funding for social justice and racial equity grants • Johnson County/Iowa City Access Center Project. • More community meetings and townhalls and events. • Social justice activities for young generations to participate in all activities and try to get donations. • General education regarding human rights and the role of the commission. For example, explaining the power of municipal HRCs in general and the federal and international framework, e.g. ICERD, which informs that power. • The HRC should be able strive to educate the residents of Iowa City how to best practice human rights in their day to day'interactions with others, and the resources available to them to help them do that. • Voter registration in areas of the city that are under -represented • Voter participation rates in non -presidential elections • Community ID • Immigrant rights Schools • Changing the curriculum used in schools around history. • Having the accurate information on black history. • Learning about other people in the civil rights era vs. year after year learning about the same individuals. • Having administration, teachers, and support staff of color throughout the district o Racial equity in the school system and the wider community. • Tate High School is often forgotten about when it comes to outreach efforts. Tate is part of ICCSD but often the stigma surrounding Tate prevents community members and programs from reaching out. o Programming that is offered in West and City should also be offered at Tate. Public Safetv • A role in responding to hate crimes or incidents when they occur. • Developing a rapid response team with re: to hate crimes and bias crimes. • Obtaining information regarding Community Police Review Board and • Obtaining information/communication with Police Department Accomplishments The following were identified as recent accomplishments of ICHRC: • Outreach to Broadway and Pheasant Ridge (Overcharging on rent). • Organizing a number of programs and panel discussions. • Co -sponsoring similar events with other groups. • SJRE Grants: o Evaluating and submitting recommendations for the City SJRE grants. o Designing procedures for the SJRE grant. • Review & responses to requests for funding • Human rights awards and recognition program. • Participated in planning, sponsorship, and activities re: MLK Day. • Participated in Iowa City Pride. • Participated in planning and sponsorships of Juneteenth activities. • Community building exercise in 2016. • Community IDs. • Focus on the issues involving immigrants/Muslims. • Obtained recognition for Indigenous Peoples Day. • Participation in City Manager's Roundtable. • Crossing Bridges conference. • Know Your Rights -Domestic Abuse. • Activities at the Coralville and Iowa City library with immigrant communities. • Preparation/distribution of educational materials by HRC staff. For a more complete list of accomplishments, refer to the Commission's annual reports. W Issues, Concerns, Trends and Opportunities The following were identified as issues,. concerns, trends, and opportunities that may affect future ICHRC services, policies, programs or operations: Community Outreach/Support • Find more supports, activities or programming for young men specifically young men of color. • Status and quality of life for undocumented or documented immigrants. • Access to parks and outdoor /indoor recreational activities. • Education about human rights and a need for people to speak out against some of the hateful things we are seeing and hearing. Education • Establish programming in/out of school, extracurricular activities, trips that will be inclusive for all youth, backgrounds, race, ethnicity, and gender. • Classes devoted to the real history of ALL youth of color. • Create 3 events that align with the trimester system used in high schools in ICCSD. Each trimester, there will be an event, activity, program etc. made for all youth of color. • The financial and geographic disparity within the ICCSD needs to be investigated and discussed for its current effects and future implications. • Fairness and equity in the school environment. Housine • Housing conditions and building code enforcement. • Evictions: trends and enforcement in small claims court for fairness and compassion. Domestic violence and violence in general. • Affordable housing. • Mortgage practices, primarily against Latino applicants (Iowa City has high percentage of denials). Public Safety • Information regarding police training and recruitment, for example training on the use of a weapon. • Iowa City Substation needs to be community friendly. The doors are always closed and are tinted so you never know if they are open or not. • The grave threats faced by undocumented immigrants. • Hate crimes. • Increase in bias incidents. • Increase in incidents of violence; need to promote ALICE training. • Disproportionate minority contact and incarceration. • Equity for criminal defendants. • Opioid epidemic. • Access Center development. • Racial and Ethnic diversity of police force - need to reflect the community. • Language access, including for persons accused of crimes. Transportation • Transportation availability and its relation to financial ability • Sidewalk accessibility in certain parts of town Other • Coping with climate change -equity impact. • Anew set and clear goals and objectives, or a strategic plan, for Commissioners to follow. • Responsibilities and expectations of the Human Rights Commission in the coming years as our community continues to grow. • Recruiting more leadership from the immigrant communities. • Support for Neighborhood Centers. • Support for organizations who positively impact community. • Publish a magazine every three month that reflects on human rights. • Keep addressing the issue of diversity among the community. • Promote social justice and other values of the Commission. • Human rights issues that are important for the city but cannot be addressed by the city. Relationship between the city and university on human rights issues. On-Goine Commitments The following were identified as on -going commitments of the Commission for the upcoming 24 - 36 month period: • Continue Youth Awards. • Continue Awards breakfast. • Building Blocks for Employment Job Fair. • Mayoral proclamations. • Continue educational programs. o Continue educational programs re affordable/universal/accessible housing • Continue outreach efforts. • Continue Social Justice/Racial Equity Grant Program • Continue voter registration activities in areas of the city that are under- represented • Continue support for Community ID program • Compliance with Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code. 10 New Priority Projects, Programs and Initiatives The following were identified as new priority projects, programs, and initiatives of the Commission for the upcoming 24 - 36 month period (listed in priority order): 1. Affordable housing = work with landlords regarding background and credit checks which can make it very difficult for some to find adequate housing (Tie) Have more speakers of color and other diverse backgrounds to come to Iowa City to talk about current issues (Tie) Develop youth -oriented education programs and activities (Tie) Develop and disseminate city and/or county -wide newsletter listing events and programs related to human rights 5 (Tie) Year-round event, all of which should take place in Lakeside, Broadway, Pheasant Ridge and all mobile home courts. (Tie) More Commissioner participation in Commission -sponsored events, programs and outreach. c Have everyone participate annually in at least one event, activity etc. put on by the Human Rights Commission. 7 (Tie) Develop plan/program to more effectively collaborate with other city agencies, organizations, non -profits. (Tie) Involvement with Johnson County/Iowa City Access center development and staffing 11 OrEanizational Effectiveness Initiatives The participants reviewed a variety of ideas relating to improving organizational effectiveness to accomplish the selected goals and priorities. After review and discussion, the Commissioners selected the following steps to improve organizational effectiveness: • Examine the Commission's Annual Report and the City's Racial Equity Report to determine whether there are trends for which educational programs and outreach programs should be addressed. • Commissioners should provide more information at Commission meetings regarding their participation in Commission -sponsored events, programs and outreach. • Designate appropriate items on Commission agendas as "discussion items" which will be reviewed and discussed at the meeting nut no action will be taken at that time. • Invite representatives of various community organizations and/or governmental agencies to provide presentations at Commission meetings regarding relevant items or issues of interest as identified by the Commission or Commissioners. • Improve Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant Review forms and procedures. • Conduct bi-annual evaluations of progress made on Commission priorities and other important issues • Continue opportunities for training/continuing education programs for Commissioners; explore other training opportunities • Investigate contacting other Human/Civil Rights Commissions to discuss issues of mutual concern 12 Final Comments It was a pleasure to once again assist the Iowa City Human Rights Commission with this project. It is important to note that the prioritization of projects and initiatives is riot "cast in stone." They can be modified as new circumstances may occur. It is recommended that staff prepare an "action plan" for accomplishing the planning goals. The action plan would define the steps that would be needed to accomplish each goal, identify who is responsible for implementation, and establish a timeline for accomplishment. The action plan should then be presented to the Commission for review and approval. It is also recommended that staff review with the Commission the status of implementing the goals on a quarterly basis. Jeff Schott Institute of Public Affairs_ The University of Iowa March 30, 2018 13 Exhibit A Iowa City Human Rights Commission Strategic Planning Session — 2018 SIGNIFICANT NEW INITIATIVES, PROGRAMS OR POLICIES CONSIDERED • Having more speakers of color come to our City and talk about current issues. • Youth version of Human Rights Commission or create a group made specifically for youth in our community. • Year-round events all of which should take place in the Lakeside, Broadway, Pheasant Ridge, and all trailer home courts. • Perhaps a citywide "contest" to increase voter participation in city or county elections in non -presidential years. • City and/or county wide newsletter listing events and programs related to human rights. • Develop plan/program to more effectively collaborate with other city agencies, services, organizations, and non -profits, etc. • Affordable housing - working with landlords regarding their background and credit checks, which can make it very difficult for some people to find adequate housing. • Encourage more immigrant membership on city boards/commissions • Support soccer competitions with other communities or cities. • Involvement with Johnson County/Iowa City Access Center Development and Staffing. • City -sponsored grant writing workshops (e.g. general principles and methods). • More Commissioner participation in events • Develop rapid response team to respond to hate crimes • Develop youth -oriented education programs and activities 14 Correspondence City of Iowa City Human Rights Commission SJRE GP '' DCDnDT - _r" C10AA D.. ;l + GRANT[ : Healthy Kids School -based Health Clinics (HKSBHC) PROJECT Fuivucu: FIRM Project DATE OF GRANT FUNDING, AND DATE THIS REPORT APPLIES T( : FY18 (extended to FY19), Second Quarter Report April 1, 2020 AMOUNT AUTHORIZED: $12,300 NAME OF PERSON REPORTING: Salome Phillmann, Healthy Kids Clinic Coordinator MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SUMMARY In July 2019, Healthy Kids was granted an extension for our FIRM project activities. While we continue to aim at enabling access to mental health care for some of Iowa City's most vulnerable children, we have adjusted some of the parameters of the project to better fit the immigrant community's needs. Referrals from Healthy Kids Clinic alone are currently at 32 patients (up from 18last quarter). This number may be higher depending on how many family members of each patient will opt for family/group therapy. Below is a list of our therapy partners to -date with an update on Healthy Kids Clinic FIRM activities in this second quarter: 1- IC Compassion: We referred to counselors offering free trauma therapy: The one family we had referred is no longer able to attend therapy due to work schedule. HK reached out on several occasions. Though the counseling was free, the interpretation for the visits was to be paid through the FIRM grant. All remaining funds budgeted for this family's 10 sessions will be available for another client/patient when needed. 2- AIIiCenter: One counselor is working with us; she is Spanish speaking and through an agreement with her supervisor is charging Healthy Kids a nominal fee for her services. We have had a good rapport with the center and our referrals seem to be happy with the service. The location of Alli Center is excellent for our Coralville families, especially those that are referred through our Northwest Junior High Clinic. 3- Abbe Center of Iowa City: Through a meeting with Abbe Administration, Healthy Kids established referrals with Abbe Center for psychiatric assessments, treatment and PCIT (Parent -Child Interaction Therapy: Two families were referred to Abbe Center. Due to the long waiting list at Abbe, we had to wait several months for the first appt. One week before the intake appts for both families, Abbe Center informed us that unfortunately, their Spanish-speaking practitioner was leaving. All appts are on hold until they fill her position. Recently Abbe Center hired a psychiatric NP who we are hoping to be able to refer to and may have a chance to refer an initial client to this spring. In addition, one of the therapists that used to work for UAY in the schools has now moved her practice to Abbe Center so at least one of our referrals will being seeing their therapist at Abbe Center following the Covid-19 social distancing measures. 4- Paula Gordy and Associates: BHIS (Behavioral Health Intervention Services), Though an MOU was established with Paula Gordy and Associates, they decided to temporary suspend their Iowa City services as of January 2020. 5- Psychiatric Associates: Healthy Kids Coordinator consulted with an art therapist who speaks Spanish in order to organize some alternatives to talk therapy as described in our extension proposal. We initiated, in cooperation with the school SFAS (Student Family Advocates), three group art therapy sessions. Two youth groups began the first week of March 2020. For now, both groups are composed of middle school - aged girls. One group is bilingual (conducted in Spanish or English depending on members' needs or desires) and the other group uses primarily in English. The latter group is a mix of girls who come from Africa, Latin America or are second generation immigrants. Both groups started out very strong and the feedback was extremely positive. A third art therapy group for mothers, was to start on March 271', 2020. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 quarantine, we are suspending all groups at this time and until further notice. We created an agreement with the Art Therapist for a series of 12 weeks for each youth group and 10 weeks for the adult group. Though the pandemic has shut down our art therapy offerings, the therapist leading the groups is open to considering new groups this summer or early fall. Healthy Kids hopes to find funding for this group in the event that we cannot resume before the end of the third quarter in June 2020. 6- Seashore Psychology Training Clinic (A division of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa): The clinic offers consultation to schools, courts, and other agencies. Healthy Kids has referred several patients to a Seashore Psychology because one of their practitioners comes to City High School weekly to provide services per an agreement with ICCSD. The Seashore Psychology Clinic also offers psychological assessments. There are currently Spanish testing materials available for purchase but no one site/provider in our area is using them consistently. Healthy Kids coordinator discussed potential use of funding to purchase testing materials to expand access to language appropriate materials and in hopes of improving psycho -educational diagnoses for Spanish-speaking clients. The City of Iowa City responded positively to our initiative to purchase testing materials that could improve diagnosis for some of our immigrant children. We currently have two referrals waiting for Spanish language testing. The Seashore team is researching which specifictests would be most beneficial in Spanish; however, the general focus is on materials for standard ADHD testing and/ or learning disorder assessment. In order for the materials to be useful, a Spanish -Speaking provider must conduct the assessment. Though we have not narrowed down exactly which tests will be purchased, we are confident that being able to provide assessments that could sensitively test children's cognitive functioning and achievement, without penalizing them for learning English as a second language, is consistent with the FIRM project objectives. :/1L61TIVEL6111:11:J lei. I &I I LI I7s] t7JiGll DU As discussed in our last report, the KNOW YOUR RIGHTS cards continue to be distributed to SFAS, school RNs and to patients/families at our clinics. We also discuss the contents of the card with those who have expressed anxiety or experiences related to ICE agent activity. The cultural liaisons at the school have informed of us several occasions in the last quarter where communities we serve were being followed, questioned and sometimes harassed by ICE agents. In February, liaisons received several calls from the community reporting ICE agents knocking on doors and stopping people as they leave work. We use the information on the Know your Rights Cards and the information given to us by the University of Iowa Legal Clinic to help inform other staff, our patients and their families. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The presentation, mentioned in our last report and scheduled for December 2019, was postponed to March 6, 2020 by the University of Iowa Legal Clinic. The presentation was informative and the event drew over 50 school staff members who work closely with our community's immigrant families: SFAS, RNs and cultural liaisons, in addition to their supervisors. There were many questions posed by the audience and several areas of follow up. The presentations provided the following information: -Background information on what pushes immigrants to come here, particularly from the Congo (DRC) and from Central America (largely Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) -Rights and responsibilities with and without legal status -Current avenues for legal status : claims for asylum, SJIS, etc. -Considerations when working with families who are under stress due to deportation orders -Resources for assisting students and their families with things such as family separation, legal guardianship and medical power of attorney -Updates on laws passed that affect our immigrant population here in Iowa City, such as legislation referring to 'public charge' or what it means to be a 'sanctuary city' In our last report, we discussed plans to help school staff understand the importance of seeking an interpreter for communications with families and how to use interpreters effectively in communicating with students, patients and their families. We plan on expanding this work once we are no longer in danger of Covid- 19 spread and we can resume our clinic activities. If that doesn't happen before the end of May, instead of having an experienced, certified interpreter come and talk to us about communicating via an interpreter, we may have to get creative and figure out a new way to present this information. We are still working on the handouts mentioned that would be posted in every school district office making it easy and convenient to call language line as soon as someone who isn't proficient in English walks into the office. Making interpretation something automatic in these interactions will help immigrant families access the information or assistance they need. It will also help them practice their rights as parents and members of the greater community. Expenditures In this second quarter, we have started implementing the ideas generated in the first quarter. We have been able to make significant progress on several aspects of the project. Unfortunately, we fear that the school shut -down related to the COVID-19 pandemic will affect our activities immensely. That said, we continue to look at ways to serve our patients and their families' mental well-being. In some cases, we are managing to set up telehealth. However, only time will tell if we are able to find alternatives to the activities that involved physical presence (art therapy groups, interactive presentations). The FIRM project's expenditures to -date are enclosed. (84 000 2131 421 0000 611) 91 Invoice Date Source FY18-19 Purpose Total Spent Know Your Rights Event supplies 8/13/18 Hy-Vee (refreshments) $90.84 KYR Event 8/31/18 FacebookAd promotion $5.00 9/7/18 Luminus Minds Therapy $150.00 9/7/18 Luminus Minds Therapy $150.00 9/7/18 Luminus Minds Therapy $225.00 10/12/18 Luminus Minds Therapy $75 10/12/18 Luminus Minds Therapy $75 11/20/18 Staples printing 41.66 3/16/2019 Luminus Minds Therapy $75 4/15/2019 Luminus Minds Therapy $75 12/05/2018 Luminus Minds Therapy $75 12/12/2018 Luminus Minds Therapy $75 12/19/2018 Luminus Minds Therapy $75 06/07/2019 Luminus Minds Therapy $375 invoice not pd until June/July 2019 on health Squ sq pacific know your rights services 6/25/2019 printing cards $65.00 credit card Total FY 18/19 $1,627.50 FY19-20 09/20/2019 Luminus Minds Therapy $225.00 09/20/2019 Luminus Minds Therapy $75.00 Patient unable to contine French Interpretation of therapy, funds allotted for 10/20/2019 Interpreter/ICCSD Therapy certified interpretation of 10 Interpreting Services Know Your Rights 10/29/2019 Squ Pacific Printing Cards 11/1/19 Luminus Minds Therapy 11/1/19 Luminus Minds Therapy An supplies for art 1/13/20 Nasco therapy group 1/30/20 Luminis Mind KCP 1/30/2020 Luminis Mind ODG Art supplies for art 2/2020 Nasco therapy group 3/2020 Rae Noble Art Therapy Event Supplies, PD,Immigration Law, University of Iowa Legal Clinic 3/6/2020 Hy-Vee Presentation Event Supplies, PD,Immigration Law, University of Iowa Legal Clinic 3/6/2020 Dodge St. Coffee Presentation 3/31/2020 Alli Center Therapy 3/31/2020 Alli Center Therapy 3/31/2020 Alli Center Therapy Total for FY20 Grand Total for FIRM as of April 1, 2020 *Anticipated $285 owed for 4 hours, 45 minutes at $60/hour rendered in early March 2020 week session will no longer need to be held- we are still waiting on interpreting bill from school interpreting for sessions completed. $65.00 $150.00 $150.00 $129.28 $150.00 $300.00 $34.88 Waitinq for invoice` $71.57 $57.24 $25.00 $50.00 $25.00 $3,135.47 $1,507.97 IVInside Out Reentry Community 500 N. Ctiumn St. Iowa City, IA. 52245 (319) 335-7996 www.insidcotiticcntiy.org Iowa City Social Justice and Racial Equity Spring Grant Report Tnside Out Reentry Community (TO) received Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant funding in 2019 to increase our impact in the Iowa City community through public education and awareness of the issue of reentry. As a part of this funding IO will host a two-day summit, and three quarterly form series, expecting to serve at least 300 people across five days of events. The primary purpose of this series is to bring people together in an open and accepting learning environment to advocate for one of our community's most marginalized populations (people involved in the criminal justice system). On September 20th, TO hosted the first quarterly forum, a Reentry/Parole Simulation. On October 17th and 18th, TO hosted Homecoming: Reentry Summit, a two-day summit to raise awareness about the barriers returning citizens face and to build a supportive community through education about criminal justice, collateral consequences, and reentry. Presently, we have had a total attendance of 279 individuals. Programs and Activity Progress: Since our last grant report in November 2019, IO has been planning the two remaining quarterly forums, but unable to host them due to the impacts of COVID-19 on our commumity. To measure performance, IO is tracking the number of attendees and feedback through surveys at the public education events. Our goal was to recruit ten new volunteers and ten new REN committee members by the end of the grant cycle. Additionally, we aimed to videotape the summit and quarterly forums to broadly share the information with those unable to attend. COVID-19 Impacts on Quarterly Forums: IO has focused efforts towards developing the remaining two quarterly forums; however, due to COVID-19 and the Governor and CDC's recommendations to not hold any public gatherings, IO is suspending all group education and programming. With this suspension the events have been postponed for the future. The first forum which is focused on mental health and reentry, started as a physical event and was scheduled for March 31 st at Kirkwood Community Collegc. Then, over the course of the COVID-19 precautions and closing of businesses throughout the community, this event evolved into a webinar, but later had to be postponed as the facilities IO was going to use to l ivestream Inside Out Reentry Community 500 N. Ctiumn St. Iowa City, IA. 52245 (319) 335-7996 www.insidcotiticcntiy.org from was also closed. Presently, it is on hold along with the planning and coordination of our second forum, a forum for employers focused on Second Chance hiring. IO will continue to plan for these events as possible. Volunteers: Since the start of the grant cycle, TO has recruited 11 volunteers, and four University of Iowa interns. Volunteers support TO in multiple ways including mentoring, tutoring and transporting returning citizens. Additionally, volunteers and interns help staff IO's Drop -In Resource Center, assist with group programming and event planning, conduct research, and assist with administrative tasks. REN Committees: In December 2019, IO reconvened the Reentry Network of Johnson County (REN) committees. Presently, there are three committees with specific focuses: housing, employment and behavioral health. Currently, TO has hosted a total of six committee meetings. At these meetings we discuss issues related to returning citizens and share resources to build collaborative connections between agencies and organizations. Currently, 12 new individuals havejoined and attended the six REN committee meetings. Videotaping and Sharing of Events: IO has shared information from the events to the broader audience for those who were unable to attend. A video was recorded featuring an overview of the Parole Simulation on September 20, 2019. This video was made available on our YouTube and Facebook page. Additionally, City of Iowa City's City Channel 4 recorded and posted the entirety of the two-day Homecoming: Reentry Summit, panels and presentations on their website for public viewing and sharing. Conclusion and Next Steps: TO has two more quarterly forums to continue to plan and host, one focused on mental health and reentry, and the second for employers to encourage second chance hiring. Despite current uncertainty surrounding COVTD-19, TO will continue to do what we can to plan for these future events. Additionally, TO will continue to host REN committee meetings; however, we will use the Zoom meeting format so participants can attend without violating social distancing guidelines. 2019 Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant Progress Report November 1, 2019 — March 31, 2020 Refugee and Immigrant Association 1566 S. Gilbert Street in Iowa City, IA 52246 Jean Paul Mugemuzi, Executive Director refugeeiowa@gmail.com 1 347-414-1121 The Awareness and Prevention of Social Conflict Initiative is a pilot project envisioned by the Refugee and Immigrant Association to address cultural challenges facing refugees and immigrants living in Iowa City. The association serves a group of community members striving to be self-reliant, independent and integrated into American and Iowa cultures. The initiative has three programs: Together We Can Groups, Learning & Growing Presentations, and Community Collaborations. The following is progress towards the stated goals as identified in the grant funding application covering the reporting period November 1, 2019 — March 31, 2020 for each of the programs. Note: Following the identification of COVID-19 cases in Johnson County, the Refugee and Immigrant Association suspended face-to-face meetings and events until further notice of the City of Iowa City's recommendation to resume regular activity. Together We Can Groups Goals: Hold monthly group meetings for the four demographics of parents, men, women and youth. Demonstrate an increase in attendance throughout the first 12-month time period of the grant. All demographics — parents, men, women and youth are continuing to hold monthly group meetings. Since our initial report, the groups have continued to identify challenge areas and seek solutions to ensure all refugees and immigrants are working towards stability in all areas of their lives. The Women's Group Committee, along with the assistance of the RIA board members, planned and implemented the 1' Annual International Women's Day Celebration! There are details and photos under the Learning & Growing Presentations initiative section in this report. The Academic Improvement Program has continued to provide tutoring and homework help to 15 refugee students. Until March 13, University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College students assisted the youth with reading, writing, literature, math, social studies, and any other topics they were struggling with in school. Once students return to school, this program will be restarted. Learning & Growing Presentations Goals: Hold monthly presentations with community -based guest speaker. Demonstrate an increase in attendance throughout the first 12-month time period of the grant. Remove language barriers between presenters and attendees. Demonstrate an increase in understanding of the topic area following each presentation. Refugee & Immigrant Multilingual Newspaper Although this does not fall under an in -person presentation, meetings have been held with The Gazette regarding assisting the association with printing a multilingual newspaper for refugees and immigrants in Johnson and Linn Counties. The Refugee & Immigrant News will consist of a substantive 8-page newspaper of critical information to refugees and immigrants living throughout The Corridor. The newspaper will be published on the 1st and 15th of each month by The Gazette. All English content will be translated into French, Swahili, and Arabic. During this time of the COVID- 19 pandemic, informing all of our community members of vital health and wellbeing information by local, state and national government is of great importance. As we recover from this crisis, this project will continue to positively impact the lives of non-English speaking community members by providing information about the necessary resources for families and children, employment, community events, and general community information. Funding for the project has been requested by the Emergency Response Fund through the Community Foundation of Johnson County and a letter of inquiry has been sent to Geoff Fruin with the City of Iowa City. Community Awareness Forum for Refugees and Immigrants RIA hosted a meeting at its office for representatives from the Iowa City Police Department, Iowa City Fire Department, and the Johnson County Ambulance Service. They were making plans to hold the first Community Awareness Forum on April 11, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has been postponed until life returns to normal. The event will include each of the organizations giving a presentation on topics important to migrants. There will be a panel discussion which will include a Questions & Answer session. Translation will be offered during the event. An African cuisine dinner will also be provided to all speakers and attendees. International Women's Day Celebration On March 7 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Coralville, approximately 250 people celebrated International Women's Day. The Refugee Women Empowerment Group cooked and served a delicious African dinner and there were guest speakers, many dance performances, and a beautiful fashion show. The event was hosted by an emcee who officiated the event in both English and Swahili languages. Speakers included Jamila from the Iowa Accountability Program discussing domestic violence challenges and solutions within the community. Dr. Virginia Wangui from NISAA African Family Services talked about the organizations' services and her personal journey of education and giving back to the African community in Africa and the US. Iowa City Police Capt. Denise Brotherton talked about resources in the community, distributed translated information, and answered questions from the audience. Multiple dance groups performed native dances to African music for the audience. These girls and women displayed their pride in a variety of African dance as they celebrated International Women's Day. A highlight of the event included a huge fashion show. Women and girls displayed their outfits representing African colors, materials, and design. 2 It was ajoyous event and we invite you to view the following photos and watch the video of the event at "RTA International Women's Day in Iowa" on YouTube found at this link: httns://www.youtube.com/watch'?v—GRg6fcval94&feature—youtu.be&fbclid—IwAP 2jM6kMU5e2iJ w3A2Z82U VXZQgfmB26gPHNaaKMCrTAeHdWlyOPMdcYIQ A S� 4' S k Community Collaboration Goals: Show a growing number of collaborative partners throughout the first 12-month time period of the grant. Report a decrease in police calls for African refugees and immigrants. The following collaborations have been developed during this specific grant period: The Gazette • The Gazette has agreed to work with RIA to print its multilingual newspaper for refugees and immigrants throughout The Corridor at a cost of .27 per copy. The Gazette will provide a newspaper template and RIA will write all content. NISAA African Family Services NISAA serves the same population as RIA, so this is a natural partnership. Having NISAA staff present at RIA events to talk about issues within the community and provide resources, is very beneficial. Unitarian Universalist Church in Coralville Church The church is very supportive of RIA and provided their facility at the last minute for the International Women's Day event when the original location had to cancel. The facility was beautiful and we see ourselves holding future events at their facility. Johnson County Court - Domestic Violence Program • We know that our refugee and immigrant friends need education and resources about domestic violence so they can increase their awareness and have the healthiest relationships possible. This partner is a perfect fit. Iowa City Fire Department The Iowa City Fire Department is looking forward to speaking at the future Community Awareness Forum for Refugees and Immigrants event. Johnson County Ambulance • The Johnson County Ambulance is looking forward to speaking at the future Community Awareness Forum for Refugees and Immigrants event. El 1r a�� Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, INDEPENDENCE advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater of the Easter, mwa coMao� m�. independence and integrated community participation. April 1, 2020 City of Iowa City Stefanie Bowers Equity Director 410 E. Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52240 319-356-5022 stefame-bowers@iowa-city. ore VisAbility Program - City of Iowa City Social Justice & Racial Equity Grant - 2019 April 1, 2020 Progress Report Grant Amount Received: $5260 Grant Amount Spent: $1941 as of April 1, 2020 VisAbility Program Review: VisAbility is a Photovoice-inspired program designed to empower and enable Iowa City residents with disabilities to advocate for local change through photography and community discussion. The overall goal of VisAbility is to support residents in vocalizing and advocating for increased equity and inclusion through local discussion, policy development, and awareness activities. VisAbility is an annual program where participants learn to take photographs around their community that represent their disability experience in and around Iowa City. Throughout the time people are taking photographs and after images are developed, Access 2 Independence holds both peer and community discussion events to empower participants and bring additional importance to their photographic work. In the spring, we will be coordinating a traveling exhibit of the photographs around Iowa City and hold exhibit opening celebrations at each location for community discussion opportunities. From the discussions, we plan to collaborate with local policy professionals to develop Iowa City policy recommendations to continue creating a more equitable community for all abilities! Grant Outcome Update: As of April 1, 2020, we concluded program sessions in the fall and transitioned to exhibit planning and theme development with plans to display 27 photos starting March 23rd at the Iowa City Public Library. Everything has been put on hold due to COVID-19 changes. Of our 4 program participants, we had two women participate from beginning to end. However, there were differences between them in terms of active engagement. One submitted 1 photo during the Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 1r a�� Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, INDEPENDENCE advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater of me Eaatea, mwa coMao� m�. independence and integrated community participation. program while the other submitted 15. We were able to collect pre and post survey data from them and pre survey from our other two participants who submitted 11 photos collectively during their time in the program. Given the program attrition rate and varied participation, the survey data we obtained does not reflect meaningful changes in self -advocacy skills or feelings of empowerment. In addition to this report, we are including a draft of our facilitation guidebook for your review which is almost complete. The guidebook could be utilized by any agency to recreate the program or adapt it for their own use. When the guidebook is completed, we will host it on our website as a community resource. Included are a couple of photos our participants took with descriptions to give you an idea of their work. VisAbility has had many challenges since implementation and we have learned so much in the process of piloting this program that will certainly influence our future sessions. To be blunt, the program did not go as expected. However, we have the information and materials we need to adjust and improve for next time: 1. In our recruitment process, we did not pursue direct outreach opportunities to speak to potential participants. We utilized more passive methods like email newsletters, word of mouth, social media, and emailing program directors to share the information down to their consumers. We have to get in front of consumers to get them excited about our work and create buy -in. 2. The program structure, class structure, and amount of themes moved too quickly and was too much information to focus on the photography and/or themes well. The class needed more sessions up front focusing on self -advocacy training and photography skills before we moved into themes to elicit creative photography. Participants were confused about the themes (what they meant) or how they applied to their personal lives and needed more time/discussion to help them relate. Additionally, we had worked with a local photography teacher to come in and teach at the beginning of the program but could not coordinate schedules. Having a professional to provide guidance would make a significant difference to photography skill development for our participants. 3. The staff who was managing this program resigned at the end of December. We have had to make staffing adjustments to ensure that program tasks continued to be completed and we were moving forward. Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 ��. DINDEPEND of the Eastem Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater independence and integrated community participation. Visibility of VisAbilit. The marketing for program activities and application spanned from June 2019 until Mid -October to allow for any last minute enrollments. Marketing has consisted of website design (www.access2independence.org/visability), flyer development, outreach to community organizations and peer groups, event listings through popular social media and web calendar outlets, and word of mouth. An example of a VisAbility flyer is included as Appendix B. Additionally, Access 2 Independence created program booklets for participants to track their work and for personal use, which has been useful in helping participants stay on track throughout the program. This booklet has been developed in print, digital, and braille formats to provide an accessible experience. Due to the length and options of booklet format, this booklet was not added to the Appendix; however, it is available upon request. Marketing of the program will continue and evolve to include exhibit events in the near future. During program development, Access 2 Independence reached out to local policy, program, and disability rights stakeholders in the Iowa City community. The collaboration with these stakeholders resulted in the development of the VisAbility Advisory Committee that has met periodically, both as a whole group and individually with Access 2 Independence staff for the purpose of program development and evaluation. An additional feature of the Advisory Committee has been the expanded reach to community members through involved stakeholders, as well as furthering community interest. We are extremely thankful for the participation and interest these stakeholders have shown and want to thank each and every one of them for their support and input. Budget Update: Since our last update in November, we have utilized almost half of our allocated budget with expenses of $1,941. We do not anticipate many additional expenses through the end of the grant. Costs for photo printing, miscellaneous supplies, and transportation were significantly overestimated with roughly $3,300 remaining. Based on recommendations by a local photography teacher, we decided not to have participant photos displayed in a collage on a poster but printed (5x7) and matted individually for a more professional exhibit display. This significantly decreased printing and framing costs as materials could be sourced locally and we did not have to order any specialty poster prints. We were able to purchase two sets of photos and mattes: one that will go on display and remain at A2I and the other to gift to our participants to display their work at home. This also allowed us to purchase a bulk set of matting materials to Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 1r a� Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, INDEPENDENCE advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater of me Eaatea, mwa coMao� m�. independence and integrated community participation. run the program again in the future. Furthermore, we purchased display equipment and accessories to facilitate traveling exhibits of the work. This will allow us to be flexible and not have to choose exhibit venues based on availability of displays. Please see Appendix C for attached budget. Equipment was selected with sustainability and accessibility in mind to support this being an annual program. This is reflected in our decision to purchase rechargeable batteries, waterproof/drop-proof cameras, and storage bags for them. Additionally, we researched and purchased different types of accessibility equipment like camera wheel -chair mounts and different height tripods so that individuals could find a system that worked best for them. This will assist in accommodating needs in the future. Display equipment was purchased so that A2I could be flexible in venues and facilitate annual, traveling displays of the work. Additional funds were leveraged from Green State Credit Union and Hills Bank to provide snacks and refreshments for our participants during class sessions. Due to the time frame of our classes, we wanted to ensure healthy snacks and water were readily available to support focus and engagement from our participants. Remaining donation funds will be used to provide snacks and refreshments for our community exhibits and celebrate the end of the program with our participants. Program Reach: Currently, this grant has reached our participants, their family members and support systems, and our advisory committee. We have planned for the program reach to grow once work is exhibited in the community to create dialogue about the Iowa City disability experience. Participants: Female, late 20's, previous UI REACH student living independently in the community Male, early 20's, employed and living with a supported community living agency Female, 40's, graduate student at UI Female, 50's, employed and living with a supported community living agency Advisory Committee: We sought professionals from the University of Iowa in program evaluation, public health, the Center for Disabilities and Development, and public policy in addition to a photographer, local Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 1r a� Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, INDEPENDENCE advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater of the Eaatea, independence and integrated community participation. disability nonprofit leader, City of Iowa City employee, and local disability advocates to help guide our program through an advisory committee. This has brought together diverse talents and perspectives to help us look at the many aspects of the program from different angles and ensure quality in everything we do. Process Evaluation Updates: The community debut of our VisAbility exhibit was slated for March 23rd at the Iowa City Public Library with permanent display on the second floor slated to begin May 1st. Based on COVID-19 closures, we do not have a clear timeline when we will be able to publicly display this session's work and collect community feedback. Thus far, we have been measuring program effectiveness through performance evaluation methods as described in the initial grant submission; a visual of the Evaluation Plan is displayed in detail in Appendix A. Final Comments: Despite program challenges, we have gotten great feedback from those we have shared VisAbility information with and look forward to making it better and stronger for it's next implementation. We are excited to see participants' final work on display and reschedule our community exhibits when it is safe to do so. We hope to see you there! Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 1r Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities a�� throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, INDEPENDENCE advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater of the Eastern Iowa CoMAor Inc. independence and integrated community participation. Appendix A: Evaluation Timeline Process Evaluation (June 2019 - June 2020) Performance Measurement Label Evaluation Question Label Measurement Plan Is the program interesting to the P01 community? PM 1 PQ2 What are the participation rates? PM 2 How do participants view the program and what can be PQ3 limproved? PM 3 How do community members view the program and what can be PQ4 improved? PM 4 Track program event attendance rates Record attendance and number of photographs taken for each peer group meeting Pre and post -program surveys Survey exhibit attendees Output Evaluation (Short Term Outcome) (June 2019 - June 2020) 1 Outcome Measurement (Short term) Label Evaluation Question Has VisAbility increased participant Label Measurement Plan SOQ 1 Self -Advocacy? Has VisAbility increased feelings of SOM 1 Pre and post -program surveys SOQ 2 empowerment? Has VisAbility increased visibility of SOM 2 Pre and post -program surveys the Iowa City disability community SOQ 3 experience? SOM 3 Survey exhibit attendees Track policy recommendation Has VisAbility led to policy development process and SOQ 4 recommendation development? SOM 4 partnership Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 1r a� Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, INDEPENDENCE advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater of me Eaatea, mwa coMao� m�. independence and integrated community participation. Appendix B: Program Flyer HOW WOULD YOU TELL YOUR STORY? Join peers in Iowa City as we seek to creatively express and celebrate the Iowa City disability experience, while advocating for local change. Learn to take photographs that tell your story, and showcase your work in the VisAbility traveling exhibit this Spring! Cameras, accessible equipment, and training will be provided. TO LEARN MORE VISIT: A►cEPENDENCE�ssN www.access21ndependence.org/visabiIity IND or contact Access 2 Independence at Phone: (319) 338-3870 Email: info@access2independence.org 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste B, Iowa City, IA, 52245 Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 INDEPENDENCE of the Eastern Iowa CoMAor Inc. Appendix C: Budget Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater independence and integrated community participation. Social Justice Racial Equity Project Budget June 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020 Access 2 Independence Vis-Ability: A Photovoice Project Project Budget 1-Nov-19 1-Apr-20 31-Jul-20 Revenue: Fees Grants $5,260.00 $5,260.00 Other revenue - donations $200.00 Total revenue $5,260.00 $5,460.00 $5,460.00 $0.00 Expenses: Professional Services $450.00 $100.00 $700.00 $500.00 $150.00 $60.00 $1,500.00 $1,000.00 $800.00 $328.00 $85.00 $328.00 Educational Materials Marketing/Advertising Equipment/Hardware Cameras SD cards $85.00 Display equipment $122.00 $71.00 $175.00 $100.00 $562.00 $460.00 $122.00 $71.00 $38.00 $175.00 $100.00 $18.00 Poster frames Accessible camera mount Batteries Rentals Supplies* Outside Printing Miscellaneous Supplies** Taxes, shipping, & miscellaneous accessibility Costs Transportation Costs Donation expenses Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 INDEPENDENCE of the Eastem Iowa CoMAor Inc. Our mission is to empower individuals with disabilities throughout the Eastern Iowa Corridor through education, advocacy, and peer support, so that they may achieve greater independence and integrated community participation. Total Expenses $5,260.00 $881.00 $1,959.00 $0.00 *Supplies: Most supplies will be from in-house printing for participants; not included in this budget as this will be operating costs. **Miscellaneous Supplies: Paratranist costs will be covered for 10 participants and 10 support staff for 20 rides each at $2 each: 20 people * 20 rides = 400 rides * $2 = $800.00 Serving Benton, Cedar, Jones, Henry, Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Washington Counties since 1979. Cedar Rapids Office Iowa City Office 601 2nd Ave SE Ste. 4, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 1556 S 1st Ave, Ste. B, Iowa City, IA 52240 Phone: (319) 499-8706 Phone: (319) 338-3870 Fax: (319) 343-1120 Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide Draft Created by Access 2 Independence of the Eastern Iowa Corridor Special thanks to Brittany Winch, BSW and Talor Gray, MPH Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 1 Photovoice Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide Table of Contents Introduction to Photovoice.....................................................................................3 Elements of Photovoice Materials............................................................................................. 3-4 Meeting location and facilitation...................................................................4 Job descriptions and task assignments..............................................................4 PROCESS OVERVIEW Example timeline and photos...............................................................................4-5 IMPACTS AND CHANGE PROCESS GOALS Participant change process.....................................................................................5 Community change process.................................................................................5-6 PRE -SESSION PREPARATION Participant Selection Process and Criteria................................................................6-7 Participant Recruitment Process..............................................................................8 INFORMATION SESSIONS Presentationguide..............................................................................................8 Information session outline..................................................................................8-9 ORIENTATION Presentationguide..............................................................................................9 Objectives and lesson plan overview for participants........................................9-10 PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE Camera usage course.........................................................................................10 Photography tips course..................................................................................10-11 Photography safety and ethics discussion..............................................................11-12 Photography Course facilitation outline...................................................................12 PEER SESSIONS 1 and 2 Sessionagenda............................................................................................12-13 Facilitation outline............................................................................................13 CLOSING SESSION Sessionagenda.................................................................................................13 Closing session outline...................................................................................13-14 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Presentation and display......................................................................................14 Exhibit opening celebrations outline........................................................................15 Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 2 Exhibitexposure..............................................................................................15 Freewill donations............................................................................................15 DEBRIEF AND CELEBRATION..................................................... .....15 SOCIAL ACTION Establishing Recommendations.............................................................................16 Presenting Recommendations to the City of Iowa City..................................................16 ADVISORY TEAM Advisoryteam role............................................................................................16 Team and meeting details.....................................................................................16 IJ.TIFEly0[63NICKf1N1 Pre and Post Group Participant Surveys Survey use explanation.............................................................................18 Survey administration...............................................................................18 Survey creation process and reasoning...........................................................19 SurveyKey.......................................................................................19-20 Photography prompts explained.............................................................................21 Community Awareness Survey..............................................................................21 ADDITIONAL FORMS Photovoice guidelines........................................................................................... Participant Rights and Responsibilities agreement.......................................................... Consent to Photography and Media Release Form.......................................................... AttendancePolicy................................................................................................ Icebreakers and introductions guide........................................................................... Pre (baseline) and Post group questionnaires................................................................ SHOWED Worksheet............................................................................................ Feedbackforms................................................................................................... Participation Measure Forms................................................................................... Community Awareness survey................................................................................. . Community impact tracking form.............................................................................. LiabilityForm................................................................................................ Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 3 Photovoice Facilitation Guide BACKGROUND Introduction to Photovoice Photovoice projects provide an opportunity for participants to document their views and experiences surrounding social justice topics via photography. The creative documentation is then used to produce community growth and change through discussion of important topics that are not easily or often openly discussed in public settings. Photovoice sessions further provide a space to reflect on community strengths, needs, and areas of growth or concern during participant sessions. Photovoice projects are customizable and can be adapted to meet the goals of individual organizations and groups. Our program, Vis-Ability, represents the disability community in and around Iowa City. The overall goals of Vis-Ability are to increase participants' self -advocacy skills while simultaneously increasing community awareness leading toward social action and the encouragement of policies increasing accessibility. As part of the photovoice project process, community participation and impact will be evaluated. Elements of Photovoice Materials The materials needed for Vis-Ability include: • Cameras (10, one for each participant) • Batteries • SD cards (for each participant) • Camera mounts, for anyone who is unable to hold a camera in the hands • Three free-standing panel art display grids • Name tags for participants Additionally, bus passes will be given to participants as needed for attending sessions, community exhibits/discussions, and in order to take photographs. We estimate that 400 paratransit passes will be needed, covering 20 people for 20 rides each. At $2.00 per ride, $800 will need to be set aside for transportation. Some chosen participant photos will be printed on photo quality paper and matted for display. $2,000 should be made available to cover such costs, including $1,500 for printing and $500 for matting. Finally, we suggest $1000 be set aside to Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 4 cover additional costs such as taxes, shipping, and other miscellaneous accessibility costs to fit participant needs. Other listed supplies will be reused for future repeated projects. Meeting Location and Facilitation Photovoice meetings, including information sessions, orientation, the photography course, and three peer group sessions should be held in a comfortable, accessible, and low cost location, preferably with a projector available. As an example, Vis-Ability will be utilizing the Environmental Education Center. Our staff chose this location due to its accommodating environment and price rates. Non-profit status allows us to reserve this space for $5.00 an hour, with an additional $100 deposit that will be refunded. The overall location cost will come out to $55.00. There will be two staff facilitators required at each meeting, with unlimited volunteer support depending on interest. We fmd co -facilitation important to ensure someone will be available to assist with accommodations and questions. Our small team of five people has decided to have everyone involved in the facilitation process. We also expect that sharing the facilitator role will allow for greater diversity in discussion. Our team members will be able to sign up for the dates best suited for them since there is a heavy time commitment with Vis-Ability. Job Descriptions and Task Assignments (for facilitators, assistants, coordinators, volunteers, etc) Facilitators: The job of the facilitator is to guide the session. This entails carrying out the agenda of the meeting as well as engaging and encouraging involvement by all participants. This may involve asking questions, providing feedback for photos, and provoking participants to further explore the meaning behind their photography. Scribes: The job of the scribe is to record dialogue during program sessions. Scribes should aim to capture the content of the discussion without being overly precise. Quotes captured are used for exhibit development, policy recommendations, and program information. This is a perfect role for program volunteers. Volunteers/assistants: Volunteers can assist with a variety of tasks from beginning to end of the program including marketing, recruitment, facilitation, data collection and analysis, exhibit creation, and assisting with collection of community feedback PROCESS OVERVIEW Example timeline Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 5 The entire Vis-Ability process will take approximately one year to complete. An example timeline is as follows: Pre-program preparation (April- June 2019) April: 4/1- reserve session meeting rooms May: June: 5/1- Create marketing materials 6/1- Develop collaboration team and train facilitators Purchase supplies Begin marketing program First advisory team meeting scheduled for end of June Plan exhibition location and details Phase 1: Participant Process (July -August 2019) July: 7/18- Facilitate information sessions 7/25- Facilitate information sessions 7/29- Finalize participants August: 8/01- Orientation 8/20- Photography/ ethics class 8/29- Peer session 1 8/30- Begin exhibit development, Begin marketing events Phase 2: Community Involvement (September 2019- January 2020) September: Continue exhibit development, continue marketing events 9/12- Peer session 2 9/26- Peer session 3 October: 10/ 10- All material printed 10/17- lst exhibit December: 11/21- 2nd exhibit January: 1/20- Debrief and celebration Phase 3: Policy Process (February- May 2020) February: 2/1- Collab team meeting 2/15- Begin data analysis March: 3/15- Literature review based on data trends Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 6 April: May: 4/15- Develop policy suggestion paper 5/1- Present paper to City of Iowa City Example Photography Photo description: two steps outside a participant's apartment front door. Something as simple as two steps can pose a large mobility issue for someone who uses a mobility device (wheel chair, walker, scooter, etc.). Our participant took a picture to highlight how her apartment in downtown Iowa City was not accessible to everyone. Photo description: Rent 20th Anniversary Tour program held up in front of the stage at Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa. "What parts of Iowa City help you live life to the fullest?" Answer: Having access to enjoy music and the arts to the fullest. Hancher provided sign language interpreters for the recent Broadway musical that came to town, RENT. It was absolutely incredible! I may be deaf but I, like many deaf/hard of hearing individuals, have a deep appreciation for what music brings especially when it's Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 7 combined with dance and theater. The lyrics, the lights, the vibrations, the deep satisfaction in your soul as you smile thoroughly... Priceless. Photo description: Taken from the top of the bleachers within Kinnick Stadium during a University of Iowa football game. The photo captures almost the whole field facing the Hawkeyes's endzone. The sun is setting. "If you could change one thing about Iowa City to better support you and your disability, what would you do?" Answer: Provide captions everywhere whenever there's overhead announcements and videos! Two deaf friends and I recently attended an Iowa game. Before arrival, we were excited to learn that the Kinnick Stadium included captions only to be disappointed with the very limited access to communication that was actually provided. There's minimal live captioning available on the bottom left of the giant screen and it's very hard to read due to its small size and location. When post -production videos and advertisements were shown on the screen, no captions appeared (ironically captions appear when the same advertisements and videos are shown on TV or online). Only select announcements were captioned. Of course, we still enjoyed watching the game & fireworks, doing the sweet traditional wave at the children in the hospital, and cheering loudly for our Hawks! Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 8 IMPACTS AND CHANGE PROCESS GOALS Participant Change Process Vis-Ability intends to empower Iowa City residents with disabilities to self -advocate for increased equity and social inclusion through community discussion, awareness activities, and policy development. During bi-weekly peer groups, participants will be able to openly discuss barriers they have faced, steps the community has made toward reducing barriers, and the importance of sustaining efforts on behalf of the disability community. We expect that peer sessions will allow for a reduction in isolation of marginalized individuals through engagement with peers and their community. We also expect that the peer sessions will allow participants to feel validation regarding their experiences and provide personal artistic growth and found voices. Photo prompts will be provided, but participants will have the flexibility to decide what topics they would like to focus on within the provided prompts. Additionally, a baseline and ending survey will be provided to participants in order to measure their feelings of empowerment and self -advocacy growth. Community Change Process A traveling exhibit will be held following the completion of peer sessions in order to display the artistic photos and the captioned narratives created. During exhibit opening celebrations, community discussion events will take place with the goal of raising awareness to access related issues within the community. Discussions will focus on reducing barriers, celebtrating progress, and strategies to lower incedences of community stereotyping, stigma, prejudice, and discrimination. Community members will be able to interact with the exhibit on their own following opening events as it will be displayed within a public setting for a longer duration of time. It is also a goal of Vis-Ability to establish strong partnerships with policy professionals and stakeholders within the community who specialize in disability and so the exhibit promotion process will include invitations as well. Community impact will be measured by tracking attendance rates and through the administration of awareness surveys following discussion events. PRE -SESSION PREPARATION Participant Selection Process and Criteria Vis-Ability will have up to ten participants for pilot programming. Participants must be adults over eighteen years of age and have guardian permission when applicable. Participants must also be Iowa Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 9 City residents who have some type of a disability. Access 2 Independence does not require proof of diagnosis, thus self -disclosure of having a disability is accepted. Further, participants from all backgrounds are included, as Vis-Ability will not discriminate based on race or socioeconomic status. It is also required that each participant do or direct the work themselves, which includes taking or setting up photos and communicating during discussions. Participants are allowed the assistance of support staff and accommodations as long as the ideas come from participants themselves. Vis-Ability will have open enrollment. Due to the fact that Vis-Ability only has fimds for ten participants, we are not able to select more participants to cover for attrition. Therefore, it is important to find dedicated participants. We are unsure how popular our program will be as this is a pilot program, and so we do not have a good idea of how many individuals might apply to participate. If more than ten individuals apply, fmal decisions will be made by Access 2 Independence's Executive Director and Board of Directors. In order to narrow down participant selection of individuals meeting all the prior criteria, A2I might ask about one's willingness to write or communicate photography narratives, participate in discussions, and use creativity. This may be done in a brief interview format either in person or over the phone. Vis-Ability would also like to hear from new and unheard voices within the community. Thereon, if an individual is an already well-known advocate within Iowa City, their application may have less weight than a novel applicant in order to provide opportunity for advocate growth within Iowa City. Finally, it is preferred, but not required, that participants attend one of the information sessions prior to program implementation. The following list is a participant criteria checklist: ❑ Adult, over 18 years of age ❑ Guardian permission, if applicable ❑ Resident of Iowa City ❑ Has a disability ❑ Ability to participate and choose to participate on one's own, with supports and accommodations as needed To be used by ED and Board if more than ten individuals apply: ❑ Willingness to communicate photography narratives ❑ Willingness to participate in discussions ❑ Willingness to be creative ❑ Not an already well-known advocate Requirement to continue in the program after participation has been accepted: Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 10 ❑ Attend one of two information sessions (optional, but recommended) Participant Recruitment Process The opportunity for Vis-Ability enrollment will be provided within our quarterly newsletter and promoted on our facebook page. Informative flyers will also be sent out to Iowa City agencies, including day programs, R-place and other mental health drop -in centers for example.We plan to work with Public Access TV as well. Promotion will include an agency letter with brief information about photovoice projects, Vis-Ability's goals, and A2I contact information. All types of information should farther mention meeting dates and times for commitment purposes and mention that only ten participant spots are available, but Vis-Ability intends to repeat itself so there will be future opportunities as well. Finally, no handpicking of participants will be done or allowed. Our team has chosen these methods of promotion to ensure that we reach many individuals who meet our participants criteria without farther, unintentional bias regarding what disabilities, topics, and concerns are voiced. INFORMATION SESSIONS Vis-Ability will host two program information sessions lasting one hour each. All interested participants will be expected to attend one information session. We have scheduled two information sessions to accommodate schedules. These sessions will include a short presentation to provide interested participants with general information about what photovoice is. We plan to find and show a video to make this aspect of the session more interesting/ visually involved. Example photos from other photovoice projects should be shown. The second aspect of information sessions will include discussing components specific to Vis-Ability, such as session structure, outcome goals, transportation options, time commitment, and general participant tasks and expectations. It is important that interested participants understand the time duration involved in participating as it is a lengthy commitment. Participant calendars should be handed out and explained in full, including expectations to do work outside the scheduled meeting times. These calendars include meetings dates, times, and locations. Participants will then be able to ask Access 2 Independence staff questions and discuss any farther concerns. Information Session Outline: 1. Photovoice presentation and video (20 minutes) 2. Vis-Ability Components (20 minutes) a. Outcome goals, for participants and community b. Session structure c. Time commitment Participant Calendars Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 11 d. General participant tasks/expectations e. Transportation options 3. Question/ Answer time (20 minutes) Recording During information sessions, it is important to record any materials used, set up and tear down procceedures, attendance rates, feedback, how interested participants heard about Vis-Ability, and any accommodations and their costs. ORIENTATION (Optional) Following the information sessions, Vis-Ability will host a separate one hour orientation for all chosen participants. Orientation will further explain participant expectations and several forms will need to be completed. First, Vis-Ability's Attendance Policy will be provided and explained. During this time, transportation for participants and support staff should also be explained. Group norms and participant roles will then be discussed. This will include peer session expectations such as confidentiality, photo sharing and discussion, and the expectation to do outside when taking pictures on one's own during off weeks. Participants should fill out the Participant Rights and Responsibilities Agreement Form. It is likely that participants may be featured within photographs created through Vis-Ability, and so participants should also be provided with the Consent to Photograph Form. It is also important that participants begin to get to know each other during orientation, as they will be participating in discussions and providing peer support to each other. Thus, an Icebreaker Activity will be facilitated for participant introductions. Orientation will then close with participants completing the Baseline Survey in order to get a measure of their initial level of self -advocacy skills and feelings of empowerment. Orientation Session Outline: 1. Participant expectations discussion (20 minutes) a. Attendance policy i. Transportation details b. Peer session norms i. Confidentiality ii. Photo sharing and discussion iii. Outside work expectations c. Forms i. Participant Rights and Responsibilities Agreement Form Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 12 ii. Consent to Photograph Form 2. Participant Introductions (20 minutes) a. Icebreaker Activity 3. Baseline Survey (20 minutes) Recording During Orientation, it is important to record transportation costs and use of vouchers, camera use and any necessary replacements, setup and teardown procedures, attendance rates, participant feedback, and any accomodations and their costs. PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE (Orientation may be combined into this class) Camera Usage Course Participants will need to have a basic understanding of how to use the camera provided to them. The photography course should cover basic camera fimctions and settings. This should include saving and deleting images, zoom, focus, flash/lighting, SD card usage, etc. Photography Tips Course Quality photography requires more than simply knowing how to use a camera's fimctions. Thus, it is important to provide participants with fixrther photography tips and skills. The photography course should be led by someone with photography and artistic experience. Vis-Ability's photography course will be led by one of our own staff who is a photographer. If there is no one within the agency with photography experience, we suggest partnering with an experienced photographer or photography club within the community. Subject, perspective, color, and contrast should all be discussed throughout the course. Participants must first have an idea about what to take pictures of, the subiect of their photographs. Vis-Ability photographs need to focus on a message or story that can be communicated to viewers. Without a well thought out subject, photographs cannot be utilized as effective advocacy tools. A discussion should be held for participants to consider what to take pictures of. Subject suggestions should include but are not limited to: • What participants are satisfied or dissatisfied with within their community • What participants want to tell others about themselves and their experiences • What participants value and find important for themselves • What resources and helpful or needed within their community • What everyday life looks like for participants • What participants do to participate in the community Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 13 Perspective is vital in regards to communicating information about depth, space, and distance. Perspective thereon assists with communicating experience of a real -life environment that isn't flat. To provide a few examples, perspective can be used to demonstrate how height placement can affect one's ability to reach and space can demonstrate mobility and accessibility of wheelchair users or blind individuals. The use, or lack of, color can increase photography's ability to storytell by suggesting emotions/ mood and focal points. Further, color can then provide information regarding sadness, happiness, energy level, weather, or time of day. As a fiuther example of how color may be utilized, a student with a disability might use color to demonstrate how a classroom full of brightly colored posters can be distracting. Finally, it is important to ensure that photographs utilize contrast. Contrast allows images to be visually pleasing, have a focal point, show texture, etc. As an example of utilizing contrast, a participant who has trouble with mobility on uneven ground may want to photograph a space that has texture contrast between a flat walking surface and a rough or bumpy walking surface. Photography Safety and Ethics Discussion While discussing photography, it is also important to note ethical considerations and safety. Informed consent forms will be administered for participants in order to utilize photos for exhibits and promotions when participants are identifiable or photos are taken within their homes or businesses. There will also need to be a discussion regarding how to use photo consent forms if others are shown in participants' photos. Again, this will include receiving consent from community members when they are identifiable or within their homes and businesses as well. Identifiable images refer to when individuals can be recognized, including when their face is shown, or when specific tattoos and other markings are shown. Consent should also be received when photographing minors as well. Receiving informed consent for these types of images will avoid privacy violations. Further, the photographs taken by participants will need to tell a story and will include narratives when exhibited. Thus, it is important that such text is accurate and truthful to what was pictured and occured. Images featuring community members must not risk harming one's reputation, employment, status, individual liberty, or safety in any way. Consent is not necessary when photographing the environment, public settings, large crowds including individuals who are too small to be recognized, and people who can not be identified. Moreover, participants should be encouraged to protect their own safety by not entering dangerous places or situations. They should not do anything they wouldn't normally do or go anywhere they wouldn't normally go. Participants should be free from physical harm as well as emotional harm, harm to their own reputations, financial harm, etc. These safety factors should be brought up in an open discussion to make participants aware in order to eliminate risk The Camera Policy Form should be administered prior to the photography course completion. This form lays out guidelines and responsibilities for utilizing borrowed camera equipment and should be Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 14 signed by all receiving participants. The final step of the photography course session is to provide the first set of Photography Prompts to participants. Time should be allowed to openly discuss the questions to ensure that participants understand the prompts and feel comfortable moving forward in the direction they choose to go. Participants should be encouraged to decide on their own what specific topics they would like to focus within the given prompts. As an example, a student may choose to focus on going to school with a disability. Theron, prompts are meant to be open-ended and vague. The SHOWED Worksheet should be given to participants along with prompts so that they can begin to produce narratives for their images. Photography Course Facilitation Outline: 1. Camera Usage Course (30 minutes) 2. Photography Tips Course (25 minutes) 3. Photography Safety and Ethic Discussion (30 minutes) a. Camera Policy Form (5 minutes) b. Photography Prompts, With Discussion (30 minutes) SHOWED worksheet Recording During the photography course, it is important to record transportation costs and use of vouchers, camera use and any necessary replacements, setup and teardown procedures, attendance rates, participant feedback, and any accomodations and their costs . SESSIONS 1 and 2 All three peer sessions will last 2 hours. The first hour will be reserved for photo sharing discussion. Participants will choose one photo relating to each photo prompt to discuss with the group. Each participant will share three of their photos, for a total of up to 30 photos being shared. Images will be shown through a projector. The total number of photos taken by each participant should be recorded in order to get a participation measure. We expect that approximately ten photos should be taken by each individual. Participants will be allowed an opportunity to tell the group about their images and can utilize their SHOWED Worksheet as a guide. Viewers should be allowed an opportunity to ask questions and give feedback Following photo sharing, there will be 30 minutes reserved for discussing larger group themes and further community needs and concerns that arose. The remainder of the session will be devoted to discussing the next set of prompts so that participants walk away with ideas and and understanding of the questions provided. Prior to their departure, participants will have an opportunity to complete the Feedback Form, giving their input on how the session went and the ability to offer suggestions for the fixture. Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 15 Sessions 1 Outline: 1. Participant photo sharing (50 minutes) a. Participation measure 2. Large group themes discussion (30 minutes) 3. New prompts discussion (30 minutes) 4. Feedback(10 minutes) Peer Session 2 will follow the same general outline as peer session 1 while adapting to any changes suggested from previous participant feedback. Recording During Peer Sessions 1 and 2, it is important to record transportation costs and use of vouchers, camera use and any necessary replacements, setup and teardown procedures, attendance rates, the number of photos taken by each participant, and participant feedback, and any accomodations and their costs. CLOSING SESSION Session Agenda The third and final peer session will follow part 1 of the previous sessions. Part 2, the theme discussion, will then be altered towards a focus on discussing the importance of social inclusion and artistic advocacy and growth. Facilitators should have a few questions related to these two themes prepared to open the group discussion. The Post Survey, which will include rating scales equal to those of the Baseline Survey for comparison and a few new open ended questions, should be administered and completed by all participants during this time. The session will then close with photo and exhibit development. Participants will be able to develop their ideas, thoughts, and narratives for exhibition. Closing Session Outline: 1. Participant photo sharing (50 minutes) a. Participation measure 2. Peer Discussions (30 minutes total) a. Importance of social inclusion discussion (15 minutes) b. Artistic advocacy and growth discussion (15 minutes) Post survey (20 minutes) 3. Exhibit development (20 minutes) Recording Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 16 During the closing peer session, it is important to record transportation costs and use of vouchers, camera use and any necessary replacements, setup and teardown procedures, attendance rates, the number of photos taken by each participant, and participant feedback, and any accomodations and their costs. WRAP-UP CELEBRATION MEETING Last Meeting for Participants A wrap-up celebration is a great way to highlight participant personal achievements made throughout the program. Donations or business sponsorships can be utilized to purchase food and beverages like pizza and soda. This additional time can be used to obtain additional participant feedback, fiuther exhibit planning, and foster community amongst participants. If there are any tasks remaining with participants or program materials to be collected, this is the time to complete them in preparation for community exhibiting of participant work. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Presentation and Display Photographs taken by participants throughout peer sessions will be displayed within a traveling community exhibit. There will be two exhibit locations with the start of each showing beginning one month apart. The exhibit will be shown and open to the public for approximately one month at each of the two locations. Exhibits will feature an opening celebration following set up. During this time, A2I staff will have time available to briefly introduce the program and briefly present on common themes discussed throughout prior peer sessions, opening up opportunity for community discussion. A2I intends to work with community organizations with public, accessible spaces, that are frequently visited by a large number of diverse community members. The Iowa City Public Library is one example location. During opening celebrations it is also important to mention and provide community members with the Community Awareness Survey. This survey will help track community participation, engagement, awareness, and feedback Blank community awareness surveys might also be left at exhibits to be filled out by community members viewing on their own following exhibit openings. There can be a drop box to place filled out surveys in, or they can be given to staff to collect, depending on the location. Exhibit opening celebrations outline: 1. Open viewing time 2. Brief presentation a. Introduction of Vis-Ability b. Presentation of common themes c. Community awareness surveys: mention, explain, pass out 3. Open discussion, open viewing time continue Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 17 The exhibit displays will include a total of ten photography posters. Each individual poster will feature only one participant's images. Nine images, one for each photography prompt, will be printed on each poster. Participants will be able to take home the poster featuring their own images once exhibits are complete. Narratives, which will be guided by the SHOWED worksheet, will be displayed next to each participants poster. The exhibit will also feature additional quotes and impactful statements throughout to raise interest, draw viewers in, and highlight key concerns and themes. Exhibit Exposure Exhibits will be advertised through promotional brochures and flyers that will be placed within community organizations, businesses, and in other available public spaces. Other agency partners within the community will be given flyers to invite individuals. Volunteers should also play a part in the promotion process of handing out flyers to maximize outreach. The promotion process will also involve partnering with a newsource to get the word out to a larger audience. Finally, A2I plans to invite individuals and family and friends of participants are also welcome. Establishing strong partnerships with policy professionals who specialize in disability is yet another goal of Vis-Ability, and so A2I will work to personally invite such individuals and agencies. Free Will Donations Free will donations will be accepted and encouraged during exhibit opening celebrations in order to offset the cost of printing and transportation. DEBRIEF AND CELEBRATION SOCIAL ACTION Establishing Recommendations Vis-Ability holds the value of "nothing about us without us", the idea that no policy should be decided by any representative without full and direct participation of members of the group(s) affected by that policy. Presenting Recommendations to the City of Iowa City ADVISORY TEAM Advisory Team Role Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 18 A volunteer advisory team will be established in order for Vis-Abilty to receive outside perspectives from additional professionals/persons with outside specialties who do not play a permanent role in the programs development. The advisory team's roles will include providing input and feedback related to surveys and prompts, providing oversight and review for forms and policies, and providing additional expertise input regarding the program timeline. A2I expects that establishing an advisory team will also assist with Vis-Ability's goal to build professional community connections for outreach, fixture updates to the program, and policy crafting. Team and Meeting Details The first advisory team meeting will be in June. The team will consist of 4-6 members with expertise in all three areas of Vis-Ability programming; disability -related professionals, professionals with experience in policy development and research, and a photography or arts professional. Example advisory team members include individuals from The Public Policy Center, The College of Public Health, and The Center for Disability and Development. WHAT TO RECORD Vis-Ability received funding through the FY19 Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant. We are obligated to report various measurements back to the city of Iowa City, our board of directors, and for additional agency and fixnding purposes. These records and measurements will be used to answer evaluation questions. To evaluate input, involved staff, time, costs, transportation, equipment, materials, venues, community partners, volunteers, local students, and interns will all need to be measured. The following list lays out what to record. Additionally, when to record each measurement/ when each measurement is applicable will be laid out within the facilitation guide session outlines. Further, it is specified if a measurement is ongoing throughout the entire program process with no particular time. Ongoing measurements should be noted with each program update as needed. • Total number of individuals involved, as well as their roles, including: o Staff (ongoing) o Community partners (ongoing) o Volunteers (ongoing) o Local students (ongoing) o Interns (ongoing) • The program timeframe • Program budget and costs, including: o The original budget outlined within the grant o Transportation costs and use of vouchers o Camera purchase, use, and any necessary replacements o Exhibit material purchases, use, and setup and teardown procedures Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 19 o Venue search, contracts, cost, and use To evaluate performance, participation rates, community interest, and feedback from both participants and community members should be recorded for measurement. The following list lays out what should be tracked in this area: • Program attendance rates • Participant attendance • Number of photos taken by each participant during peer sessions • Participant feedback response forms • Responses to community member surveys To evaluate short term outcome, changes in participant self -advocacy skills, participant feelings of empowerment, visibility of the Iowa City disability community experience, and influences policy and recommendation developments need to be measured. The following list lays out what should be tracked in this area: • Participant pre/ baseline survey • Participant post survey • Community awareness survey • Policy recommendation development process (ongoing) o Policy recommendation partnerships (ongoing) To evaluate long term outcome, changes in community social integration for participants, awareness of the Iowa City disability community equity concerns, and policy making influenced by local voices within the local disability community need to be recorded and measured. The following list lays out what should be done/ tracked in this area: • Survey participants 3 months after program completion • Local coverage or mention of Vis-Ability (ongoing) • Policy discussion and change related to Vis-Ability recommendations in Iowa City (ongoing) SURVEYS AND PROMPTS EXPLAINED Pre and Post Group Participant Surveys Survey Use Explanation The pre and post group surveys for participants will be used as a comparison to analyze the programs effects on participants in relation to our outcome goals. Our survey intends to measure nine outcome goals, which include advocacy skills, feelings of validation, community integration, found voices, increased equity, social inclusion/ reduced isolation, feeling of Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 20 empowerment, awareness of one's own community, and artistic growth/creativity. They survey includes fifteen statements, with at least two statements directly relating to each of these outcome goals. The two main participant outcome goals of Vis-Ability, feelings of empowerment and self -advocacy skills, will also be the focus of the two open-ended questions in section 2 of the surveys in order to allow for a more descriptive response. Vis-Ability will utilize an outside advisory team as an additional check to ensure that the provided statements and questions relate to the specified outcome goals and use appropriate research methodology to the best of our ability. Survey Administration: Surveys should be as anonymous as possible. Participants should be given a participant number that will be in place of their name or any other identification. Participant numbers will only be used to compare pre and post surveys. Due to possible accommodation needs, it may not be possible or practical to have 100% anonymous surveys. In such cases, someone other than those individuals facilitating during survey administration should review the responses. Survey Creation Process and Reasoning Each chosen outcome goal identified within the survey relate to those within the initial grant as well as our Access 2 Independence's own agency goals. These goals were listed, defined, and then turned into a brainstormed document that included 37 statements. Our team decided a short survey was best due to possible barriers related to the participating population. Our team then finalized the survey down to fifteen statements, enough to ensure there were at least two statements directly related to each goal. We chose to use a five point likert scale within our survey for simplicity in responding, again with the intent to minimize participant barriers. The scale also allows for easy comparison between the responses received through the pre and post surveys. Part 1 of each survey will be the exact same. The two open ended questions in Part 2 of each survey will differ to provide more information about participants thoughts and experiences with Vis-Ability. Survey Key Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 21 The following list indicates which outcomes goals each survey statement relates to for Part 1 of the survey. An average response score out of 5 should be determined for each outcome goal in order to compare pre and post surveys. As an example, response scores from statements 3 and 9 would be averaged to determine one's level of feelings of validation. If the participant were to respond with "3 neutral" and "4 disagree" for those statements, then there average response score for feelings of validation would be 3.5. An average lower post survey response score compared to the pre survey response score for an individual outcome goal would suggest Vis-Ability produced a positive outcome. A higher post survey response score would suggest Vis-Ability produced a negative outcome. • Advocacy skills: statements 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 15 • Feelings of validation: statements 3 and 9 • Community integration: statements 3, 5, 7, 8, and 12 • Found voice: statements 5, 6, 8, 11 • Increased equity statements 3 and 6 • Social inclusion/ reduced isolation: statements 3, 8, 12 • Feelings of empowerment: statements 2, 11, 12 • One's own awareness of their community: statements 7, 12, and 14 • Artistic growth/creativity: statements 4 and 15 Part 2 of each survey can not be directly compared in this format, however themes in responses should be analyzed and used for discussion, policy and future programming interests. Photography Prompts There will be a total of nine photography prompts administered to participants. Sets of three prompts will be given during the Photography Course and Peer Sessions 1 and 2. Eight themes have been decided on to ensure there is a broad range in prompt topics. These themes include independence, disability meaning, accommodations and accessibility, socialization/ recreation and leisure, barriers, inclusiveness and participation, identity, and safety and security. Prompts are open ended with flexibility to allow for creativity. Participants should be encouraged to decide on their own what specific topics they would like to focus within the given prompts. As an example, a student may chose to focus on going to school with a disability. Each prompt should be Vis-Ability Facilitation Guide 22 general rather than specific to any role or activity so that each participant can relate their own ideas. Prompts are also meant to be balanced with positives (supports) and negatives (barriers) so that all sides of a story are able to be depicted. The advisory team will also be given an opportunity to review all prompts once developed to ensure they are worded appropriately and asking useful questions. Community Awareness Survey :11 11►: •.0 Periodic Progress Report to the City of Iowa City Social Justice and Racial Equity Project Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County Reporting Period: October 1, 2019 — December 31, 2019 Submitted by: Andrew Coghill-Behrends, Broadway Site Director Proiect Narrative On Friday, November 22, 2019, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County and the South District Neighborhood Association collaborated to organize the Second Annual South District Thanksgiving Feast. The event was hosted by Faith Academy/Parkview Church East and was sponsored by the City of Iowa City, Black Voices Project, Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity, the Antelope Lending Library, NCJC and SDNA. The event was free and open to the public and drew significantly more people than had attended in 2018 - about 300-350 adults and children came together to enjoy a meal and community. Residents of the South District and members of Parkview Church volunteered to serve the meal and many attendees brought desserts to share. Audio equipment was provided by Faith Academy. Multiple organizations were present to sponsor activities for children and first responders staffed the "Thanksgiving Tree," where attendees could write what they are thankful for on a paper leaf to affix to the tree. Several elected officials were in attendance, as well, mingling with their constituents. SJRE funding was designated for and expended on food purchases for the meal, tables and equipment, supplies for crafts, and advertising. Two large in -kind contributions were made for the event which were not anticipated. One of the steering committee members provided the chafing dishes/sterno supplies for the event, eliminating the need for their rental. Additionally, NCJCs Chef offered a steep discount on the turkey for the meal, providing considerable savings. Progress Toward Stated Goals • By connecting local law enforcement (and other first responders) with South District residents in community -building settings and building relationships with the community and its members, we can impact the criminal justice at the pre -entry level and decrease disproportionate minority contact and disparate outcomes. Iowa City Police Department personnel and Iowa City Fire Department personnel were in attendance at a community event which drew approximately 300-350 South District residents. Additionally, elected officials were in attendance and were able to interact with residents of the South District. • By developing strong relationships between South District businesses and residents, we can create connections that may result in employment opportunities for South District community members. Additionally, by making the South District more appealing to potential employers, we can impact the availability of employment opportunities. Regrettably, despite outreach, no South District businesses were in attendance for the Thanksgiving Feast. More participation is anticipated for Taste of Broadway, which features local restaurants and food trucks prominently in the design of the event. • By developing strong and sustained relationships among residents, businesses, and service agencies, we can increase the social capital and collective efficacy of the South District. Strong social capital and collective efficacy have been shown to have positive effects in multiple areas, including crime, cardiovascular disease and other health concerns, and mental health. The Thanksgiving Feast was attended by not only residents of the South District, but first responders and local service providers. The Antelope Lending Library was on site to offer children and families books and activities to share. Habitat for Humanity sponsored a craft and a temporary tattoo booth. Faith Academy/Parkview Church volunteers helped to sponsor a craft activity and assure that the night ran smoothly. Overall, the providers and volunteers present were able to create and strengthen relationships with and among residents of the South District. Budget Summary Total budget for National Night Out: $980.00 Total SJRE expenditures: Sysco Food Service $307.80 HyVee $146.07 Costco $72.56 Pip Printing $74.20 Facebook $40.00 Aero Rental $104.94 TOTAL: $745.57 In -kind Funds expended: $234.43 Total expenditures: $980.00 University of Iowa Mood Disorders Center Amanda Heeren, LMSW SJRE 2019-2020 Grant Update Acceptance and Commitment therapy for Parolees and Probationers program has provided three in - person learning sessions and collected focus group data from clients, corrections officers, and corrections supervisors. Additionally, the curriculum has been scrutinized and updated after each in - person session to reflect changes suggested by attendees and to improve the content and delivery. Modifications to the approach originally outlined in the grant application have been required since the beginning of the grant period due to barriers to participation among clients and staff of the DOC. Additionally, the secondary goal of the grant, to create a standardized curriculum that can be rolled out via Train -the -Trainer method in a second year had to be adapted due to the funding no longer being available to UIHC. Finally, an extension to finish the project has been granted by the funding agency due to the COVID19 epidemic; during this extension, the remaining objectives will be met. The report below outlines the progress and changes to date. Focus Groups In person focus groups proved difficult to execute over the course of the first quarter of the grant, specifically for clients of the DOC and for people of color within the administrative level of the DOC. In response to this difficulty, the team adapted the in -person approach by asking the focus group questions of the participants when they were contacted via phone to confirm enrollment into the course. With this approach, we have so far been able to gatherthe "focus group data' via individual interview with 9 clients of the DOC, including 4 people of color. Additionally, focus group data were obtained from front line, managerial and administrative level of the 61' Judicial District with 9 participants from the DOC, including one person of color. Data was integrated into the curriculum design to reflect the feedback of the clients and staff of the DOC. Participation We have held 3 session thus far. Registration has been 9 individuals for each session with 27 registrations (the grant goal was 10 per session). Unfortunately, the attendance has been significantly less than those who pre -registered for the sessions. 14 of the registered participants attended the sessions. Barriers including work day conflicts, previous appointments, and the length of the class have been identified. At this time, we plan to host a final session once social distancing restrictions are lifted. Curriculum/kit development Following each session, the team reviewed feedback provided via the Group Satisfaction Survey and integrated changes reflective offeedbackfrom participants. Update on dissemination plan Originally, there was a section of the grant that discussed dissemination of the curriculum across the Iowa Department of Corrections utilizing a train -the -trainer program. Due to changes in eligibility for grantees, the University of Iowa was not able to apply for year two funding. In an effort to find a way to roll out the program to parolees and probationers, the University of Iowa Mood Disorders Center is partnering with the non-profit organization Inside Out to train their volunteers to administer the program in the future. From: Shams Ghoneim <shamsghoneim@mchsi.com> Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2020 1:17 PM To: Stefanie Bowers <Stefanie-Bowers@iowa-city.org>; Adrien K Wing <adrien-wing@uiowa.edu>; John Barr <barrjohno@sau.edu> Cc: Salam AI-Marayati <salam@mpac.org> Subject: Alert hate speech affecting IA inmates A Dear Adrien, Stefanie, and John; I am not sure if you are aware of the Islamophobic, homophobic, ugly, and appalling online comments by Muscatine Countyjail administrator Dean Naylorthat is likely to affect JC inmates sent there as part of the agreement between our county and Muscatine county regarding the overcrowding in ourjail. The coverage is on the front age of today's IC Press Citizen. Please read Jailer's 'treatise' sparks concern I pray that Iowa City Human Rights Commission, UI Center for Human Rights, and CRC can individually or collectively address this abhorable statement by a government employee paid by our own tax dollars. I submitted today a response letter to the ICPC for consideration and hope that all our local and county wide organizations also issue a rebuke to such hateful sentiments during a raging Pandemic. Than k you all for your ongoing brave stand against all hate and bias. Best regards. Shams Ghoneim The following documents were handed out during the meeting. TO: Iowa City Human Rights Commission FROM: Jennifer Sherer, Director, University of Iowa Labor Center DATE: April 17, 2020 RE: November, 2019 - March, 2020 Progress Report: University of Iowa Labor Center Corridor Apprenticeship Opportunity Network The University of Iowa Labor Center's Corridor Apprenticeship Opportunity Network links unemployed or underemployed Iowa City residents from underrepresented groups with opportunities to prepare for and enroll in Iowa Registered Apprentice programs in advanced manufacturing or construction trades. We continued one-on-one outreach visits and phone calls throughout November and December, focused especially on recruiting a diverse cohort of attendees to the first four -week session of our Corridor Apprenticeship Readiness Course. We held two well -attended orientation sessions in November, and generated significant public interest in the program via outreach visits to local churches, community organizations, nonprofits, high schools, social service agencies, social media advertising, and positive news coverage (see below for link to example). We received more applications (over 50) for the January four -week course than we could accommodate in the space available, and ultimately enrolled 37 participants. Those who we were unable to fit into the January course were offered spaces in the Cedar Rapids course originally scheduled to begin in late March, which has now been postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19. The final Coralville cohort included five women, 25 people of color, and 15 youth age 17-24. Based on demographic questionnaires, twenty of the participants identified themselves as African -American, two as Asian, two as Latin@, and one as mixed race. Eighteen of the participants indicated they were Bust -generation immigrants. All 37 participants successfully completed the four -week course and graduated with OSHA and CPR certifications and a certificate showing completion of the Multi -Craft Core Curriculum. This certificate, issued by the North American Building Trades Unions, is recognized by our program partners including dozens of apprenticeship training programs in the Iowa City -Cedar Rapids area. The four -week course covered trades and industry awareness, construction math, introductions to tools, materials, and blueprint reading, labor history, job site safety, first aid/CPR, financial literacy, and combating harassment in the workplace. The course included a full day of visits to training centers, meetings with apprenticeship training coordinators, practice interviews, tips on the apprenticeship application process, and a final graduate ceremony attended by community partners in February. COVID-19 has so far prevented placing graduates in training programs. At present, all training centers are temporarily closed and most are not accepting applications until they reopen. At present, we are continuing one-on-one follow up with course graduates by phone, video - conference, or email, providing guidance on application preparation, reviewing requirements, and making sure graduates are prepared to apply to their preferred program when training centers reopen. We also continued leadership development programming for underrepresented groups in the trades during this period. In January, we co -hosted the first statewide gathering of women apprentices and journey workers in the electrical trade from four different IBEW (International Brother of Electrical Workers) locals. Working with the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council, we had planned a one -day education conference for March 17,' focused on "Building Diversity in Iowa's Construction Trades." This event unfortunately was canceled due to COVID-19. Despite the unavoidable and frustrating delay in placing graduates in training programs, we are otherwise on track to meet or exceed each of the goals set out in our proposal: "The program goals over a period 12 months (July 2019 — June 2020) are to reach at least 120 local workers in outreach and recruitment events, enroll at least 20 local residents in the preapprentice education program, and include at least 28 local residents in leadership development programming designed to boost success of women and workers of color who consider applying registered apprentice programs." -At least 120 low-income workers will participate in outreach events and informational workshops to learn about apprenticeship opportunities (Status: over 130 local workers already reached) -At least 20 local residents will enroll in the preapprentice education series and over 50% of them will enroll in a registered apprentice program following the series (Status: 37 local residents including 30 who identified as members of underrepresented groups —enrolled in our first Corridor preapprentice education series and graduated the program in February; placement follow up began in March but has been delayed due to temporary closure of all apprenticeship training centers due to COVID-19) -At least 28 local residents will attend relevant regional leadership development programming (e.g., the 2019 Black workers' conference or the 2019 Midwest School for Women Workers) and access peer support networks connected to these programs (Status: Seven local low-income residents attended the Midwest School for Women Workers in July, 2019 and 10 women attended a convening to launch a statewide committee of women in electrical trades in January, 2020; our next planned event —a one -day conference focused on `Building Diversity in Iowa's Construction Trades," was scheduled for March 17 and unfortunately was cancelled due to COVID-19; we are continuing) Photos and press KCRG coverage of November, 2019 orientation sessions New training program aims to fill quality skilled trade jobs in Cedar Rapids area https://www.kcrg.com/content/news[New-training-pro gram -aims-to-fill-quality-skilled-trade- jobs-in-Cedar-Rapids-area-564901842.htm1 IBEW Iowa Women's Conference, January 4, 2020 Four -week Apprenticeship Readiness Course, January 7-February 4, 2020 r Training center visits, January 18, 2020 � Aw. R ouse mare than a reel and a ped SJRE Grant Report April 2020 Shelter House has continued to partner with The University of Iowa College of Nursing to help revitalize the Nursing Clinic located in the emergency shelter and outreach building at 429 Southgate Avenue. A major and needed purchase was an exam table. This allows clinic staff to better meet the needs of clients by having an actual medical table that is accessible to perform services. • Other items purchased were blood pressure cuffs, a diagnostic system that can read blood pressure, Oto/Ear exams, and body temperature. Essentially this is a device that allows clinic staff to check vitals and basic overall health of clients. A portable temporal thermometer was also purchased. Lastly, a Practice Fusion subscription (medical records system that will communicate with UIHC and complies with all HIPAA laws) was purchased and training given to Shelter House staff. The latest update on the clinic is that the faculty reps and Shelter House staff meet monthly and continue to evaluate the last of the items to be purchased. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, clinic staff are postponing any visits from March until it is deemed safe to return. This includes UI Nursing and Johnson County Public Health. In July 2020, Shelter House will send full accounting records and specific details of purchases along with a summary of the demographics and number of people who have used the clinic —along with any other outcomes measured. Submitted by, Debbie Peck, Emergency Services Director P.O. Box 3146 Shcher House is a tax exempt 501(e)(3)mgmn tmu. As a parmcr agemy of the United Iowa City, IA 52244-3146 way of Johnson County, we have successfully met all tomt membership accum,tAnfity Y 319.351-0326 sta„ lords in s„a„ee, ethics, goo.., and divers ty. eww � J w..a.. wumwn rri.. 1HRC Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition 1216 2nd Ave SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 City of Iowa City Racial ]usrice & Social Fquity Grant INTERIM GRANT REPORT April 1, 2020 Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition The project goals and outcomes are listed below, along with an update regarding progress made towards the completion of the goal and the outcomes. We look forward to providing the final additional products when we complete the grant. Further, we have identified a number of opportunities to continue building relationships with people participating in the testing program who identify as black or latinx and look forward to building on this work to dismantle racial inequities in our community. • Goal 1: Expand community -based HIV/HCV testing and risk reduction education. o Outcome a: Provide testing services and risk reduction education to 200 Iowa City residents who are current or former intravenous drug users, current or former sex workers, and/or identify as black, African -American, or Latinx. During the first quarter of the grant period, we implemented weekly HIV/HCV testing at the Iowa City Free Lunch Program and Shelter House. We also expanded testing services through our mobile outreach program and conducted testing two days per week in Iowa City. Mobile services take place at community settings that include liquor stores, bars, clubs, fast food restaurants, motels, parks, and gas stations. We also interact with people who reach out to IHRC via our text -message hotline and for whom we provide home deliveries. Following the first quarter, we provided training on HIV and HCV testing administration to eight new volunteers. We provided training on HIV and HCV to four additional volunteers who identified as black or African American and who used injection drugs. These four individuals elected not to learn to conduct rapid testing, as they did not possess an interest in obtaining th s skill, but received training on the epidemiology of the two viruses, as well as strategies for prevention of transmission. This allowed for these individuals to become peer recruiters and to encourage individuals within their networks to reach out to receive testing from Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition. MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT 1HRC Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition 1216 2nd Ave SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 As of April 1, 2020, we administered 163 rapid screens for HIV and HCV among Iowa City residents who identify as black, African American, or Latinx. We anticipate achieving the project goal by June 2020 and intend to administer 200 tests. During the interim period, IHRC also developed a needs -assessment regarding HIV, hepatitis C, and substance use within communities of color in Iowa City. The goal of the needs -assessment was to identify additional networks of individuals who may benefit from participating in community outreach services for rapid testing (for HIV and HCV). The needs assessment was distributed to over 100 local leaders, including elected officials, academics / researchers, physicians, and owners / leaders of local businesses, restaurants, salons, barber shops, churches, and cultural institutions. The needs assessment included a ten -item anonymous survey (completed online) and an optional 30-minute phone interview. No individuals elected to complete the phone interview. Of the individuals who completed the written survey, zero respondents perceived drug use and its infectious disease consequences as a primary concern for individuals within their networks. This confirmed to us that our strategy of conducting peer -to -peer outreach at the street level provided us with stronger connectivity to people who inject drugs and are at risk for HIV / HCV (compared to other strategies for expanding the reach of our services and reaching new networks in our community). Goal 2: Engage 100% of identified individuals with HIV/HCV into treatment services using patient navigator in order to prevent further transmission of HIV/HCV and progression to AIDS, liver damage, liver cancers. o Outcome a: Engage an anticipated 42 individuals in HCV treatment via process described above. Due to COVID-19, our patient navigation services were placed on hold in mid -March 2020. As of the 3� week of March, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics postponed all treatment visits for hepatitis C. Visits will resume in June 2020 (anticipated). Prior to the pandemic, 18% (29) of the 163 individuals tested had a reactive screen for HCV. No individuals had reactive screens for HIV. 29 individuals total received a reactive screen. 27 of these 29 received a confirmed positive test Of 27, 100% were scheduled to begin care that the University of Iowa Liver Clinic. Those two individuals who screened reactive for HCV had a confirmatory blood sample collected at the time of testing, which was sent to the State Hygienic Laboratory for viral load testing. These patients were counseled on information about the hepatitis C virus, the meaning of a reactive test result and what to expect with the confirmatory test result, and next steps for setting up an appointment through the University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics (UIHC). After establishing that the patients were medically insured, patients were registered at UIHC and an appointment was set up with the hepatologist regarding reactive HCV. We established a plan for meeting on the day of the appointment to provide transportation to UIHC for them. At the appointment, patients undergo additional laboratory testing, a fibroscan test to determine liver fibrosis score, and will meet with the physician to determine the best course of treatment. 1HRC Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition 1216 2nd Ave SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 At present all patient visits will be postponed until UIHC permits outpatient visits to resume in the UIHC outpatient clinics, including the liver clinic. Johnson County BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Rod Sullivan, Chairperson Lisa Green -Douglass Pat Heiden, Vice Chairperson Royceann Porter Janelle Rettig April 20, 2020 Muscatine County Board of Supervisors Muscatine County Administration Building 414 E. 3rd Street, Suite 101 Muscatine, IA 52761-4142 Re: Concerns regarding Captain Dean Naylor, Jail Administrator Dear Members of the Board of Supervisors, On behalf of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, I am writing you to express our deep concerns regarding the comments and actions of Captain Naylor, as recently reported in the media. Attached is a copy of the article by Clark Kauffman from the Iowa Capital Dispatch. Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek shared with us that he has housed our county's overflow inmates at the Muscatine County Jail for more than ten years and has had a good relationship with your Sheriff's Office. However, Captain Naylor's reprehensible comments about Muslims and members of the LGBTQ+ community have caused us to fear for the civil liberties of the inmates housed at your jail. We find Captain Naylor's hateful speech to be unacceptable, particularly considering the high standard we hold for sworn law enforcement officers. We denounce his comments and actions. Given this, we ask that the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors take whatever actions are necessary to ensure the protection of the civil liberties of all persons incarcerated in your jail. We hope that you share our viewpoint and swiftly act to address our concerns. We appreciate your willingness to address this situation and look forward to your response. We will continue to monitor this situation closely. As you might imagine, if concerns remain, we may have no choice but to terminate our contract with Muscatine County and seek housing for our county's overflow inmates elsewhere. Sincerely, r Rod Sullivan, Chairperson Johnson County Board of Supervisors cc: Muscatine County Attorney Alan R. Ostergren Muscatine County Sheriff C.J. Ryan 913 South Dubuque Street ♦ Iowa City, Iowa 52240 ♦ 319-356-6000 ♦ www.johnson-county.com 4/20/2020 Iowa jail official: Muslims are'pawns of the devil' aiming to kill Christians - Iowa Capital Dispatch Iowa jail official: Muslims are 'pawns of the devil' aiming to kill Christians By Clark Kauffman - April 10, 2020 Muscatine County Jail Administrator Dean Naylor has a YouTube channel in which he details the coming "end times. "In a related written treatise, he says Muslims worship Satan and will soon hunt dawn and kill Christians and laws. (Photo: YouTube screen capture.) The top administrator atone of Iowa's largest jails says Muslims are "pawns of the devil" and will soon be hunting down and killing Christians. Muscatine County Jail Administrator Dean Naylor has placed online a lengthy treatise on the subject, as well as seven videos, all of which were produced five to six years ago but remain publicly accessible online. In his written treatise, Naylor describes "the gay lifestyle" as an abomination and denounces court rulings that have led to the removal of the Ten Commandments from courthouses and government buildings. Naylor's YouTube channel includes three hours of video lectures on the scriptures and the coming "tribulations and rapture" that he says will take place sometime before 2023. For the past 10 years, Naylor has run the Muscatine County Jail, which has roughly 250 beds and houses inmates for other eastern Iowa counties and the federal government. The jail frequently houses Muslim inmates, some of whom have complained of discrimination. In a federal lawsuit filed in 2013, seven months before Naylor posted his written condemnation of Muslims, a Muslim inmate sued Naylor in federal court, claiming the jail administrator had ignored his request for a copy of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. The case was tossed out of court after the inmate failed to respond to the county's motion to dismiss. In the 11,500-word treatise entitled "End Times — We Are Here!!," Naylor characterizes Muslims as "the beast" that will set out to kill all Christians and Jews just before the rapture occurs. https://iowacapitaidispatch.com/2020/O4/10/iowa jail-official-muslimsare-pawns-of-the-devil-aiming-to-kill-christians/ 1/3 4/2012020 Iowa jail official: Muslims are'pawns of the devil' aiming to kill Christians - Iowa Capital Dispatch He writes: • "The people following the Muslim faith are nothing more than pawns to the devil ... Allah is Satan, no doubt. Christians need to wake up and understand this. The Muslim world is bowing five times a day to the devil and they don't know it ... Islam has 2 billion followers, they hate Jews and Christians (and) they can have a 200-million-man army ... Our fellow servants will turn on us and rat us out to the Satanically led Muslims who will be hunting us." • "Muslims also do not have any use for Christians. They will attack and kill any `infidel'. An `infidel' is anyone who does not believe in Islam or in other words worship `Satan: This includes both Christians and Jews ... Muslims that are currently worshiping Satan and do not realize that they are actually worshiping Satan but they are being influenced now to kill and eradicate all Christians and Jews." • "The next thing on the horizon is a world war. This war will kill a third of mankind. That is about 2 billion people ... It wouldn't take long to kill 2 billion people with nuclear weapons. So the war could only take a few days or a year or two. So it could start anytime and probably already has." • "Very soon Christians will be faced with a world that is hunting them worldwide and they will not be able to participate in the economy." • "The public and governmental acceptance of the gay lifestyle which is an abomination that according to scripture even defiles the land has caused great harm on our nation. Schools not allowing prayer and teaching atheistic views to our children has also caused great harm not to mention removing truths like the Ten Commandments from our courthouses and government offices." Rita Bettis Austen, legal director for the ACLU of Iowa, said that while the organization doesn't know whether Naylor's views have resulted in discrimination at the jail, "religious discrimination by officials has no place in America, which prizes religious freedom and pluralism among all our people. Regardless of the comments, we would encourage any Muslim who has experienced religious discrimination while held in the Muscatine County Jail in the last two years to contact the ACLU of Iowa, or another attorney, promptly. Federal law, and the U.S. and Iowa Constitutions, protect against discrimination based on religion in jails and prisons, and officials may be sued when they do so." In one of his videos, Naylor vehemently urges viewers to "buckle up" and prepare for a war that will take place between 2016 and 2023 and will kill one-third of mankind. "The beast is coming, all right? Whether you want to wake up to it or not, he's coming. Our time is nearing the end," Naylor says in the video. "The clock on the end time is ticking ... Wake up. We need to start preparing for war — spiritual war and physical war." Asked whether his videos and written statements reflect his current way of thinking, Naylor declined to comment. Naylor's boss, Muscatine County Sheriff C.J. Ryan, said that as sheriff his "concern is the actions of my employees, not their personal beliefs. I have no comment on the personal beliefs of Mr. Naylor or any of my other employees." Ryan said "it is departmental policy that all employees are required to treat individuals with whom they interact without regard to their personal characteristics such as race, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation or other factors protected by law." Muscatine County Supervisor Scott Sauer said he knows Naylor, but doesn't know anything about his public statements or online postings. https:I/iowacapitaldispatch.com/202O/04]l O/iowa-jail-official-muslims-are-pawns-of-the-devil-aiming-to-kill-christians/ 2/3 4/20/2020 Iowa jail official: Muslims are'pawns of the devil' aiming to kill Christians -Iowa Capital Dispatch "I know nothing of what you're speaking of, nothing at all," he said. "I don't get online looking for whatever. I'm just not a person who does that, that gets online and searches for whatever you can search for. I've got way too much work to do to be doing that." Supervisor Doug Holliday said he, too, was unaware of any online postings by the jail administrator. He said he's not sure it would be an issue for the board to consider, as they have been busy dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. He said he has some initial thoughts on Naylor's views, but added that he's reluctant to share them until he can find out more about the situation. Clark Kauffman Deputy Editor Clark Kauffman has worked during the past 30 years as both an Investigative reporter and editorial writer at two of Iowa's largest newspapers, the Des Moines Register and the Quad -City Times. He has won numerous state and national awards for reporting and editorial writing. His 2004 series on prosecutorial misconduct in Iowa was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. From October 2018 through November 2019, Kauffman was an assistant ombudsman for the Iowa Office of Ombudsman, an agency that investigates citizens' complaints of wrongdoing within state and local government agencies. httDs://iowacaD!taldispatch.com/202O/04/i O/iowa-jail-official-muslims-are-pawns-of-the-devil-aiming-to-killchristians/ 3/3