The project, called the Community Care Active Engagement Project (CCAEP), is funded by a grant from , a North Texas nonprofit health system.
Constance Lacy, the at UNT Dallas, is heading up the project.
鈥淲e鈥檙e already starting to get some really rich information,鈥� Lacy said. 鈥淲e want to hear from the janitors, we want to hear from the nurses, we want to hear from the administrators, everyone, because they all played a different role.鈥�
She said she鈥檚 interested in learning how health providers --like clinics, school districts and local nonprofits -- started and continue to use new ways to reach patients since 2020.
鈥淎s we look back, what did we learn and how does it inform what we do moving forward?鈥� she said. 鈥淲e now have a generation of individuals who experienced the pandemic. It would be interesting to see what rises up in the next 10, 25 years as a result of COVID.鈥�
One of the partners involved in the project is , a West Dallas nonprofit that鈥檚 been around since the 1940鈥檚. The organization helps people access food, health care, mental health resources and job training.
Ivan Esquivel is the clinic director. He said he鈥檒l never forget the day the city of Dallas shut things down in .
鈥淲e serve about 150 people in person鈥� three times a week for food services, Esquivel said. 鈥淲e had to completely pivot to a drive-through model overnight. We didn鈥檛 know what we were doing. It was such a confusing time.鈥�
He said a lot of things have changed for the organization since then鈥攖he staff has expanded from about 10 people to more than 20 people, and they now provide both in-person and telehealth options for patients.
鈥淐OVID-19 severely impacted the community that we serve,鈥� Esquivel said. 鈥淲e saw a lot of grief, a lot of loss.鈥�
Esquivel said the clinic has continued to increase the amount of patients since 2020鈥攆rom around 500 in 2019 to close to 2,000 last year. He attributed this to the continued 鈥渕ental health fallout鈥� from the pandemic.
鈥淭he unknowns, the stress, just completely dug up other issues of trauma they maybe had buried for years,鈥� Esquivel said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something we learned a lot about during 2020. These people were struggling mentally, severely.鈥�
He said telehealth options also made these mental health visits more accessible by breaking down the stigma of coming into the clinic for services.
鈥淢eeting them at home, meeting them on their phone, opened up opportunities for them to be vulnerable with us,鈥� he said.
Esquivel says nonprofits like his should embrace change to continue serving people in the community. He'll share his experiences with others in upcoming focus groups hosted by Lacy and other researchers, who are set to publish their findings this fall.
Got a tip? Email Elena Rivera at erivera@kera.org. You can follow Elena on Twitter .
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