We are committed to promoting healthy lifestyles. Recognizing that education is vital to both promotion of good health and prevention of chronic disease, Mariposa created Platicamos Salud, a nationally recognized program, which evolved to Community Health Services.
Community Health Services utilizes highly trained community health workers to reach the under-served populations in Santa Cruz County by offering an array of outreach, education, practical instruction, personal assistance and referral services for county residents of all ages in a manner that is language and culture appropriate.
Our Community Health Services professionals are generally longtime residents of the community and reflect the cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic characteristics of their neighbors. They receive training in health care, facilitation and community resources, and assist Mariposa’s customers in navigating the health care system. They interact with clients and their families and teach them to assess and manage their personal risk factors and to positively impact their own well-being. They also cooperate and collaborate with teen health facilitators who also work in the community, helping individuals and families learn about nutrition, exercise and living healthy, productive lives. Both our adult and teen Community Health Services facilitators are supported by a professional public health team.
Community Health Services include:
Individual Services
- Health Start home visitation (pregnant women/women with children under the age of 2)
- Breastfeeding support at the hospital and at home
- Oral health screenings for pregnant women
- Fluoride varnishing for children age 5 and under
- Assistance with breast cancer treatment and survivorship
- Instruction on childcare safety seats
- Domestic Violence Advocacy
- Tobacco Cessation Services
Health Classes
- Prenatal Classes
- Abstinence Plus Education
- Es Dificil Ser Mujer (depression)
- Diabetes Prevention Program
Support Groups
- Juntos Contra El Cancer
- Domestic Violence
Services
- Ventanilla de Salud (Health promotion services at the Mexican Consulate)
- Santa Cruz County Adolescent Wellness Network
- Farmer’s Market/Nogales “little” Mercado
- U.S. citizenship classes and assistance with citizenship exam preparation
- Summer Youth Institute (seven-week certification program for teen facilitators)
- Tobacco Cessation
- NocHes – Sleep Study
- Mariposa Youth Coalition/ Youth Council
- Car Seat Safety Events
Community Programs and Classes
Some of the group programs available through Community Health Services include:
- Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Classes
- Diabetes Education and Prevention
- Cancer Screening Education and Prevention
- Prenatal Education, Home Visiting Program
- Breastfeeding Promotion and Education Program
- Women’s Health Programs (Health Education, Fitness, Nutrition, Depression, Life skills)
- Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Education Programs
- Summer Youth Institute and Peer Health Training
- For Youth By Youth, Yosshi
- Teen Pregnancy Prevention HIV/STI Education
- Community Car Seat Program
- Family Violence Prevention Services
- Housing Support
- Santa Cruz County Overcoming (SOSA) Addiction Consortium
- WIC-Women, Infants and Children 0-5
For more information, please contact Community Health Services at (520) 375-6050.
WIC Program
The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program helps parents be good parents through:
- Nutrition Education
- Breastfeeding Support (Counseling, Home Visits, Breast Pumps)
- Supplemental Foods (Including fruits and vegetables, whole grains and soy)
- Referrals to Health and Social Services
Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, as well as infants under one year and children under age five are eligible for WIC services.
Call 520-287-4994 for an appointment and list of documents to bring in order to apply for services.
WIC Participant Portal
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- Mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - Fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - Email:
program.intake@usda.gov
