IRIS's Health Program Recognized

Health Navigator Asked to Present to Peers

Helping newcomers navigate available resources is a core part of IRIS's Case Management services. Without the guidance of a case manager, those who might need help the most would be unaware of their options.

IRIS's Health Navigator, Zhinos Zareh Latif, works to bridge this gap. Her relationships with all stakeholders, from case managers to clients to academic institutions, has fostered meaningful services.

This effort of Zhinos and the IRIS team was recently recognized by our grantor, the California Dept. of Public Health. 

IRIS case managers have built a valuable foundation of trust and mutual respect with clients. This allows for engaging workshops, sharing information, and navigating medical resources. Even mental health support, a sensitive topic in many cultures, has been possible through these connections.

IRIS continues to aid the community in spite of federal funding cuts and anti-immigrant action. The services mentioned above are through the Afghan Health Program (AHP) and Refugee Health Promotion Program (RHPP), made possible by IRIS's partnership with the California Dept. of Public Health. 

IRIS also recently held a health workshop in collaboration with California Health Collaborative and the Every Woman Counts program. Interns from Occidental College and Cal State Los Angeles helped with the presentation. The workshop focused on the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is the cause six different type of cancers.

Attendees shared that they were previously unaware of the HPV vaccine and the importance of Pap smears for HPV testing. One client learned about these cancer prevention services for the first time in the U.S. and now plans to use them. Another participant, initially hesitant about more vaccines, now intends to take her 21-year-old daughter for the HPV vaccine after attending the workshop. All attendees received a bag of essential items.

Thank you to the facilitators, interpreters, supporting faculty, IRIS team, and IRIS supporters for making our workshops possible!