"I knew very little about this topic. The training you did was absolutely useful. You don't run into these types of trainings everywhere. As a social worker, I can tell you, you raised awareness." - A social worker at one of our trainings

 

Our big news this month is that the initial evaluation of our pilot Referrals Trainings is in and it's even better than we could have hoped for!  Not only were participants in the trainings very satisfied, but the trainings dramatically improved participants' confidence in their ability to effectively counsel and refer patients and their dedication to doing so impartially and without bias.  Participants left feeling educated and supported by their peers.

 

An article that I wrote about the intersection of abortion and mental health was featured in the Huffington Post. The article discusses a recent study which caught my eye because of some notable parallels between the delivery of mental health and reproductive health in rural health care systems.  Fighting stigma is an important issue for mental health care as well as for reproductive health care.

 

I also had the pleasure of attending the 4th Annual Take Root Conference in Norman, Oklahoma, where Provide team members Wyndi Anderson, Melissa Moore, and Tommy Chesbro all were on panels about reproductive health.  We are so proud of the work that the students have done to make Take Root such a success.  Who could have guessed, when we sponsored students from Oklahoma to attend CLPP in Amherst back in 2010, that they would have over 400 people at their own conference in only a few short years?

 

Did you know that Amazon has a program that will donate to non-profits like Provide every time you shop there?  If you'd like to support Provide in this way, we've put together instructions for you.

 

In celebration of Women's History Month, MIT hosts a film festival called "Women Take the Reel." I will be speaking there March 7th at a screening of After Tiller.  It's free and open to the public, so if you're in the Boston area, I hope to see you there!

 

Melanie Zurek, Executive Director

mz  

 

 
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