ASIAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION October 19th, 2021 at 6:00 PM One Texas Center 505 Barton Springs Road, Suite 325 Austin, TX 78704 BOARD MEMBERS Sarah Chen Vince Cobalis Fang Fang Hanna Huang Zahra Shakur Jamal-Hassan Meena Mutyala Ketan Patel Pramod Patil Shubhada Saxena Pooja Sethi Kuo Yang Kirk Yoshida AGENDA CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three- minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. September 21, 2021 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Workgroup/Project Reports 1. Asian American Resource Center (AARC) Workgroup 2. Health and Community Engagement Workgroup 3. Arts & Culture Workgroup 4. Human Resources Workgroup 5. Business Planning Workgroup 6. Public Safety / Policing Project b. Update on the Joint Inclusion Committee meeting (Commissioner Cobalis) c. Follow-up Items: 1. Update on AARC Master Plan (Commissioner Cobalis) 2. Update on FY 2022 Budget Recommendation Process (Commissioner Yoshida) 3. STAFF BRIEFING a. Presentation by Bihn Li from Austin Public Health on API Task Force COVID-19 Response Report 4. NEW BUSINESS a. Discussion and possible action on a recommendation to City Council regarding the activation of the Joint Cultural Committee b. Discussion and possible action on changes to the AAQoL Advisory Commission meeting calendar for the November and December 2021 meetings c. Discussion on Commission meetings for calendar year 2022 i. Confirm dates and times to meet for 2022; Confirmation needed by November ii. City Hall reservations is first come, first serve; Need information on whether or not AAQoL wants to meet at City Hall. If so, what room is usually reserved? d. Discussion and possible action regarding the proposed new voting district maps e. Discussion and possible action to provide a letter of support for Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA) 5. INFORMATION SHARING Council (Commissioner Cobalis) b. Asian Americans Promote COVID-19 Vaccine 6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS a. Update on the Central Health Pandemic Equity Committee recommendations to the City a. Briefing on Project Connect (November/Austin Transportation Department & Austin Transit Partnership) b. Update on the Language Access Program (December/CPIO) c. Update on the Asian American Resource Center reopening (TBD/Sona Shah) d. Update on the new Historic Preservation Plan focused on Heritage & Equity (TBD/Housing & Community Development) ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the …
NEED JOB SEARCH NEED JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE? ASSISTANCE? HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT The City of Austin remains committed to safely assisting City job seekers at the following locations by appointment only: ■ Arthur B. DeWitty Community Center (Central East) 2209 Rosewood Avenue, Suites 210 & 211, Austin, TX 78702 ■ Workforce Solutions Capital Area (North) 9001 N IH 35, Suite 110A Austin, TX 78753 ■ Workforce Solutions Capital Area (South) 6505 Burleson Road Austin, Texas 78744 For assistance with applications, resumes, and interviews, you may call any Employment Specialist listed below Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. In-person assistance is available Tuesday – Thursday by appointment only. Walk-in appointments are not available at this time. PAMELA HOLT* MARY MORAN* INDIRA NALLAPATI FRANKIE TORRES* 512-974-2728 pamela.holt@ austintexas.gov 512-974-2528 mary.moran@ austintexas.gov 512-974-2520 indira.nallapati@ austintexas.gov (Fluent in Hindi) 512-974-3478 frankie.torres@ austintexas.gov (Fluent in Spanish) *Certified Re-entry Workforce Development Specialist For more information, visit our website at austintexas.gov/employmentassistance To apply for jobs and set up job alerts, visit austincityjobs.org The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact (512) 974-3210 or Relay Texas 7-1-1.
AARC Workgroup meeting 10/12/2012, Noon Meeting Notes Attendees: Laura Esparza (PARD), Sona Shah (AARC/PARD), Bianca Xoyamayagua-Galvan (AARC/PARD), Jae Kwon (AARC/PARD), David Nicks (PWD), Christina Bies (PARD), Vince Cobalis (AAQL/Workgroup Chair), Kirk Yoshida (AAQL Chair), Schiller Liao (NAAO, community member), Thuy Nguyen (community member), Phil Hoang (community member), Debasree Dasgupta (NAAO, community member) NAAO Donor Wall – Schiller Lao visited on-site with AARC staff. Staff will put in a work order to power wash the wall (they already power washed the rest of the Zen Garden). Tiles were originally designed to lay on the wall, but it’s difficult to keep them adhered to the wall. Propose changing tiles to aluminum, or something else lightweight and durable. This is also an opportunity for NAAO to increase the number of tiles for future AARC expansion. Schiller will follow-up on getting a contractor to work on the new tiles. Staff transition and current vacancies - Sona Shah is moving to a new position as Equity and Inclusion Manager at PARD reporting directly to the PARD Director. Congratulations, Sona!!! - AARC has 4 full-time permanent position vacancies (including Sona) and they’ve been filling in with temporary or acting staff. Working through Human Resources at PARD is challenging, since they also have vacancies. Bianca will share job postings for these positions, so Workgroup members can help recruitment efforts. City Human Resources had a designated space at AARC on Wednesdays pre-pandemic to assist people with job assistance. HRD is currently assisting job seekers at three different locations, including Workforce Solutions Capital Area (North) 9001 N IH 35, Suite 110A, 78753. See flyer for more information. Update on re-opening and program updates Still have HR presence, but off site see note above. AARC is publicizing this via newsletter. Need to get their reports. AARC is open to the public by appointment only. Limited senior programs on site, continuing to do virtual and in-person events. Stories with our Elders series started last Saturday, good attendance with 33 participants and 17 kids. Four exhibits installed at AARC, hosting in person fall exhibit reception on October 22, 2021. Hosting an archiving series for the family - Stories from the South starts October 16th will be virtual. Discussed the possibility of creating a series of workshops that can help elders, or their caregivers, navigate the systems: e.g. Medicare/Medicaid, Health Insurance, etc. Phase …
Asian Pacific Islander (API) Task Force’s COVID-19 Response Report Health Equity and Community Engagement Division (Austin Public Health) July 13, 2021 API Task Force Members: • Sinying Chan • Binh T. Ly • Gunjen Mittal • Vivian Newdick • Van Doan • Leila Grace Pandy • Sona Shah • Jonathan Van • Ayshea Khan Austin History Center (Austin Public Library) Asian American Resource Center (Park and Recreation Department) Please direct any question about this report to: Binh T. Ly | Binh.Ly@austintexas.gov Gunjen Mittal | Gunjen.Mittal@austintexas.gov Report Summary COVID-19 is a global pandemic and was declared a local disaster in Austin on March 6, 2020, by Mayor Steve Adler. Austin Public Health (APH) has been leading this emergency response for over a year and a half. A mass response was needed to set up large scale testing and vaccination operations. At the same time, an intersecting response emerged with focused outreach on communities who often bear the brunt of disasters. This situation is tied to race, socio-economic, and immigration status and is often called the social determinants of health. Under this framework, the Asian Pacific Islander (API), Hispanic/Indigenous/Latinx, and Black/African Diaspora, Senior and Faith-Based Task Forces were created. Each of these task forces focuses on ensuring that the City’s response is based on equity and shifting from a one-size fits all approach to employing strategies that address systemic gaps and barriers faced by specific communities. This report highlights effective strategies and activities of the API Task Force. Perhaps more importantly, this report presents identified opportunities to implement tested processes and continuing successful engagement of the Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities residing in Austin/Travis County. During the COVID-19 response, the API Task Force employed four strategies to reach the API Community: • Built community by deepening relationships and collaborations among sister departments, community leaders, and community-based organizations. • Built translation, interpretation, and bilingual direct service capacity internally, within the • COVID Response, and externally, in coordination with community leaders and organizations, to make services accessible. Innovated ways of distributing reliable, culturally, and linguistically pertinent information to the API community, especially after stay-at-home orders were in place and in-person outreach was no longer an option. • Addressed urgent needs with the rise in Anti-Asian violence and harassment and the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services. This report will provide context to opportunities for APH to operationalize successes and lessons learned. …
COVID-19 Response API Task Force Asian American Quality of Life Commission Meeting October 19, 2021 Presenters: Sinying Chan, Austin Public Health Gunjen Mittal, Austin Public Health As Agenda ● Introduction ● API Task Force and Strategies ● Area of Accomplishments ● Moving Forward Why Focused Outreach in the API C 1. Health Disparities 2. Gaps and Barriers in Accessing Services 3. Model Minority Myth 4. Lack of Disaggregated Data by Ethnicity API Task Force Strategies 1. Strengthen and build new relationships across departments and with communities 2. Expand translation, interpretation, and bilingual direct service capacity internally and externally 3. Create new ways of distributing reliable, culturally, and linguistically pertinent information to the API community. 4. Address urgent needs with the rise in Anti-Asian violence and harassment Strengthen and Build Relationships Across Departments - Austin Public Health (APH) - Austin Public Library (APL) - Asian American Resource Center (AARC, PARD) With Community - Austin Asian Communities Health Initiative (AACHI) - - Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA) - North Austin Muslim Community Center (NAMCC) South Asian's International Volunteer Association, (SAIVA) Expand Language Access: Vaccination an Expand Language Access: covid19.aust Registration Portal: ● English ● Spanish ● Korean ● Vietnamese ● Chinese My API Live, Ep. 3, “COVID in our H ● COVID-19 and vaccine ● Mental health ● Tailored to the API Community ● Address concerns and trends ● Resources that have language access TXDSHSVaccine Data for Travis County by Race and Ethnicity Fully Vaccinated Population by Race Vaccination Status by Race 79% 62% 49% 72% 79% 8% 13% Asian White 62% 6% 32% 35% Hispanic or Latino 49% 10% 41% Black or African American 35% 6% 59% Asian White Hispanic or Latino Black or African Total American 25-Jul 6-Sep 1-Aug 13-Sep 8-Aug 20-Sep 15-Aug 27-Sep 22-Aug 4-Oct 29-Aug 11-Oct Total 72% 10% 18% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Fully Vaccinated Partially Vaccinated Unvaccinated 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Data sourced from Texas DSHS. Current as of 10/10/2021. Anti-Asian Violence Moving Forward - Continue to apply an equitable approach to API community engagement - Expand and refine language access capacity and complexities ● Strengthen interpretation in Asian languages - where community expect it and we have it ● Improve technological infrastructure - i.e. multilingual website - Continue to support community-based organizations to build capacity in areas identified as needs. …
AARC Workgroup Meeting 9/16/2021 Attendees: Sona Shah, PARD Jae Kwon, PARD Laura Esparza, PARD Justin Schneider, PARD Christina Bies, PARD David Nicks, PWD Vince Cobalis, AAQL Commissioner Kirk Yoshida, AAQL Commissioner Debasree Dasgupta, community member, NAAO Schiller Liao, community member, NAAO Phil Hoang, community member * Finalizing contracts with Trahane Architect (finalizing verbiage) and Flintco CMAR (should be complete 10/1) contracts ‐ next steps discussed * Reviewed draft plan that outlines process and steps. Will share final plan once architect * AARC ‐Phase 2 Community Engagement plan (October) reviews. floor decision must be done early in process * Update from Watershed Protection plan, see project website: https://www.austintexas.gov/LittleWalnutAARC * announce contractors * Discussion and minor edits to Plan * Plan separate meeting with Phil and Sona about the Community Survey (VC to schedule) past planned completion of AARC – Phase 2 * NAAO Wall – no new information, Schiller will schedule a time to visit the AARC * AARC re‐opening (restrictions, etc) M‐ Fr 10 – 6, Sat 10 – 4, Senior program – see website, some events (tones) are happening. Senior “welcome back” event on September 30 * Senior meals plan – still supply issue with Meals on Wheels, so no plan to implement yet. * Welcoming Senior back event September 30 – catered /senior t‐shirt * Other * Pedestrian Bridge ‐good that it’s part of the WP plan, but timing willtiming will extend well Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5" Formatted: Left Commented [SS1]: I don’t think this needs to be included because this is more related to how the survey will be created. Commented [SS2]: I’m not sure what this means, what contractors? I added Trahan and Flintco above
CH Pandemic Equity Checklist PANDEMIC EQUITY COMMITTEE MEMO RECOMMENDATIONS CHECKLIST SHORT‐TERM ITEMS Disaster Preparedness (HSEM ) Allocate $100,000 to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for translations, interpretations, and emergency communications to non‐English speaking communities. (CPIO/HSEM) Revise existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) or develop new ones that ensure communications are translated into Spanish, the five most spoken Asian languages, and any additional necessary languages, as well as use methods and tools that facilitate the dissemination of information to hard‐to‐reach communities. (HSEM/APH) Develop and/or review after‐action reports about previous Austin disasters to determine what lessons can be gleaned and adjust the Plan accordingly. (HSEM) Update the Plan’s Hazard Risk Index to include civil unrest. (HSEM supported by APH) Update the Plan to include an SOP that uses the Center for Disease Control’s Social Vulnerability Index and 211 data as baseline data to identify vulnerable neighborhoods and geographic areas of need. (HSEM supported by APH) Update the Plan to include an SOP that engages the City’s demographer for all decisions made during a disaster. (Equity Office) Support the establishment and/or reinstatement of organizations that support the advancement of health equity such as the Office for Health Equity, the Hogg Foundation Equity and Inclusion Committee, and the Office for Minority Health and Health Equity at Texas’ Health and Human Services Commission. Disaster Response (HSEM supported by APH and CH) Engage behavioral scientists through Central Health, Austin Public Health, and the EOC to inform education campaigns and communications. Post‐Disaster Community Healing and Recovery (APH & community non‐profits) Offer counseling and support for partners and families during the re‐entry and recovery process. (APH, 211, and community non‐profits) Monitor hotlines for trends in domestic violence and determine where support is needed. 1 MEDIUM‐TERM ITEMS Disaster Preparedness (CPIO, Equity Office, HSEM) Develop a process for the Plan to be reviewed by community‐ based organizations (CBOs). (CPIO, Equity Office, HSEM) Update the Plan to include an SOP that allocates funds towards stipends and paid training for CBOs and community members to learn how the EOC works. ( Equity Office, HSEM, APH) Center equity in the Plan’s Hazard Risk Index’s prioritization model. (APH, HSE) Broaden the Plan’s Hazard Risk Index to include other possible hazards. (Equity Office, HSEM, AP) Develop localized emergency response plans for neighborhoods/areas that frequently face disasters and work cooperatively with stakeholders in those areas. Identify an independent party who will review and assess the EOC’s response …
