A healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to ensure healthy families. Early and regular prenatal (before baby is born) and postpartum (after baby is born) care is an important step in protecting the health of a mother and child. Pregnant women and those up to 90 days postpartum are connected with an A Guided Journey Community Health Worker (CHW) who can serve that family until the child is two years old. Help can include:
1) getting mom and baby established with a doctor;
2) assisting families to get important services like food assistance, transportation, daycare, housing and long-term case management; and
3) providing education and support to promote healthy lifestyles for mom and baby.
Getting Help
No family should have to walk the journey of having a child alone. Our Community Health Workers provide support to new mothers in the following Mecklenburg County zip codes: 28205, 28206, 28208, 28212, 28216, 28217.
You can request assistance by completing this CONTACT FORM, or calling 704-248-3733. Program participants do not need a referral, and all participation is voluntary.
Services available in English and Spanish.
A Success Story
From Blanca, one of our Community Health Workers: "I referred my client to a prenatal class. The client stated that the prenatal class was excellent, and she learned a lot. These classes promote a healthy lifestyle for parents and the whole family, and empowers women to have healthy babies and avoid sickness and future problems. The client stated that she liked that it includes everything before your pregnancy, pregnancy, delivery, postpartum, breastfeeding, and mental health."
More about AGJ
Care Ring launched A Guided Journey (AGJ) in partnership with Mecklenburg County Public Health in 2021. The program is a Maternal and Child Health Community Health Worker Initiative targeting the six Mecklenburg County priority health zip codes. AGJ focuses on improving health outcomes before, during and after pregnancy and reducing racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality and adverse perinatal outcomes. In its first year, the team has provided maternal education and community resources to 286 clients. The team has also attended numerous community events to elevate awareness of services and get to know those who live there. AGJ continues to build its relationships with our valued community partners, such as Baby Bundles and Planned Parenthood, who donate essential items to program participants. Community partner Novant Health has invited AGJ to have an on-going presence at the mother-baby unit at Presbyterian Medical Center and their Elizabeth OB/GYN practice, which allows us to identify and serve clients more easily.
Thank you to our partner, Mecklenburg County.
Startling Statistics
- 1 in 10 infants born in 2017 were premature/low-birth weight.
- Black infants are 2X more likely to be born premature than white infants.
- Preterm birth rate for Black women in NC is 46% higher than that of white women.
- Black infants are 5X more likely to die in year 1.
- 13% of Mecklenburg residents are uninsured.
- From 2013-2018, 41% of births in Mecklenburg County were Medicaid-eligible.
Source
What's a Community Health Worker?
A frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a link between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A community health worker also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy.
A Guided Journey Team and Program Model:
- A team of 8 CHWs lead by a Program Supervisor who live in and are trusted members of the communities they are serving
- provides a less intensive option for women that do not qualify for or need the level of support of Nurse-Family Partnership
- bilingual
- culturally competent
- active in priority health zip codes
- varying intensity
- universally accepted
- credentialed CHWs with specialized perinatal training
