Learn what Island Reproductive Health is up to at upcoming meet

||| FROM GRAY GAILEY for ISLAND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INITIATIVE |||

If one of your New Year‘s resolutions is to get more involved in our community, come hear what Island Reproductive Health Initiative (IRHI) is all about on Tuesday, January 10 at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Orcas Fire Station Meeting Hall. We are recruiting volunteers to help carry out our mission of preventing unplanned pregnancies and the spread of STDs by funding local, timely and strictly confidential reproductive health care along with supporting sexual health education for our island teens. For more information, contact Jannice Rose at Jannice53@gmail.com.

Our Steering Committee:

• Jannice Rose, Program Coordinator
• Jean Henigson, Founder and Emeritus member
• Sarah Lyle, Clinical Liaison
• Camille Fleming, Clinician
• Susan Bauer, Condom Coordinator

A brief introduction to the program:

Island Reproductive Health Initiative was created in 2010 to fill the need of our young people’s access to local, timely, confidential reproductive health care as well as accurate education around sexuality – our customized Planned Parenthood, if you will.

The Steering Committee and other volunteers work to make sure pieces are in place to support this mission.

Some of these pieces include:

• Partnering with providers on Orcas Island to provide STI (sexually transmitted infection) screening and treatment, contraception counseling and prescribing, Pap smear testing, and HPV (human papillomavirus) immunization to uninsured, underinsured or those needing confidential care.
• Coordinating with Ray’s pharmacy to provide free condoms and pregnancy tests as well as Plan B on request at the pharmacy window. Ray’s also makes it possible for IRHI clients to fill their prescriptions for OCPs (Oral Contraceptive pills) at no cost to the client.
• Stocking free condoms at key locations throughout the community.
• Robust teen program through the high school with regular meetings, invited lecturers, and activities around: sexuality as part of life, accurate medical information, birth control methods, STI prevention, emotionally and physically healthy vs. unhealthy sexual relationships, intimacy, consent, reliable information resources.

IRHI is under the umbrella of the Orcas Island Community Foundation, which functions as our fiscal agent. We are funded by donations and grants. At the moment, we are fortunate to have sufficient funding.

Below please see some of the various roles we have on our team. These are primarily fulfilled by volunteers, with some potential part-time paid positions:

Program Coordinator

• oversees the functioning of the entire program. Ensures that our mission and goals are being accomplished. Accountable to IRHI donors and fiscal partners.

Assistant Program Coordinator

• arranges group meetings, records meeting minutes, stands in for Program Coordinator as necessary.

Clinical Liaison

• Medical training required. Oversees all interactions with medical practices regarding medical care provided for IRHI patients. Manages our relationship with Ray’s Pharmacy. Approves for payment invoices from island medical clinics. Trains clinical and pharmacy staff regarding IRHI patient services procedures.

Patient Data Manager
• receives and maintains raw patient data records, in Excel. Creates simple reports for other team members.

Financial Manager/Bookkeeper
• reviews invoice payment requests for medical clinic reimbursements, pharmacy payments and reimbursement requests from other IRHI team members. Works with Orcas Island Community Foundation (“OICF”), our financial partner. Maintains financial records and creates quarterly and annual reports.

Condom Coordination Team (multiple positions)
• Maintains adequate supplies of non-expired condoms at local businesses’ restrooms and shelves. Creates simple reports on condom distribution numbers.

Sexual Health Education Team
• Both positions require familiarity with and adherence to both the WA State
approved sexual health curricula and guidelines (e.g. FLASH, KNOW, etc.) and the Orcas Island School District policy regarding the Comprehensive Sexual Health Education instruction.

Health Educator
Experience in speaking with teens about sexuality. Create the overall plan for Teen Rep meetings throughout the school year. Teen meetings take place after school and are typically attended by four to twenty 8th-12th graders. Maintains regular communication with HS principal, school nurse and school counselor. Contacts parents of any new student in program to ensure there is parental support for participation.

Teen Representative Program Facilitator
Experience with and enjoyment of working with adolescents and teens. Conducts the after-school “teen representative program” throughout the school year in a spirit of joy, fun and trust. Typical program topics include information and resources for birth control, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), how to access medical care, the proper use of condoms, healthy and unhealthy intimate relationships and how to speak to partners and peers about sexually related interactions.

Communications Coordination Team (multiple positions)
• Maintains the IRHI website, our social media presence and designs our newsletter. Promotes IRHI at community events such as the Farmer’s Market, Pride Parade, Orcas Center events, Solstice Parade, etc. Submits occasional articles to local media.

If you want to hear more or know someone who might be interested, please let us know.