Grantee Profile: Collaborative Gives New Meaning to "Family"

Two years ago, Rafaela Gomez-Carbajal came to the United States from Mexico to be with her husband, Martin Carbajal. While adjusting to her new home in Long Beach, she got a surprise – she found out she was pregnant. Unsure what to do, and far from her natural family, Rafaela found support with the First 5 LA-funded Long Beach-Wilmington Best Babies Collaborative.

A system of six agencies, the collaborative worked together to help prepare Rafaela for childbirth through case management, nutrition classes, Lamaze and more. They also supplied her with baby clothes and a crib. "They were like my family," Rafaela said. "I would not have known what to do if it were not for these women."

What she was not ready for was the premature birth of her child and a surgery that left newborn Martin Jr. in the hospital for a month. But again, with help from her case manager, Mary Robinson, a Public Health Nurse with the Long Beach Health Department, Rafaela had the confidence to follow doctor’s orders and successfully care for her child through his recovery. The baby is now at home and Rafaela, ecstatic about her new journey as a mother, continues to welcome visits from her case manager.

As part of the Healthy Births Initiative, the Long Beach-Wilmington BBC supports over 300 women like Rafaela in the community. Through case management and a smooth service referral system, the BBC is making an impact. Participating agencies – Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, The Children's Clinic & Sweet Success, Families in Good Health, St. Mary Medical Center, Wilmington Community Clinic, St. Mary Medical Center Mary Hilton Family, Latino Diabetes Prevention and Management Program, and the Long Beach Health Department – all have on-site case managers, each with a particular strength. Specialties range from social worker, to public health nurse, to breastfeeding educator.

Upon intake, clients are referred to the agency that best suits their needs. For example, Rafaela was considered "high risk" on intake, so she was referred to the Health Department because the case manager there was a Public Health nurse. Also, each program follows a different model. Families in Good Health uses a consistent and structured curriculum with clients, whereas Wilmington Community Clinic sees clients on an as-needed basis. Clients in all programs are contacted at least once a month and can receive services for up to three years.

For more information about the Long Beach Best Babies Collaborative visit labestbabies.net or click here.