WELLNESS AT PUENTES

Wellness is an integral part of maintaining social, physical and mental well-being. Through our Medical-Legal Partnership, on-site attorneys help families access the legal tools they need to lead stable and healthy lives. Via our Promotora program, a dedicated group of community members serve as community health workers, conducting direct client consults, group workshops, and community events to increase Puentes de Salud’s reach into the community and to tackle important health issues outside the clinic. Our Behavioral Health services aim to provide the community with evidence-based approaches to empowerment and social issues. Our Art and Culture initiatives support cultural exploration and revitalization through various forms of art, focusing on weekly programming and long-term, participatory art projects that build community, inspire reflection, and provide healing and cultural connection for children and adults alike. Finally, our Food Access programs support community members who are experiencing food insecurity. For general questions or inquiries about Puentes de Salud’s Wellness services, please call Puentes at 215-454-8000

Food Access

Food access programs at Puentes de Salud aim to support the holistic wellness of our patient population. We aim to reinforce the link between food and health by ensuring that Puentes de Salud patients, clients, and community members have adequate nutrition that is culturally appropriate and centers dignity and community members’ abilities to self-determine their own needs.

In our Despensa program, via partnerships with Old Pine Community Center and Giordanos’ Garden Groceries, we deliver food boxes to approximately 120 families on a weekly basis, prioritizing nutritionally balanced and culturally appropriate options. A dedicated core of paid and volunteer drivers assist us in delivering food boxes to families’ homes — this is a critical support, given that many of the families we serve lack access to transportation and are caring for young children at home. Additionally, via our Food Pharmacy program, we screen all patients who visit our clinic for food insecurity. For patients who screen positive, we immediately provide an emergency supply of culturally appropriate staple foods (sourced via a partnership with Philabundance) that represent a balanced diet and last until, as necessary, patients begin to receive more extensive food support from our Despensa program or a Puentes de Salud partner organization. The food pharmacy is staffed by Puentes de Salud promotoras and open during weekly clinic hours. We provide nutritional information and specific options that are appropriate for diabetes management, given the high incidence of this condition among our patients.

Behavioral Health

Behavioral health providers at Puentes de Salud work alongside our medical clinic, promotoras, and medical-legal partners to coordinate holistic care for patients and clients. An on-site behavioral health consultant performs counseling interventions to improve our patients’ wellness and to address the burdens of trauma, depression, anxiety, stress, domestic violence, and alcohol abuse experienced by our patients. Additionally, our Wellness team provides case management support to assist patients and clients experiencing complex social service needs, providing referrals and connecting clients with necessary services.

For behavioral appointments call: 215-454-8000

Medical-Legal Partnership

Puentes de Salud and Justice At Work (formerly Friends of Farmworkers) have joined forces to address the community’s needs in a holistic, effective and comprehensive manner. On-site attorneys efficiently and effectively address the most critical issues families face, allowing them to more readily access the tools they need lead stable and healthy lives.

This partnership elevates Puentes de Salud’s foundational principle that community health is not the sole domain of health care providers; instead, health and wellness require a collaborative, multidisciplinary effort that addresses the living and working conditions that influence individuals’ vulnerability to health problems. The partnership also complements Justice at Work’s mission to provide civil legal services to low-income workers and immigrant clients. This partnership moves beyond the current systems of referrals by proactively collaborating in a single location to cross-train medical, legal, and interdisciplinary teams; and to identify and serve community members in need of multiple interventions, eliminating the barriers that currently prevent our clients from resolving even simple problems that touch on multiple disciplines.

MEDICAL-LEGAL SERVICES AVAILABLE BY PHONE DURING COVID-19 CLOSURES

Puentes de Salud and Justice at Work (formerly Friends of Farmworkers) have joined forces to address community needs in a holistic, effective and comprehensive manner. Justice at Work attorneys efficiently and effectively address critical issues faced by families, allowing them to more readily access the tools they need to lead stable and healthy lives.

Medical-legal services are currently available by phone only. Patients with questions may contact Justice at Work at 215-733-0878, Monday through Friday 9:00a.m – 5:00p.m.