Applicants are welcome to partner with ANY agency of their choosing when designing a project for the ASF application. If you’re short on ideas of where to start, the following Houston-area agencies have expressed high interest in working with a fellow next year. If you are interested in any of the opportunities in this list, please reach out using the information below for more information. If no contact information is listed, then contact Carol Jacob at the Contact Us section and she can get you connected with the most appropriate person. To see current projects that can be carried on by new Fellows, please look at the Current Projects
We encourage applicants to begin contacting agencies or Carol this Fall (carol.jacob@asfhg.org) so that you can have a strong project plan for your application that will be due February 5, 2023.
Last updated: 11/13/23
SPOTLIGHT PROJECT SITE IDEAS - THESE AGENCIES ARE LOOKING FOR FELLOWS TO COMPLETE PROJECTS
Houston Outreach, Medicine, Education, and Social Services (HOMES) Clinic is the only student-managed free clinic in Houston and operates under the umbrella of Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston, a federally qualified health center. Our mission is to serve Houstonians who are experiencing homelessness with a broad and holistic approach to healthcare, integrating community outreach, medical and social services, and education for the next generation of empathetic providers and impactful advocates. Our primary operation is a student-managed, physician-staffed clinic open every Sunday in downtown Houston, jointly led by students from the Baylor College of Medicine, UT McGovern Medical School, and University of Houston Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine. We encourage prospective fellows to approach us with project ideas that would utilize their unique skillset or perspective to advance the mission of HOMES Clinic. Examples:
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Previous project: A former fellow led focus groups to identify unique needs among people who are female and experiencing homelessness. After identifying high rates of assault and feelings of insecurity, the fellow brought in martial arts instructors to teach methods of self-defense.
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Distributing naloxone pens, generating educational materials, and hosting sessions to explain the risks of opioid overdose, and fentanyl usage.
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You may also reach out to learn about our ongoing initiatives and where your interests and skillset may fit to provide new and innovative support within an existing effort.
Please visit our website or reach out to our Co-Directors (homes.director@gmail.com) for more information.
The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County acts as a catalyst, uniting partners and maximizing resources to move people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing with supportive services. Here are some examples of project ideas:
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Engaging with stakeholders from multiple sectors of the community to understand the gaps and make recommendations on how to better connect people experiencing homelessness with resources and then help prescribe the solution(s) to develop an app in the future. (contact: Jonathan Danforth/jdanforth@homelesshouston.org and Sarah Martinez/smartinez@homelesshouston.org)
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Work with the Coalition’s Program Operations team to build, organize, and implement training curricula for partners of The Way Home. Trainings would be offered on a broad array of topics: case management best practices, implementing quality permanent housing programs, DEI, nonprofit financial best practices, etc. Fellows would have the opportunity to create and deliver their own training. (contact: Renee Cavazos/rcavazos@homelesshouston.org and Sarah Martinez/smartinez@homelesshouston.org)
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Under the leadership of the Communications team, work with multiple departments at the Coalition to develop public facing system performance dashboards that deliver meaningful information on our homeless response system’s success in a way that is easily understood by the average citizen. (contact: Catherine Villarreal/cvillarreal@homelesshouston.org and Sarah Martinez/smartinez@homelesshouston.org)
The American Indian Center of Houston
The American Indian Center of Houston is devoted to enhancing the Native American community in the Greater Houston area through personal, social, health and cultural development. Some project ideas include:
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Attending current workshops, getting to know the community and creating a project that is responsive to those needs.
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Health awareness/health education workshops
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Capacity building project to increase community and civic engagement and participation in current programs
For more information, please contact Brooke Mulder at bmulder@tunica.org.
The Bridge Over Troubled Waters
The Bridge Over Troubled Waters is a comprehensive crisis intervention center serving all survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families. We offer safety and support through numerous programs and engage in social norms change through community organizing
efforts to enhance safety and equity within our communities. We have emergency and permanent housing, a comprehensive children's program with peer mentors, advocates, and a childcare center, a counseling program, and an advocacy program for community members
who need safety planning, legal advocacy, community referrals, and crisis intervention assistance and support. The majority of our survivors identify as BIPOC individuals and our organization is in a largely Latine/Latinx and Spanish speaking community. A couple ideas for projects are listed below:
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Provide educational workshops and/or organize opportunities regarding culturally specific mental health and health practices to adult survivors of gender-based violence in our emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing programs.
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Provide art-based healing activities to our adult survivors of gender-based violence in all of our programs including emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, and non-residential program. These healing activities could also be offered to our community through our prevention of violence program.
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A program focused on nutrition education and cooking classes for permanent supportive and non-residential survivors who need healthy meals on a budget.
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A mentorship program for teens within our shelter and permanent supportive housing programs centered around life skills and mental and sexual health education.
For more information, please contact Jessica Bellant at jbellant@tbotw.org.
Tony’s Place promotes respect, physical safety, security and development for LGBTQ+ youth and their allies up to age 25 who are unstably housed, couch-surfing, or experiencing homelessness. In our center, we help the youth survive on a day-to-day basis by providing services to meet their immediate, basic needs such as showers, laundry, hot food, hygiene, clothing and safe sex items. In addition to basic needs services, we offer creative, therapeutic, and educational programming as well as opportunities for HIV testing, and counseling through relationships with community partners. When needed or desired, we also provide connections to employment, educational, and housing opportunities that will help the youth develop and thrive in the long term. By accomplishing our mission, we want to help equip our members with skills to manage and avoid the challenges and barriers they face. These include exposure to drugs and alcohol, victimization, involvement in the criminal justice system, being sexually trafficked or engaging in survival sex.
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Creating art and/or music programs to function as a means of self-expression for members while also creating a therapeutic outlet.
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Developing a mentor program to offer support and guidance for members identifying and navigating educational and employment goals and opportunities.
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Building resource and referral packets/guides to send to members virtually who are unable to come into the center, as well as to offer to "non-eligible" members (outside of our age range).
For more information, please contact Alyssa Kelly at Alyssa.Kelly@tonysplace.org.
Sunshine is motivated by our mission to enhance independence, as well as community responsibility, and to foster self-esteem and dignity among individuals with developmental disabilities.
For more information, please contact Stephanie Carmona at scarmona@sunshinecenterinc.org.
Galveston Central Church's vision is to be a creative community where radical grace is both believed and practiced. Central is important because it's experimenting with new ways to "do church" in a way that makes sense to urban, postmodern folks. We value community, creativity, curiosity, and care for the whole person. Some project ideas include:
Ongoing Activities:
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Grace Clinic: Medical, counseling, and social services for unhoused, uninsured patients.
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In addition to helping continue current clinical operations, possible project areas include CQI and expansion of services to include occupational therapy, vision, and dental services.
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Improving and expanding existing church services including hot meals, clothing and shoes, bike repairs, and shower & laundry services.
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Opportunities with the transitional housing project
Potential Activities:
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Providing equipment and education to unhoused individuals struggling with alcohol and substance use.
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Facilitating healing conversations and recovery from trauma: art therapy, group crafts, empathic listening, etc.
If interested in a project with Galveston Central church, please contact Rev. Michael Geinger at michael@galvestoncentralchurch.com.
GUM is a relationship-focused, 501 C3, nonprofit working to alleviate poverty in Galveston by empowering the poor and marginalized through holistic, asset-based, whole family Christian Community Development. We offer a “hand-up rather than hand-out," and walk alongside our neighbours as they do the hard work to change their life circumstances and ultimately lift themselves out of poverty. We offer everything from after school programs for all ages, job training, professional development classes, to poverty alleviation training for businesses and other organizations.
For more information, please contact Brandon Williams at brandon@galvestonurbanministries.org.
The Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA)
AAMA helps nearly 10,000 individuals to achieve independence through increased high school graduation rates, a reduction in the number of lives affected by substance use, and preparation for the workforce. Our continuum of program services delivered through our five core programs - two George I. Sanchez Charter Schools, Early Childhood Center, Adelante Adult Education, Work and Learn Center for Opportunity Youth, and Prevention and Counseling - provide an integrated approach for improving the lives of our students and families, in an environment where they can achieve success. Our mission is to inspire and empower Latinos to pursue their potential and achieve success. Our vision is a community where every individual has access to the resources she or he needs to achieve financial security, well-being, and self-actualization.
Note: Bilingual applicants preferred for Adult education classes
For more information, please contact Monica Vallejo at mvallejo@aama.org.
FAM Houston works for justice by building empowered community among refugees, immigrants, and local Houstonians through practices of hospitality, mutuality, storytelling & inclusivity. Some project ideas include:
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Shamba Ya Amani (The Farm of Peace): Attend Saturday Shamba Days at our farm in Alief to get to know the community and create a project that is responsive to the intersection of needs encountered there. This is perfect for a Fellow who is interested in holistic health for women and families of all physical abilities. The intersection of needs includes mental and emotional health, food access, and nutrition. For more information, please contact Dr. Kim Meyer, Shamba Ya Amani Manager at kim@famhoustontx.org.
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Pamoja: Create and maintain a health resource list for our Pamoja Program which will aid in case management for newly arrived refugee families as well as educate American companion families on how to navigate health care systems in Houston with their partner newcomer families. For more information, please contact N. Francine Murhebwa, Pamoja Program Director at francine@famhoustontx.org.
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Capacity building project to increase community engagement and participation of youth and young adults in FAM’s current programs of Shamba Ya Amani and Pamoja. For more information, please contact Rev. Hannah Terry, FAM Houston Executive Director at hannah@famhoustontx.org.
The Beacon is a non-profit organization that serves individuals experiencing homelessness by providing daily services, civil legal aid, counselling and mentoring and housing case management. Our mission is to provide essential and next-step services to restore hope and help end homelessness in Houston. Here are some project ideas:
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Lead and coordinate our Transition in Place (TIP) project. The TIP project is an educational component designed and recently implemented by a Occupational Therapy doctoral candidate. The eight to ten sessions provide guidance and practical information in person in a classroom setting for men and women living on the streets and how to prepare for a transition to housing. Beacon volunteers, social work, and associate level occupational therapy students are assisting with this project. We hope to continue this each semester and add on individual sessions with participants to support the learning. This project takes place primarily onsite at The Beacon's facility in downtown Houston.
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Assist The Beacon's Chief Program Officer and Program Directors/Managers to design and implement a programs and services dashboard. We currently use the regional Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and a legal case management system called CLIO. A fellow could lead our efforts to consolidate the data and best represent our program outcomes and outputs. This could be a hybrid project, working onsite at The Beacon's downtown location and remotely part of the time.
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Design and implement socialization and community building activities for the individuals who come to The Beacon's Day Center for services. Adult men and women who are experiencing homelessness come to our facility for meals, laundry, access to showers and other services. Services are provided five days a week, from Thursday through Monday. While individuals are waiting for lunch or their laundry to be finished, there is often a two to three hour window of free time. It would be helpful to have some fun, community building activities to help these individuals feel connected and enjoy that time together with fellow clients, volunteers, and staff.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Landes at blandes@beaconhomeless.org.
ProUnitas helps school districts implement systems and best practices that make access to mental health and basic needs services quicker and more coordinated for all students. Our mission is to help school districts implement systems and best practices that make access to mental health and basic needs services quicker and more coordinated for all students.
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Fellows interested in Data Science to categorize, find trends/correlations, label/visualize existing data and present these findings to schools, districts and other stakeholders.
If interested in working with ProUnitas, please contact Adeeb Barqawi at abarqawi@prounitas.org.
Legacy Community Health Clinic
Legacy Community Health is a full-service health care system comprised of over 50 locations in the Texas Gulf Coast region offering primary and specialty care, as well as pharmacy services. For over 40 years, Legacy has been innovating the ways we provide comprehensive, quality health care services to underserved communities. As the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Texas and a United Way affiliated agency since 1990, Legacy ensures its services and programs are open to all, regardless of the ability to pay—without judgment or exception. To learn more, visit www.legacycommunityhealth.org.
Pediatric/Adolescent Medicine projects
Legacy has recently introduced a teen health ambassador program (like a youth advisory council - YAC). Prior YAC collaborations have created the teen health webpage (legacycommunityhealth.org/teenwell/), which offer teens and young adults information, resources and opportunities to take an active role in their own health care in a way that’s comfortable and nonjudgmental.
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Projects would be collaborating with the YAC around ongoing initiatives including:
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Utilizing both clinic data and the YAC consultation, understand the perception of and utilization of annual well visits with the aim to increase utilization of these appointments.
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Aid in the launch of a survey to explore how teens and young adults view their health, wellness and healthcare.
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Data driven clinic interventions to aid in curbing the childhood obesity epidemic. Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred given clinic site population. Applicant to propose scope and type of project.
If interested in working with Legacy, please contact Dr. Jennifer Feldmann at jfeldmann@legacycommunityhealth.org.
Since 1998, YES Prep Public Schools has redefined what is possible in public education. With over 17,000 college-bound students across 20+ campuses, we are a system of high-performing public charter schools proving that students from underserved communities can achieve at the highest academic levels. Our mission is to empower all Houston students to succeed in college and to pursue lives of opportunity.
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Social Emotional Learning: In addition to meeting the academic needs of our students, we intentionally provide for their holistic wellness through a range of supports and services including Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Central to Social Emotional Learning is the competency of emotional regulation. Recent SEL student assessments indicate a need for targeted programming in emotional regulation. This year, Scholar Kelsi Morgan is reviewing current SEL survey data and supplemental discipline data for the development and facilitation of programming to improve students’ coping strategies and emotional regulation. Her project is being supported by campus Student Support Counselors, licensed counselors and social workers who support the emotional wellness and mental health of students. Please contact current Scholar, Kelsi Morgan at kelsi.morgan@bcm.edu to discuss options.
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Addressing relational aggression at YES Prep Southside: Southside is a 6th-12th grade school that draws students from Sunnyside and Acres Homes neighborhoods. The school is receiving significant investment from YES Prep in form of mental health supports, teacher instruction and community involvement. Part of the strategy is to address relational aggression, in particular focusing efforts on 6th-8th boys. According to Sheporah Johnson, Director of Student Support, a weekly interactive class that may help these young men learn how to navigate the waters of broken relationships would be extremely beneficial. Please contact Sheporah Johnson at sheporah.johnson@yesprep.org
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Preparation for college life at Southside: Another project needed at Southside is a weekly interactive class aimed at college-bound seniors who will be first generation college students. While YES Prep’s excellent college-readiness program and outstanding college counselors can ready them academically, there are many other areas that first gen students need support in including self-advocacy, information about healthcare and self-care resources, strategies for homesickness, feelings of loneliness and ongoing financial stress. Please contact Sheporah Johnson at sheporah.johnson@yesprep.org if interested.
ReVision works to break the cycle of isolation among the most profoundly disconnected youth in the Southwest Houston area. reVision offers a variety of programming including mentoring and support at various HISD campuses with the goal of disrupting the school to prison pipeline. Additionally, reVision offers extra curricular activities including an award winning soccer program and Girl Scouts. Every Thursday reVision hosts CommUnity night. allowing youth to eat together and participate in a variety of activities and community offerings. We offer outreach services to youth involved in the Juvenile Justice system.
If interested in working with Legacy, please contact Ms. Tisha Wilson at tisha@houstonrevision.org.
Pride Community Center (College Station)
Pride Community Center seeks to build community, provide resources and services, offer education and outreach, and more! We are a grassroots organization made up of dedicated community members devoting time, energy, and support. Our mission is to provide a safe place for all persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions, their families and friends to meet and socialize without having to worry about who they are. Here are some project ideas:
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Mobile Testing Services
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Outreach and education to rural communities (prevention services, safer sex kits)
For more information, please contact Katrina Stewart at katrina.stewart@pridecc.org.
Scotty's House (College Station)
Scotty's House is a non-profit Child Advocacy Center (CAC) serving seven counties in the Brazos Valley: Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson, and Washington. The Scotty's House team collaborates with Child Protective Services (CPS) and law enforcement officials on every case, and our compassionate and collaborative approach is key to providing victims of child abuse and/or neglect with safety, healing, and justice. From the initial report to the recovery stage, and everything in between, Scotty's House facilitates all areas of the investigation process. We provide initial needs assessments, forensic interviews and medical evaluations, and child abuse counseling.
The Scotty's House team is an experienced group of professional counselors, forensic experts, and administrators who care deeply about helping you and your family. Our team is especially connected within Brazos Valley, pulling from the best resources to assist with your needs: Child Protective Services (CPS) investigators, law enforcement officials, child abuse and/or family advocacy counselors.
Scotty's House is a non-profit organization that provides a child-friendly environment for our young clients. Children are referred to Scotty's House by law enforcement officials and/or CPS investigators. Scotty's House is a neutral entity, making no recommendations in any case. We simply provide a supportive and nurturing environment in which a victim can interact with the necessary agencies. The child is the primary concern of the Scotty's House team.
For more information, please contact Melanie Scarpace at mscarpace@scottyshouse.org.
Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IMGH) would welcome 1-2 Fellows in each of these areas:
Refugees Services: We are looking for Fellows to create a project that focuses on medical case management for newly arrived refugees. This is perfect for someone who wants to explore primary health issues in refugees and get a taste of global health factors. Project ideas include creating health screenings and/or health education programs. Resource guides about how our clients could find a “health home" would also be very helpful. If interested, please contact Ali Al Sudani at aalsudani@imgh.org.
Senior Services: We are looking for Fellows to create a project that would provide health resources and health information to homebound seniors across Houston who are clients of our Meals on Wheels program. This is a vulnerable population in need of health care and education and would make an innovative and needed project. If interested, please contact Leslie Kian, Director, Meals on Wheels Healthcare Innovation at LKian@imgh.org for more information.
Jewish Family Service is a non-profit, human service agency who aids and provides professional resources to the greater Houston area. JFS Houston serves people of all faiths and backgrounds. Our professionals provide Behavioral & Mental Health Services, Coaching & Case Management Services, Disability Services, Employment Services and Chaplaincy Services. All these projects are the traditional needs assessments followed by the creation of a service project unless otherwise noted. For more information on these projects, please contact Dr. Ada Cheung Chief Clinical Officer at acheung@jfshouston.org. Project sites ideas fall under these Health Tracks:
Mental Health:
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Helping men’s and women’s support groups with formation and delivery of educational content related to health and mental health.
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Assisting in suicide risk assessment and prevention training. This could include finding resources, examining best practices, presenting the educational information and role play in the context of training.
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Wait list assistance. JFS has a waitlist for some of its mental health services – what kind of programming might be offered to these individuals?
LGBTQ:
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What barriers exist for this community in accessing mental health services. Needs assessment project.
Racism:
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What barriers exist for communities of colour in accessing mental health services. Needs assessment project.
Elder Health:
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Assistance with grief support groups.
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For seniors, workshops on keeping mind and body healthy.
Children’s Health:
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Train parents in the PAX method which gives the tools to help prevent behavioral health concerns and promote positive relationships.
Women’s Health:
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Assist the Shalom Bayit Task Force to provide preventative domestic violence education, resources, links, information and referrals for individuals who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Individuals with intellectual disabilities:
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Creation of workshops on navigating the healthcare system:
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Create a collection of Lesson Plans or Curriculum based on the small groups
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Improve participant knowledge and comfort regarding visits to various types of doctors and exams
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Improve knowledge and comfort around using a pharmacy, how to get prescriptions filled, over the counter meds vs. Prescriptions, side effects (what they are, how to report them, etc.), what happens if you miss a dose, what if you are offered the wrong medicine to take at the wrong time, and so on.
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Create a simple visual document that can be used with health care professionals and patients who are nonverbal or communicate differently
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We encourage bringing in various medical professionals to speak to our participants and will help coordinate Community Based Instructions (CBI) if going to a pharmacy or doctor’s office would be helpful
Community Engagement:
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Creation of marketing materials
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Identification of strategies in connecting potential clients to existing services
TIRR Memorial Hermann offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care that address the individual needs of each patient who has experienced a life altering injury or illness. The following are some suggestions from TIRR leadership.
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Determine barriers and facilitators to access of specialized healthcare services (ie, dental care) for patients with a disability (ie, SCI, brain injury, stroke, others) in a community setting. Settings could include community health care centers, pro bono clinics, outpatient medical clinic. Stakeholder input can include but not limited to patients, caregivers, therapists, physicians, advocacy groups, etc
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Develop a health promotion program (ie, dental hygiene program) at the community center/clinic and conduct a study to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of the program
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Collaborate with Memorial Hermann System community health/population health programs to explore how Fellows might partner with them to provide services for individuals with disabilities.
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Lead advocacy projects like Exercise is Medicine, advocacy for the arts and recreation, telemedicine
Please contact Director of Education for TIRR Memorial Hermann Anna DeJoya at anna.dejoya@memorialhermann.org.
New Hope Housing's New Hope Housing’s core purpose is to provide life-stabilizing, affordable, permanent housing with support services for people who live on very limited incomes. Our vision is to be an enduring institution serving Houston’s most vulnerable citizens. New Hope has opportunities in several different programs every year focusing on health education, children's programming and nutrition education. Please contact Cesar Ramirez, Director of Resident Programs at Cesar.R@newhopehousing.com to discuss all of these options.
Our mission is to provide a safe, welcoming environment for vulnerable homeless youth of all sexualities and genders, providing nourishment, healthy relationships, and hope for the future. We do this by opening our doors to homeless youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities who are between the ages of 13 and 24 years old every Monday and Thursday at 6:00pm. Youth night is an evening of food, mentorship, and skills building. The youth and volunteers share a seated, family-style meal followed by an interactive lesson, craft, or other activity. We are looking for Fellows who are interested in leading some of these sessions focusing on mental health and supporting the youth. Please contact Courtney Sellars at courtney@montrosegraceplace.org.
Fellowship projects are conducted at Angela House each year. If you are interested in designing an educational project with the female residents of Angela House, please discuss your ideas with their Case Manager, Sarah Mabry. Angela House is a sixteen bed residential facility helping women re-enter society after incarceration. Angela House offers approximately 30 hours a week of programming to help address the many areas of need for our women. Please email smabry@angelahouse.org.
Through the Grace of God, The Brookwood Community provides an educational environment that creates meaningful work, builds a sense of belonging, and awakens genuine purpose in the lives of adults with disabilities. Currently we are making Integrative Nutrition a priority and have a vision of not only discovering and implementing ways that we can take our own Communities wellness to the next level, but also paving the way for others to do the same thing. Some ideas so for that are very exciting to us are as follows, however we would love to collaborate and are grateful and open to any thoughts that you have:
1. Providing scientific data that tracks the progress and proves positive benefits of a healthier lifestyle for adults with disabilities while at the same time bringing awareness and momentum to our mission and help it grow.
2. Making the Citizens famous by awakening worth and purpose in each individual is part of our mission and by making our Citizens the teachers of this nutrition and wellness initiative through a series of learning videos, we can accomplish multiple goals at one time.