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DAP Health Celebrates East Valley Expans …

by Steven Henke

DAP Health Celebrates East Valley Expansion with Two Exciting Events

Sexual Wellness Clinic and Revivals Indio Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies to be held Saturday, July 16

 

In its continued mission to meet clients where they are with what they need, DAP Health announced the opening of its new sexual wellness clinic at 81-719 Doctor Carreon Blvd, Suite D in Indio. The clinic, which officially opens on July 11, 2022, will operate Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and will offer testing for HIV, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. The clinic will also provide free pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) services. Case management and referrals to additional resources will also be available. Testing and treatment are confidential and free of charge. 

 “Our mission is to enhance and promote the health and well-being of our community and we do that by meeting people where they are,” said CJ Tobe, director of community health and sexual wellness at DAP Health who led the project. “We are adjusting the system to meet the needs of the community by not asking for your insurance while providing free services that don’t take weeks to be seen by a clinician. We will test you, treat you, prescribe Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and connect you to any other medical or social support needs you may have. All of these services at the clinic are free from cost and free from judgment and shame.” 

Indio Artists Help Make DAP Health's New Sexual Wellness Clinic a Safe, Welcoming Space

DAP Health is also celebrating the first anniversary of its Indio Revivals resale store.  Located at 82-150 CA-111, Indio (corner of Monroe and Hwy 111), Revivals offers an affordable shopping experience while raising funds for comprehensive care at DAP Health.  “We are truly branching out to bring DAP Health to the east county,” said Dane Koch, director of retail for Revivals.  “Revivals is there to provide that affordable shopping experience while supporting the mission of DAP Health.”    

Comprised of a unique blend of staff and volunteers, the welcoming community feeling at Revivals would not be possible without the generosity of those who volunteer. Over 180 volunteers donate over 13,000 hours each year, reselling gently used furniture, home goods, and fashion that has been donated by the generous local community at their four store locations. 

 The magic really happens behind the scenes where the team of volunteers sorts, prices and touches every donated item before it comes to the sales floor.  Together, the team has created a unique shopping experience - an exciting treasure hunt that delivers on their promise of affordability, discoverability, and community connection. 

To commemorate these two milestones, DAP Health will host individual ribbon-cutting ceremonies on Saturday, July 16, 2022.  The first will take place at 10:00 a.m. the DAP Health sexual wellness clinic and will include a tour of the facility.  The second will occur an hour later at 11:00 a.m. at Revivals Indio and will include a free taco cart lunch, family-friendly give-a-ways, and a storewide sale.  All are invited to attend. 

Together, the clinic and the store represent DAP Health’s commitment to providing more people with more access to health services and expanding affordable shopping opportunities.  “We are looking forward to building a deep relationship with the community and becoming part of the community,” said Koch.  “As we mark this anniversary, this is a personal invitation to join us and see our store. If you are new to Revivals, come see what we have to offer.  If you are already a Revivals shopper, come celebrate with us.”  

 

About DAP Health 

DAP Health is an advocacy-based health center in Palm Springs, CA serving over 10,000 patients, offering medical and mental health care, free STI testing and treatment, dentistry, pharmacy, and lab services. A variety of wraparound services enable patients to experience optimal health, including social services, support groups, alternative therapies, and other wellness services. Excellent HIV care is provided by the largest team of specialized clinicians in the area.  Click here to read more about our commitment to health equity.      

DAP Health opened one of California’s first COVID clinics and hotlines to offer screening, testing, and treatment. DAP Health is also working to address social determinants of health that are causing negative health outcomes during this pandemic, like food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and access to ongoing health care.  

DAP Health’s sexual health clinic offers free STI testing and treatment, free Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) services, and free HIV and HCV testing. DAP Health has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP Health in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that DAP Health exceeds industry standards in terms of financial health, accountability, and transparency.      

Visit www.daphealth.org to learn more.      

 

About Revivals Stores 

To help fund services, DAP Health opened its own thrift store in 1994 called Revivals which offers the valley’s best collection of resale items alongside brand new furniture at bargain prices under its owned brand - Mode. Revivals raises over $1 million annually for the non-profit, turning over 100% of profits to DAP Health each year since it first opened in 1994, and as the advocacy-based healthcare organization opened its doors wider to welcome more neighbors into care, Revivals opened more stores to help fund the work. 

Revivals’ newest store location is in Indio, CA. at the corner of Monroe and Highway 111. The store was designed to embrace the brand evolution of DAP Health and reflect the organization's commitment to community throughout.   

You can support this great cause by volunteering, shopping, or donating to Revivals or directly to DAP Health. All donations provide comprehensive care for the 10,000 individuals who call DAP Health their health care home.  Learn more at www.revivalstores.com 

Visit www.revivalsstores.com to learn more. 

 

 

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INDIO ARTISTS HELP MAKE DAP HEALTH’S N …

by Dustin Gruber

INDIO ARTISTS HELP MAKE DAP HEALTH’S NEW SEXUAL WELLNESS CLINIC A WELCOMING, SAFE SPACE 

Words by Ellen Bluestein 

May 30, 2022 

When clients arrive at DAP Health’s new sexual wellness clinic in Indio, the first thing they will see is a colorful mural in the waiting room.  Designed by Indio artists Cece Cruz and Evelyn Sofia Rivera, together known as Mujeres Murals, the full-scale artwork creates a warm and familiar environment to help alleviate the anxiety of those seeking services. 

The clinic, located at 81-719 Doctor Carreon Blvd, Suite D in Indio, is set to open on July 11, 2022, and will operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. It will offer testing for HIV, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. The clinic will also provide pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Case management and connections to additional resources will also be available. Testing and treatment are confidential and free of charge. 

To celebrate the opening of the new clinic, DAP Health will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, July 16, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., with a tour of the facility. All are invited to attend. 

“We started to do planning a year before the COVID pandemic to address unmet needs in our community and to respond to where we're finding new HIV cases and why new infections are happening to certain members of our community,” said CJ Tobe, director of community health and sexual wellness services. “[We] identified that there's such an unmet need for sexual wellness services, specifically surrounding Indio... The data showed new HIV cases located in the east valley. Latinos with lower income and under the age of 39 are most at risk. So, everything just made sense for us to respond to the need by opening a clinic there.” 

“What was happening is that[clients] weren't doing routine testing, Tobe continued. “They were coming in for treatment which means they're having symptoms. They had to be seen right away. So, it wasn't just regular asymptomatic testing. We also identified through trends that the majority of new HIV cases were in people living under 200% of the federal poverty level. So, we also knew then that there was a cost barrier that may be preventing people in our community from accessing a clinic.” 

At the new Indio clinic, “the patient will be able to come in, they'll be able to see our clinicians... and then they'll be able to get their medication right there too,” said Tobe. “They don't have to go across the street or down the road and maybe run into their cousin or, you know, something like that.” 

Another barrier to service is the discomfort that often accompanies talk of sexuality. “There is a lot of stigma and shame attached to sexual wellness specifically in the Latino community in Indio,” said Tobe. “We're hoping, when we open the doors, that we start reaching the community and establishing trust with people.”   

Part of establishing that trust included enlisting Cruz and Rivera to create the serene scene on the walls of the clinic’s waiting room. “I think once the community learns that Cece and her team created this beautiful mural in the clinic, that it will be welcoming and representative of the community, [it will start] building that trust,” said Tobe. 

While Tobe picked the color palette and some elements for the wall-sized painting, Cruz and Rivera had artistic license to design the rest.  “Both of us are very grateful for how much freedom we've had with this mural,” said Rivera.  “We've been really appreciative of the fact that CJ has been completely open to the ideas and our styles.” 

The scene features a wide range of colors – from browns and blues to pinks and purples - that can often be found in a desertscape. “It's not super bright. It stands out, but it's not aggressive,” said Rivera. Added Cruz, “It’s warm but it’s not dull.  It’s not muted.” 

The overall design concept was a collaborative process. “I really wanted to incorporate that feeling of not just the desert with the fields and the community and the people but also that feeling of nurturing with the tree and the Mother Earth,” said Cruz.  “And so that was my idea of the part that I had sketched.” 

“I really like cactuses,” added Rivera. “I feel like they're a symbol of home. I think that [they are] especially familiar.” 

“We put together sketches but then we got community input as to which sketch, they wanted to go with,” Rivera explained. “We submitted three different sketches and then put them online and asked, ‘okay, which ones do you guys like better? Or do you want them all included?’ And everybody decided they wanted all of them. So now we've done a mixture of the three.” 

Connecting with community is key to how both Cruz and Rivera work. “I think the rapport that we've been able to build with the community, throughout our mural painting is that people enjoy visually what it is that we've created so it's not going to be taken likely, Rivera said. “They trust us, and we trust them. It's mutual.” 

“When I think about the mural...my hopes are that people see it and they feel just warm and welcomed and peace and it's familiar. Like whatever fear and anxieties anybody might be feeling, when they see it, they're like, ‘oh, okay,’ and kind of take a deep breath and say ah,” Cruz said demonstrating a stress-releasing exhalation. 

“We wanted it to feel very welcoming,” she added. “You walk in and you're just like, oh, okay, I feel good here.” 

Indio artists Cecelia Cruz and Evelyn Sogia Rivera, designed the new community mural in the Indio Sexual Wellness Clinic.