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Trusted Messenger Initiative
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In the summer of 2020, Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health began a new community engagement model that partnered with local organizations to share COVID-19 related health resources with communities who are most impacted by health inequities. The partner organizations bridged communication gaps between the county and it’s racially, ethnically and culturally diverse communities and offered the county's health resources, information and services to community.
In 2023, the scope of the Trusted Messenger Initiative Grant program was expanded to include a wider range of public health information beyond just COVID-19. The program now funds work that falls into these five categories:
- Clinical services.
- Environmental health.
- Family health.
- Health protection.
- Healthy communities.
- WIC (Women, Infants Children).
The expansion of the program's scope expands the range of public health work supported by the county. In the current program, more people will be able to access to a range of accurate and culturally-relevant health information, resources and services in Ramsey County.
How we work together
Trusted Messenger organizations share Ramsey County health resources and information with community through culturally-appropriate and language-specific outreach strategies. Resources and information are provided based on community-identified needs. Public Health supports the work of Trusted Messengers by offering health experts, supportive services and other health resources in addition to grant funding to each organization. For the 2024-2025 program, eleven grants were awarded to local organizations supporting work through June 30, 2025. Learn about the grantees.
Funding
The advancement of racial and health equity and effective community engagement are integral to public health at Saint Paul – Ramsey County. Funding for the Trusted Messenger Initiative: Public Health has been provided by the Minnesota Department of Health Infrastructure Grant. Funding from the Minnesota Department of Health began in April 2022 and is applied for annually.