Engaging with the community through outreach.
At CPACS Cosmo Health Center, access to care often begins with making sure people know that help is available. As a Court Liaison and community outreach representative, Maria, works to build those connections by visiting courts, inpatient facilities, clinics, schools, churches, and other community organizations throughout Gwinnett and Fulton counties.
Maria’s role is to introduce community partners to Cosmo Health Center and help them understand the services available to individuals and families who may face barriers to care. She promotes affordable services, sliding-fee options, HIV testing, behavioral health services, and multilingual support. Her outreach is especially important for people who may be uninsured, underinsured, or unsure where to turn for help.
One of Maria’s most meaningful accomplishments has been establishing a connection with the Fulton County Juvenile Court. After more than six months of outreach and relationship-building, Cosmo Health Center was recently added to the court’s resource list. This new partnership creates an opportunity for the court to refer individuals and families directly to Cosmo for health and behavioral health services.
Maria has also built relationships with probation officers and other community partners who now reach out to her directly when they need help connecting a client to care. She works to find practical solutions for individuals and families, helping them identify services that are affordable and accessible.
Through her outreach, Maria has also seen firsthand the barriers many community members face, including insurance restrictions, cost, transportation, and limited appointment availability. Rather than allowing these challenges to end the conversation, she continues looking for ways to connect people with the care they need. Through relationship-building, she connected more partners to Cosmo’s affordable, culturally responsive care. For Maria, the work is simple but meaningful: “I like to help people.”
