Who We Are:
Access to Wholistic and Productive Living Institute, Inc., (
) is a tax-exempt 501 C 3, non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Maryland. , aim to reduce health disparities and improve the health status of populations that traditionally are most affected by health inequities, provide health and social justice services to underserved, low-income populations of Prince George's County, Maryland.
Mission
The mission of Access to Wholistic and Productive Living Institute , Inc. is to promote health and improve the quality of life addressing public health and public education needs.
Goals
The goals of the Access to Wholistic and Productive Living Institute , Inc. are as follow:
1. Increase quality and years of healthy life for all with a special interest to underserved minority, racial, ethnical and culturally diverse populations;
2. Expand outreach access to optimal healthcare services through the creation of a model and replicable conventional and non-conventional clinical and therapeutic services that meets the personal needs of our most vulnerable population of women and girls in a public healthcare setting using best practice model;
3. Eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health status through the development of programs and health policies that will eliminate health disparities;
4. Build organization capacity to deliver long-term, sustainable equilibrium change.
provides a variety of wraparound and direct services including but not limited to tobacco control, life and social skills and healthy living trainings, assessments/surveillance, health screenings, non-conventional to include hypnosis , acupuncture, progressive relaxation, care coordination, coaching and group discussions.
Objectives
The following objectives have been selected to meet our goals:
Decrease the prevalence of violence and its association with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health.
Decrease the amount of disadvantaged women living unhealthy and in poverty (homeless, incarcerated, ex-offenders, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse).
Strengthen and reunite disadvantaged families.
Increase the capacity of the Access Wholistic & Productive Living, Inc. to build a collaboration with public health organizations and county officials to implement healthy lifestyle behaviors and life skills trainings, anger management, coaching/mentoring, vocational and educational trainings.
Increase the number and availability of women/mothers that are physically and emotionally ready to accept responsibility as care-provider for her family and maintain employment.
Increase in the amount of professional women collaborating to advocate for improving the health and well-being of disadvantaged women.
To prevent, reduce and/or eliminate the risk of health disparities (heart disease, breast cancer, hypertension and diabetes) among underserved populations and areas in Prince George 's County, Maryland .
Major Strengths
Executive Director Bettye Muwwakkil has exhibited outstanding skills in leadership. She continues to display the “know how”, knowledge and resources to expand the capacity of the organization to met supply and demand. The sufficient capacity of to deliver quality services has been noted and accomplished through seven years of service as Executive Director of a non-profit organization. She has accomplished the following:
Assessed, designed, implemented and evaluated programs and policies effectively and strategically to meet organization and program objectives and goals;
Recruited large racial, ethnical and culturally diverse populations as program participants; Recruited, contracted and trained professional, dedicated and skilled consultants; and
Fostered long standing partners and key stakeholders and collaborates as the Executive Director.
Dr. Bettye Muwwakkil also, maintained sustainable, efficable, and efficient activities such as: fundraising, leadership , health advocacy, program and policy development and implementation, health promotion communications, prevention and interventions both conventional and non-conventional, trainings, attraction and maintaining of several funders and key stakeholders. Moreover, the strength of the organization is exhibited in the support of the Board of Director in providing effective guidance and support to Dr. Muwwakkil. There is also a nurtured sustainable relationships between county officials, civic organizations, ans public health providers.
The Institute is further supported by Prince County Health Action Forum (health advocacy organization) and the Prince George County Cancer, HIV and Tobacco Coalition.
Although a new 501 C-3, non-profit organization, has accomplished major strives and have achieved great recognition and opportunities as a result of the outstanding leadership of Dr. Bettye Muwwakkil and her past experience (seven years) as CEO of a non-profit organization. With the help of a dynamic Board of Directors, support the BE~Whole Foundation and Living the Vison Empowerment Coalition works dilegently to deliver health care services.
Organization Accomplishments
1. has been selected as a major healthcare provider to 16,000 residents of the Port Town communities of Prince George 's County (Cottage City, Edmondson, Colmar Manor and Bladensburg), where they live, learn, work and play through “ The Community Health Initiative (CHI). CHI is a Kaiser Permanente (KP) Community Benefit program that engages institutional and community-based partners in leading population-level improvements in KP communities around Healthy Eating, Active Living" (HEAL). The goal of CHI is to reduce and prevent obesity and chronic health conditions that can be a byproduct of poor nutrition and inactivity. This is a five year initiative.
2. Through funding from Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Strategic Community Services, Inc. (SCSI) will to implement a project entitled, “Substance Abuse and HIV Integrated Prevention Services for African American Females (SHIPS).” is contracted to assist with recruitment efforts by linking with AIDS serving organizations in the County. Also, will facilitate referral networks for clients needing counseling, treatment, and support services.
3. has been selected to represent the state of Maryland and Prince George 's in the Center for Disease Control (CDC) initiative- Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health. Staff of will trained with CDC to prepare to implement best practice health services and prepare to submit funding to implement a REACH program.
4. staff has been selected by Dr. Donald Shell- the Health Officer of Prince George 's County Health Department to train with the National Association of County Health Officials and Health Officers in an effort to improve community health.
5. in partnership with BWF has collaborated with the University of Maryland Division of Tobacco Research ( College Park ) to research the effects of non-conventional approach to cessation and the use of the drug Chantix in the substance abuse population.
Sustainability Plan
sustainability plan incorporates creativity and ingenuity in gaining support and maximizing resources from community members, political representatives, county health officials and community institutions.
Dr. Bettye Muwwakkil, Founder/President of Access to Wholistic and Productive Living Institute, Inc, has over thirty years experience in proven leadership and is recognized for her many accomplishment in empowering women to lead healthy lifestyles, shall take the lead in implementing the sustainability plan for the program. Specific strategies include but are not limited to the following:
Building a culture of shared responsibility: including but not limited to p artnering with the Be-Whole Foundation a community-based organization aimed to eliminate health disparities. Be-Whole Foundation provides funding and in-kind support; p artnering with Living the Vision Empowerment Coalition and health and social justice coalition comprised of a consortium of wraparound service providers. The coalition offers in-kind support, fundraising efforts, consultant services, and volunteering service.
Staff Development: Training staff on new and improved evidence-based, best practices and promising practices in an effort to increase knowledge, raise aware, change attitudes and to improve service deliverables.
Utilizing and maximizing existing program resources.
Advocating and Creating County wide awareness about the organization and translating its importance/role in reducing racial/ethnic health disparities in the State of Maryland . This also includes awareness that to bring about changes in health disparities the health care delivery system must change.
Involving ATWPLI Board of Directors to support fundraising efforts and service advocacy.
Building strong relationships with key stakeholders.
Researching resources and funding opportunities continuously.
Integrating with existing program services: ( has partnered with Be-Whole Foundation, a for-profit organization located in Prince George's County, Maryland with a mission to improve the quality of health for underserved individuals, families and communities to deliver fundraising activities, provide funding resources, and organization sustainability.)