PHAST Program

 

Public Health and Safety Team (PHAST)

 

The newly formed Public Health and Safety Team (PHAST) is an American Recovery Plan funded initiative in partnership with the Manchester Police Department which is providing a trained Community Health Worker (CHW) for all twelve wards of the City to address neighborhood level health concerns. In addition, a Senior Services CHW will be added to the team to serve the specialized needs of our frail and aging population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define the scope of a community health worker as a frontline public health worker who is a member of the community served and improves the quality and cultural competence of service delivery (https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/policy_resources/chw.htm). Activities of the CHWs include, but are not limited to:

  • Serve as a point of contact, based on mutual trust, for policy makers and residents with neighborhood concerns;
  • Coordinate and mobilize community groups to support neighborhood enhancement, engagement, and advocacy for individual and community needs;
  • Assist residents with connection to available resources to more adequately and appropriately meet their needs;
  • Serve as “Violence Interrupters,” an evidence-based approach to violent crime reduction. Under this model, violence is treated like a disease epidemic and can be prevented using health methods. This involves working with police to identify potential conflicts in the community and assist with conflict resolution and mediation (https://cvg.org/); and
  • Serve as an alternative to police response for non-police matters that historically have been routed to police.

CHWs cannot respond to emergency situations nor provide direct financial assistance to residents, medical treatment, legal advice or support for political activities. We invite you to access these professionals for assistance with connecting to health, public safety and social systems.


While each Community Health Worker is assigned to a specific City Ward, any member of the team can answer general questions. To contact the team or the general inbox, please call: (603) 665-6841 or email phast@manchesternh.gov.

To find your Ward, please visit: https://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/City-Clerk/Voter- Registration-and-Elections/Where-do-I-Vote

Please contact your PHAST team member from the list below

                        Community Health Worker Languages Spoken
Supervisor Wanda Castillo                603-540-7923          Spanish/English
Ward 1

Marie Chantal             603-540-7856

French/Kinyarwanda/Kirundi/Swahili
Ward 2 Marie Chantal             603-540-7856 French/Kinyarwanda/Kirundi/Swahili
Ward 3

Luisa                           603-540-7566


Gabriel                        603-540-7564

Spanish/English


Yoruba/English

Ward 4 Maria                        603-657-0502 Spanish/English
Ward 5 Maria                        603-657-0502 Spanish/English
Ward 6 Nira                             603-540-7923 Nepali/Hindi/English
Ward 7 Nira                             603-540-7923 Nepali/Hindi/English
Ward 8 Issac                           603-722-8144 French/Swahili/Kinyarwanda/Kirundi/Lingala
Ward 9 Gabriel                        603-540-7564 Yoruba/English
Ward 10 Nicha                           603-540-7646 French/Lingala/Swahili/English
Ward 11 Nicha                             603-540-7646 French/Lingala/Swahili/English
Ward 12 Issac                           603-722-8144 French/Swahili/Kinyarwanda/Kirundi/Lingala