United American Indian Involvement is restructuring to better serve our community today and for years to come. UAII is establishing two distinct internal divisions, each with its own leadership structure:
- United American Indian Involvement Healthcare
- United American Indian Involvement Community and Outreach
This separation is designed to align our services to better adapt to changes in federal and state funding, meet legal and compliance requirements, and foster stability and growth that will better support our mission.
What’s new
With this change, UAII will launch several new programs to meet the needs of the Native community through our Community and Outreach division. In addition to existing youth programming, elder services, and cultural teachings, new and improved programs will include:
- Native Child Care and Resource Center: UAII will launch the first center dedicated to child development and education grounded in Native values and culture.
- Boys and Girls Club Partnership: UAII is now a recognized Native Boys and Girls Club, offering youth a space to grow, explore and reconnect with their Native identity.
- Child and Family Wellness Programs: UAII will provide culturally grounded, trauma-informed support to Native children and families navigating complex challenges ensuring that children remain connected to their tribal communities, cultures and extended kinship networks.
- The People’s Store: The People’s Store will be expanded to provide essential food support to the community, offering culturally relevant groceries and emergency relief supplies during times of crisis, as well as educational opportunities to explore Indigenous foods, participate in cooking classes, and assess individual and family nutritional needs.
All Community and Outreach programs will remain designed and provided by and for our Native community.
Additionally, this transformation will open the doors of our Healthcare arm to serve more patients in our community. Through a partnership with LACare we’re excited to expand our services and welcome more providers grounded in Native culture to our staff.
What you can expect
As part of this change, current UAII CEO John R. Reeves III will lead UAII Healthcare with oversight from the Healthcare Advisory Board. The current UAII Senior Director of Operations of Community Programs and Outreach, Vinecea Edwards, Esq., will lead UAII Community and Outreach. Vinecea will report to a new Executive Advisory Committee, consisting of President Hope Craig, Vice Presidents Keith Vielle and Denise Escoto.
Your current services will not be impacted by this reorganization. While UAII Healthcare and UAII Community and Outreach will be considered separate divisions, UAII will continue to provide holistic services through both divisions.
We’re excited to begin this new chapter in our organization and welcome both new and existing community members to UAII.
