Partnerships between universities and communities to promote health and social justice

There is a sound at House of Ruth Maryland in northeast Baltimore City: a sort of whoosh. In Sheila Hameen’s office, a three-tiered waterfall flows. In the hallway, small machines outside office doors create gentle white noise.

The sound isn’t just calming—it’s protective. House of Ruth Maryland serves survivors of intimate partner violence and their children, and the sound shields clients’ conversations with clinical staff. As associate director of clinical services, Hameen ensures clients get the help they need. But her job became disturbingly difficult a couple years ago as demand for services outpaced the organization’s capacity. The wait time for therapy stretched to nearly eight months.

Then an email arrived from SOURCE, a Johns Hopkins community engagement and service-learning center that matches students from its schools of public health, medicine, and nursing with community-based organizations. The prospect of outside help sparks deliberation at House of Ruth Maryland, given the vulnerability of their clients.

SOURCE’s mission is to engage the Johns Hopkins University health professional schools and Baltimore communities in mutually beneficial partnerships that promote health and social justice.

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