Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO) is making powerful strides in health equity for Indigenous communities in South Monterey County. Thanks to a Community Health Champions grant from the Alliance awarded in October 2023, CBDIO has expanded its direct services to reach over 2,500 individuals—many of whom speak Indigenous languages such as Mixteco, Triqui, Chatino and Zapotec.
With deep roots in community organizing, education and advocacy, CBDIO’s trusted community workers are connecting families in Greenfield and Salinas to vital programs like Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKS, as well as assisting with housing support and school forms for children. Their culturally and linguistically responsive approach includes in-language application assistance, case management, mental health counseling and referrals to a range of health and supportive services.
Their community-led model is thriving: monthly language-specific community meetings empower families to understand and advocate for their rights in health care and behavioral health settings. In Greenfield, up to 40 Mixteco- and Triqui-speaking parents regularly gather to share concerns and solutions. In Salinas, two robust groups—Chatino- and Mixteco-speaking—draw up to 75 attendees each month. These groups serve to mobilize community voices to share concerns with public officials, such as during listening sessions in March 2025 where members shared powerful testimonies about the barriers they face when accessing care and how the Monterey County health system could better meet the needs of Indigenous language-speaking patients.
Looking ahead, CBDIO is exploring Medi-Cal reimbursement for Community Health Worker services and building partnerships with Mujeres en Acción, Monterey Bay Labor Council, Building Healthy Communities and First 5 Monterey County to expand their reach and deepen their impact.
CBDIO’s work is a powerful reminder: health justice begins with listening to and investing in the leadership of Indigenous communities.
