Imagine a world where all women and birthing persons access high-quality prenatal care in environments where their concerns are heard and acknowledged. Imagine all babies being born full-term and later celebrating their first birthdays. Picture a place where women receive support and resources beyond the walls of the hospital and into their homes during the fourth trimester. First Steps & Beyond, a community collaborative focused on improving infant and maternal health in Allegheny County, seeks to turn these visions into realities. And you can help.
First Steps & Beyond is currently recruiting Community Advisory Board (CAB) members. This year, in addition to mothers and birthing persons, First Steps & Beyond is expanding CAB to include fathers, grandparents, caregivers, early childhood educators, concerned community members, medical professionals and more. Click here to apply.
CAB members will share their lived experiences, help to elevate the voices of all women and birthing people, engage the community, and connect people to information about this issue, even if it has never touched them personally.
What is required of Community Advisory Board (CAB) Members?
CAB members will participate in monthly Zoom meetings or focus groups, a one-on-one meeting the First Steps & Beyond’s leadership team, an in-person retreat, and outreach activities, such as participating in a panel discussion or distributing materials at tabling events. Throughout the term, CAB members will also be asked to complete a survey and check-in via email or telephone. Occasionally, CAB members will have optional opportunities to facilitate meetings, participate in speaking engagements, and continue professional development in the infant and maternal health space.
The commitments occur from April-September 2025. Payment is $750.
What is First Steps & Beyond?
First Steps & Beyond aims to decrease all infant and maternal mortality rates, reduce preterm birth rates, increase knowledge about safe sleep recommendations for infants, and provide additional support in the fourth trimester.
Who is a part of the First Steps & Beyond Collaborative?
To continue the decrease, First Steps and Beyond are building a village with partners, including:
- Allegheny County Health Department
- Allegheny Health Network (AHN)
- American Heart Association
- Beverly’s Birthdays
- Black Equity Coalition
- Black Women’s Policy Center
- Brown Mamas
- City of Pittsburgh Office of the Mayor
- Faith-Based/Neighborhood Resilience Project
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- Healthy Start, Inc.
- Hello Baby
- Highmark Health
- Highmark Wholecare
- Kangaroo Birthing
- March of Dimes
- Maya Organization
- NuturePA
- Pittsburgh Action Against Rape
- Primary Care Health Services, Inc. (PCHS)
- Single Mom Defined
- The Greater Pittsburgh Infant Formula Bank
- The Midwife Center
- The Pittsburgh Study
- University of Pittsburgh
- UPMC
- UPMC for You, Inc.
- UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital
- Women for a Healthy Environment
CAB members’ lived experiences and unique perspectives are crucial in shaping First Steps & Beyond’s initiatives and improving infant and maternal health. CAB members offer invaluable guidance and recommendations, helping to refine its policies, programs, and resources focused on reducing infant and maternal mortality. CAB members are community champions sharing First Steps & Beyond’s work and mission with the community fosters trust and understanding.
By combining the expertise of First Step & Beyond with the voices of the CAB, the region can move closer to achieving a future where all mothers and babies in Allegheny County have the opportunity to thrive. Become a part of this movement by applying today!
