San Mateo County Health’s (SMC Health) dedication to health equity starts with the Race, Equity, and Health (REH) foundational training for all staff. Created by SMC Health’s Government Alliance for Race and Equity (GARE) team in 2018, the four-hour training seeks to meet the following key priority in SMC Health’s Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP): to achieve “a shared foundation of understanding about how race, equity and health intersect and opportunities to build knowledge, understanding, capacity and skill to sustain a workforce engaged and empowered to further racial equity”.
To date, 1,157 of County Health staff have completed the training, offered in-person, and virtually since COVID-19. Of the post-training evaluation survey respondents, 92% report an understanding of racism, 60% report comfort in talking about racial equity, and 79% a knowledge of available resources.
Some notable quotes from attendees:
“I felt like the training provided a true judgement free zone where people could learn at their own pace. It was a really well-done training.”
“I find the presenters/facilitators knowledgeable, comfortable, and engaging in presenting material and holding discussions about a very sensitive, subjective, and socially charged issue that concerns us all.”
This fall, the team will launch a modularized, independent learning version* of the REH training and a self-paced 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge for County Health staff to engage with equity concepts as meets their work schedule.
*The modularization work is made possible by our contracted consultants, Multispective Health Research & Consulting, and Briana Evans.
For more information, contact Nupoor Kulkarni at nkulkarni@smcgov.org.
Women’s Equality Day is celebrated every August 26 to commemorate the passage of women’s suffrage in the U.S. and reminds us of the hurdles overcome by the heroic women who faced violence and discrimination to propel the women’s movement forward.
When the 19th Amendment became law on August 26, 1920, women were technically eligible to vote. But full electoral equality was still decades away for many women of color. The 19th Amendment prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex, but it did not address other kinds of discrimination such as race. Native American, Asian American, Latinx, and African American women had to fight for their own enfranchisement long after the 19th Amendment was ratified. Only over successive years did each of those groups gain access to the ballot.
Women’s Equality Day is all about uplifting and empowering women and celebrating how far they have progressed and defied all odds. You can celebrate by expressing gratitude to influential women in your life, supporting local women-owned businesses, and by registering to vote; to honor the women and allies who fought for decades to be able to cast a ballot.
For more information on Women’s Equality Day, please visit National Women's History Alliance.
There are so many important causes we can learn about and advocate for, this month we highlighted Women’s Equality Day. Please take a look at the other major movements like International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, National Breastfeeding month, National Health Center Week, and many more.
August 8, 2023:
TA Office Hours: Partnering Across Sectors
Join us for an informative session to learn more about Partnering Across Sectors, a competency within the Organizational Assessment for Equity Infrastructure. We will hear from Los Angeles County, Madera County, and San Bernardino County on existing strategies, practices, and past and current projects that bring different organizations together to work with local health jurisdiction staff towards achieving equity for all. Office Hours will be held from 12:30-1:30pm. Join the meeting on Zoom.
August 25, 2023
California Reproductive Justice and Freedom Fund Application Due
The California Reproductive Justice and Freedom Fund (RJ Fund) is for community-based reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations to conduct medically accurate and culturally competent outreach and education on sexual health and reproductive health issues. The funding has been split up into two grants, statewide/regional programs and local programs. For additional information, please click here.
August 31, 2023
Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Intersex Wellness and Equity Fund Application Due
This first RFA under the Transgender, Gender Nonconforming and Intersex Wellness and Equity Fund will provide grant support to TGI-serving organizations and their partners to increase access to gender affirming care. For additional information, please click here.
