February 2024

A newsletter for Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs) brought to you by the Technical Assistance (TA) Team, Office of Health Equity, CDPH, every first Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to The Equity Scoop! 

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Trinity County’s Equity Assessment 


Q: How did you get buy-in to do a county equity assessment?  


A: The Trinity Equity Team (Trinity County Public Health Branch in partnership with Data Strategy Consulting) utilized a rigorous and inclusive engagement process in order to ensure community buy-in and consideration from governing officials. Implementing strong engagement strategies also helped to increase the credibility of the Equity Assessment and legitimize efforts, recommendations and findings.  


The core strategies that allowed for authentic and thoughtful dialogue throughout communities included the following: 

  • Leveraging existing networks by using partnerships to gain access to key communities, and to help increase knowledge or assist in communication with residents from high-risk communities.  
  • Increasing accessibility, reducing barriers to engagement (language, transportation, time, food, incentives, etc.)  
  • Building personal relationships with communities and maintaining presence, establishing trust and engaging with key communities in a long-term and meaningful way.  
  • Reinforce the “why” by developing a shared vision and a compelling call to action that is relevant to the needs of the community.  


Q: What was the process like and how long did the assessment take?  


A: The community engagement process for the equity assessment began in November 2022 and concluded in March 2023. The Trinity Equity Team began by clearly defining who we intended to engage, prioritizing highly impacted, minimally engaged stakeholder groups and communities for more targeted feedback. The rest of the engagement process entailed focus groups, community surveys and key informant interviews, fostering conversations around the predominant barriers to equity seen within communities, what efforts to reduce inequities have fallen short in the past, and visualizing what communities might look like if systems were designed to advance equity. The Trinity Equity Team also conducted a close examination and analysis of the social and institutional inequities present within Trinity County, as well as what living conditions look like for Trinity County residents compared to the rest of the state.  This quantitative analysis, paired with the qualitative information collected from discussions and engagement sessions allowed for inequities to be explored in vivid detail, revealing several key themes, as well as strategies for remediation. 


Q: What are your plans for using the equity assessment? 


A: Trinity County Public Health Branch (TCPHB) will utilize the assessment and the Equity Strategic Plan that follows to operationalize Health in all Policies practices, help to transform local government, and improve conditions for Trinity County residents. It is the hope of TCPHB that partners, stakeholders and community leaders alike will use the assessment as a guiding tool to take action, and place equity at the forefront of all we do 


To learn more about Trinity County’s Equity Assessment, contact Kirsten Ford at kford@trinitycounty.org

 

Black History Month

The origins of Black History Month began in Chicago during the summer of 1915. An alumnus of the University of Chicago, Carter G. Woodson traveled from Washington, D.C. to participate in a national celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the state of Illinois. Inspired by the three-week celebration, Woodson would go on to form the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. (ASALH) to promote the scientific study of Black life and history. Black History Month has evolved into celebrating and honoring the legacies, achievements and the shaping of our nation by members of the Black / African American community. Since the mid-1970s, U.S. presidents have issued proclamations supporting ASALH’s themes to celebrate Black / African Americans' many achievements, culture and history. This year, Black History Month will highlight the varied history and life of Black / African American arts and artisans. Below are a few examples of how to learn more about Black History month. While we hope you dive into these resources, we hope that you continue an authentic acknowledgment and upliftment of Black / African American influences, contributions and legacies throughout the year, and beyond the month of February.  


Ways to Honor Black / African American History: 


  1. Smithsonian: February 2024: African Americans and the Arts 
  2. Black History Month Virtual Festival 
  3. Listen: Beyond Black History Month - Podcast  

 

National Heart Health Month

February is National Heart Health Month. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.  

 
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: 

  • Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, causing one in four deaths a year.
  • Research shows that stress can make us more likely to get heart disease and have a heart attack.
  • Risk factors, such as high blood pressure, increase your chance of developing heart disease. 

While heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, it’s also the most preventable. Learn more about Heart Health Month, and ways to mitigate the risks:  

There are many important causes we can learn about and advocate for, this month we highlighted Black History month and Heart Health Month. Please take a look at the other major movements celebrated this month like Lunar New Year, National Wear Red Day, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and many more. 

 

Latest News & Program Reminders

February 14, 2024: 

TA Office Hours: Climate Change & Health Equity 


Office Hours will be held from 12:30-1:30pm. 


The month of February’s Office Hour will focus on Climate Change and Health Equity and feature a presentation on the connection between climate change and health equity from Kenna Lee, Local Health Department Climate Change Program and Policy Specialist, and Elizabeth Rhoades, Climate Change Local Assistance Unit Manager within CDPH's Climate Change and Health Equity Branch.


Join the meeting on Zoom.

 

Job Posting: CDPH Local and Community Support Coming Soon 

CDPH’s Office of Policy & Planning is currently hiring for two Analyst positions, and two Specialist Positions. Click below to learn more about each role: 

  • Local and Community Support (LCS) Specialist – CACHI Focus: – the final filing date will be updated to Feb 7th.  
  • Local and Community Support (LCS) Specialist – CHA/CHIP TA Focus: – the final filing date will be updated to Feb 11th.  
  • Local and Community Support (LCS) Analyst – CACHI Focus: – the final filing date will be updated to Feb 14th. 
  • Local and Community Support (LCS) Analyst – CHA/CHIP TA Focus: – the final filing date will be updated to Feb 18th. 

California Health Places Index New Ethical Use Guidelines 

The Public Health Alliance of Southern California has recently published new guidelines on ethical practices using the HPI: “The ethical use of the HPI is a commitment to fostering positive change in a responsible and inclusive manner. These guidelines are born from our conviction that data, when harnessed ethically, can be a force for good. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that the HPI serves as a catalyst for equitable health improvements, inspiring actions that uplift communities rather than perpetuate disparities.” 


New Report: California's Rural North: Evidence-Based Strategies and County-Level Best Practices to Improve Health Equity 

California's Rural North: Evidence-Based Strategies and County-Level Best Practices to Improve Health Equity identifies strategies for building trust and engaging Rural North communities in equity work. Understanding these evidence-based approaches is crucial for promoting health equity principles within public health departments and with communities at large. This report intends to serve as a catalyst in creating a positive impact on community well-being by fostering a foundation of trust and collaboration in the Rural North.


Thank you! - LHJ Homelessness System of Care Coordination Survey

The Housing and Homelessness Equity team would like to extend our gratitude to each of you who took the time to complete our COC coordination survey. Your experiences, and insights are incredibly valuable. We truly appreciate your time and thoughtful responses. If anyone is interested in participating in a follow up interview, please reach out to Homebase at LHJsurvey@homebaseccc.org. We look forward to sharing our findings with you.

 

Training of the Month

The National Rural Health Resource Center will be hosting a Webinar on February 14th, 12pm-1pm CT, around tools and resources to support Health Care Leaders.  


The webinar's learning objective are: 

  • Communicate the importance for rural health leaders to initiate, build, and sustain relationships to advance health equity. 
  • Recognize and acknowledge the various health equity perspectives that may affect colleague “buy-in.”  
  • Utilize tools and resources that other rural health organization leaders are using to make real and meaningful changes in their organizations and communities to advance health equity. 

Register for this upcoming webinar by clicking here. 


Equity-Centered Community Engagement by Public Health Departments: Lessons from the Field

Genuine, local-level engagement between public agencies and the communities they serve is crucial to meeting the needs and priorities of people experiencing health inequities, particularly communities of color and low-income people. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and many local health jurisdictions in California are working to be more inclusive of historically marginalized communities in their engagement and decision-making. What can public health agencies learn from these efforts and apply in their own community work? 


Building off of a recently-released research brief published by Onside Partners and ThinkForward Strategies in partnership with Blue Shield California Foundation, this webinar will explore what authentic community engagement by public agencies looks like and showcase inspiring examples from diverse California public health and education agencies that have successfully transformed their engagement strategies. These examples illustrate that meaningful change doesn’t necessarily demand vast resources but rather requires strong leadership and internal capacity building. We will hear from state and local public health practitioners about their equity-centered community engagement practices and what they see as the keys to success. Audience members will also have the opportunity to share their own community engagement practices and ask questions to the speakers.  This webinar is sponsored and co-hosted by Blue Shield of California Foundation. 

Speakers: 

  • Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna, Deputy Director, CA Department of Public Health, Office of Health Equity 
  • Karen Ben-Moshe, Program Officer, Blue Shield of California Foundation 
  • Christine Fry, Principal, Onside Partners 
  • Practitioner Speakers – To be announced 


Join the Webinar on March 12, 2024 from 2pm-3:15pm PT by Registering Here.

 

Resources

Public Health Graphics Tailored for Tribal Communities

In collaboration with community partners and leaders, the California Consortium of Urban Indian Health (CCUIH) developed over 40 tailored COVID-19 harm reduction graphics designed for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities. These graphics can be downloaded directly through CCUIH's website (under the Public Health Graphics section) and are meant to be shared with, and help increase visibility of, Tribal and Native American communities.  

This work was funded through a contract with the Office of Health Equity's Community Inclusion and Partnerships team

All—In Cities Policy Toolkit

The All-In Cities Policy Toolkit from PolicyLink, supports local leaders and community coalitions with policy ideas, data, and strategy support to build equitable cities for all. Explore each tool for information on what the policy is, key considerations, who can implement it, and examples of where it is working. 


Below are some of the policy toolkit areas: 

  • Good Jobs 
  • Economic Inclusion 
  • Homegrown Talent 
  • Healthy Neighborhoods 
  • Housing/ Anti-Displacement 
  • Democracy and Justice 

To learn more out PolicyLink’s All-In Policy toolkit, click here. 

Racial Equity Resource Hub

From the California Strategic Growth Council, the Racial Equity Resource Hub. The Hub is a public one-stop-shop of resources, best practices, and tools to help agencies, organizations, and individuals advance racial equity. The Resource Hub builds on the work spearheaded by the California Strategic Growth Council, representing seven state member agencies and three public members, to unanimously approve a first of its kind state-level Racial Equity Resolution and Action Plan.

 

Technical Assistance (TA) Services Available:

For general inquiries or to schedule a 1:1 consultation, send an email to your Equity Specialist (below) via the Equity Technical Assistance Portal: 


Rural North | Haley Ni 

Greater Sierra-Sacramento | Claudia Medina 

Central California | Chantelle Comeau 

Bay Area | Salina Ramachhita 

Southern California/ Los Angeles | Jessica Medina 

 

To share an event, resource, job opportunity, or highlight a success story from your LHJ, please email us at the Equity Portal by the 20th of the month. 

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