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! Want to offer us a recommendation to improve our services? Please share with us here. Updates to the Virtual Equity Toolkit The Virtual Equity Toolkit (VET) is a compilation of resources, toolkits, and guides, divided into the 12 competencies within the four domains as defined in CDPH's Organizational Assessment for Equity Infrastructure.
We would like to send a heartfelt thank you, to all Local Health Jurisdictions for your continuous submission of spotlights, resources, and guides. The VET has been recently updated to reflect even more resources rooted in equity, and additional examples of the great work being done by, YOU!
New update includes: - We have updated the VET to elevate more CA LHJs examples. Our team reviewed the 2023 Org Assessment Results and found valuable LHJ resources/experiences that have been added to the VET as examples of the great work being done within all 12 competencies throughout CA.
- Click here to learn more about the 2023 CA LHJ Resources.
The TA team looks forward to the continuous expansion of resources that will be added to the VET and continuing to highlight the phenomenal work being done by all of the Local Health Jurisdictions!
Every July, the US celebrates Disability Pride Month in honor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed on July 26th, 1990. The ADA was the first piece of legislation that specifically addressed the rights of disabled citizens and treating them as a protected class in the workplace and using public services. For more information about the history of the ADA and specific legislation that was enacted in the ADA, please visit the National Museum of American History’s page on “8 ways in which the Americans with Disabilities Act changed everyone's lives.”
There are many ways to celebrate Disability Pride Month:
Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month In May of 2008, the US House of Representatives announce July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD) and cosponsored by a large bipartisan group to achieve two goals: - Improve access to mental health treatment and services and promote public awareness of mental illness.
- Name a month as the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to enhance public awareness of mental illness and mental illness among minorities.
There have been recent attempts to change the month’s name, however the National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI), continues to recognize the importance of honoring Bebe Moore Campbell and her trailblazing work in helping to shift the mental health culture and break down systemic barriers in underserved communities.
Who was Bebe Moore Campbell?
Bebe Moore Campbell was an American author, journalist, teacher and mental health advocate who worked tirelessly to shed light on the mental health needs of the Black community and other underrepresented communities. She founded NAMI-Inglewood in a predominantly Black neighborhood to create a space that was safe for Black people to talk about mental health concerns and the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental illness in the US.
Bebe Moore-Campbell's Legacy lives on. Let’s continue the visionary work of Bebe Moore Campbell. We encourage you to explore and share educational resources and information addressing the mental health needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, including these resources:
There are many important causes we can learn about and advocate for in July of 2024. Please take a look at other major movements, such as Zero HIV Stigma Day, and World Hepatitis Day and many more! Latest News & Program Reminders
July 16th, 2024 Open TA Office Hours
Office Hours will be held on Zoom from 12:30 to 1:30PM. Register Here.
Join the TA team for an open office hour session with any questions you and your team may have around the 2024 organizational equity assessment, CERI, or any other topic. There will be no formal presentation for this office hour.
PLEASE NOTE, REGISTRATRION IS REQUIRED.
July 19, 2024 New CERI Due Date
CERI Y3Q4 Submission will be due on Friday, July 19th, 2024. This submission will include the following: - Spend Plan & Expenditure Report
- Invoice for any spending from April 1st –June 30th, 2024
- Work Plan & Progress Report Update from January 1st, 2024- June 30th, 2024.
For questions, please reach out to your technical assistance specialist for your region. Learn more about our Awareness Month holidays by clicking on the FREE trainings below!
Disability Awareness & Etiquette July 23rd, 2024, 10am
From the California Department of Rehabilitation: “Disability awareness empowers individuals with knowledge to be responsive to the broader needs of persons with disabilities and creates a positive framework for communication and engagement with persons with disabilities. Creating an inclusive environment for persons with disabilities demonstrates an organization's person-first culture and is also good for business. This webinar focuses on both legal and ethical guidelines, with practical insights and tools to deliver a welcoming environment for the disability community.”
To register for the Disability & Etiquette Training, click here.
Self-Paced Course: Reframing Disability: Implications for Creating Accessible and Inclusive Communities
Hosted by the Western Region Public Health Training Center: “This training session will analyze how we commonly frame disability in society and examine how these frames influence professional practice. We will discuss language, media and design and the power of each to shape the disability experience. By analyzing existing systems, we will discuss concepts of universal design and identify ways for participants to increase access by removing the barriers that exclude individuals from participation.”
Learning Objectives - Frame disability in society and examine how these frames influence professional practice
- Identify language, media and design and the power of each to shape the disability experience.
- Identify concepts of universal design
- Identify ways for participants to increase access by removing the barriers that exclude individuals from participation
To take the Reframing Disability: Implications for Creating Accessible and Inclusive Communities training, click here.
UC Santa Cruz Disability Etiquette Guide & Video
UC Santa Cruz has published a general etiquette guide for interacting with people of various disabilities, such as deaf/hard of hearing, chronic system disorders (lupus, chronic fatigue, etc.) and cognitive impairments. UC Santa Cruz’s general Disability etiquette page includes the District of Columbia Office of Disability Rights Disability Sensitivity Training Video focusing on general etiquette and considerations when interacting with individuals with disabilities. Access UC Santa Cruz’s Disability Etiquette Guide Here.
American Bar Association 21 Day Disability Equity Habit-Building Challenge
The overall goal of the challenge is to assist each of us to become more aware and engaged in the quest for disability equity, and specifically to learn more about the issues that are important to members of the disability community—many of whom are from other marginalized communities—as well as the challenges, barriers, biases, stereotypes, and discrimination they encounter in everyday life.
The Challenge invites participants to complete a syllabus of short assignments (5 minute articles, short videos) over 21 consecutive days, followed by additional resources and discussion questions. Example of a day in the challenge:
Day 1: Disability Identity/Pride/Culture Additional Resources Discussion Questions - In what ways is disability identity similar to—or different from—other identities based on characteristics or backgrounds like race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, etc.?
- How does disability identity build community and activism, and combat stigma, prejudice, and stereotypes?
- Are disability identity and pride connected? If so, how?
- Why is ASL so important to the Deaf culture?
To participate in the 21 Day Challenge, visit the full list of each day activities here.
2024 BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit
Mental Health America's 2024 BIPOC Mental Health Toolkit provides free, practical resources to help navigate mental health stigma, bridge generational differences, dismantle mental health myths, and encourage meaningful conversations. Below are a few examples of downloadable graphic you can also find along with the toolkit. To download the toolkit, and to access shareable graphics around BIPOC Mental Health, click here.
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 |
