Latest News & Program Reminders
New Deputy Director Appointed to the Office of Health Equity at the California Department of Public Health
On February 14th, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the following appointment:
Stephanie Weldon, of McKinleyville, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon has been Chief Operations Officer at United Indian Health Services since 2024. She was the Director of the Office of Tribal Affairs at the California Department of Social Services from 2021 to 2024. Weldon was a Program Associate for the Indian Child Welfare Act and Tribal Social Services Specialist at the Child and Family Institute of California from 2020 to 2021. She was Director of Health and Human Services for the Yurok Tribe from 2019 to 2020. Weldon held several roles at the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services from 2014 to 2019, including Child Welfare Director, Social Services Branch Director, and Deputy Director. She was Director of Social Services for the Yurok Tribe from 2010 to 2013.
To read the full announcement including other appointments announced, visit the Governor Gavin Newsom Newsroom webpage.
March 12th, 2025, at 12 PM PST
Trauma Informed Care Training
This training, brought to you by the Opioid Response Network and National Harm Reduction Coalition, is designed primarily for service providers without formal mental health training. The training provides an overview of trauma and mental health issues, roots of trauma and how harm reduction can be a tool/framework that can help us understand and unpack the way trauma impacts our lives and our work. Case examples highlighting realistic expectations and effective responses will be discussed, with particular attention to people with co-occurring disorders (mental illness and substance use) in the context of harm reduction programs and settings.
Program provided by the National Harm Reduction Coalition with support from ORN.
To register via Zoom for the Trauma Informed Care training, click here.
March 18th, 2025, at 1 PM PST
Equity Learning Collaborative: Nevada County Health Supply Vending Machine Program
The Equity Technical Assistance (TA) Team will be hosting an Equity Learning Collaborative (formerly known as TA Office Hours) on Tuesday, March 18th from 1:00-2:00pm.
Staff from Nevada County Public Health and Yuba Harm Reduction Collective will provide an overview of their Health Supply Vending Machine Program, which includes five vending machines strategically spread throughout Nevada County. These vending machines offer a range of health supplies to the public, including naloxone. Learn more about the vending machine planning process, key considerations for the vending machine program, and successes and lessons learned throughout the first 15 months of the program’s operation in the upcoming learning collaborative.
To register via Zoom for the Equity Learning Collaborative, click here.
California Equitable Recovery Initiative: Storytelling Project
Back in January 2025, the Equity Technical Assistance (TA) Team announced new and revamped TA services including a storytelling project called “Advancing Health Equity through the California Equitable Recovery Initiative (CERI).” The primary goal of the storytelling project is to elevate the innovative ways Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs) in California are leading efforts to advance health equity and foster recovery across the state. The TA Team is planning to interview LHJs from each of the five regions, both virtually and in person, that have received and utilized CERI funds to support local health equity initiatives. These activities include but are not limited to language access initiatives, workforce development efforts, Community Based Organization collaborations, equity in data, Health Equity Action Plans, emergency and disaster preparedness, equity in organizational policies, and targeted outreach to communities.
Storytelling is an important means of communication, allowing people to connect emotionally with the impactful efforts happening throughout the state. At a time when there is rampant misinformation and scrutiny around public health, we are seeking to raise awareness around equity and its impact on communities. Through transparency and education, we can rebuild trust with communities while making a case for a financial investment into health equity work.
The Equity Technical Assistance Team is currently finalizing details for the storytelling project, with more information coming soon.
Funding Opportunity Extended for Round 4 Application!
CalAIM Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH)
Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) is a five-year, $1.85 billion initiative to build up the capacity and infrastructure of on-the-ground partners, such as community-based organizations (CBOs), hospitals, county agencies, tribes, and others, to successfully participate in the Medi-Cal delivery system as California widely implements Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports and Justice Involved services under CalAIM. PATH funding will address the gaps in local organizational capacity and infrastructure that exist statewide, enabling these local partners to scale up the services they provide to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. With resources funded by PATH—such as additional staff, billing systems, and data exchange capabilities—community partners will successfully contract with managed care organizations, bringing their wealth of expertise in community needs to the Medi-Cal delivery system. As PATH funds serve to strengthen capacity statewide, particularly among providers and CBOs that have historically been under-resourced, the initiative will help California advance health equity, address social drivers of health, and move towards an equitable, coordinated, and accessible Medi-Cal system.
PATH Capacity and Infrastructure Transition, Expansion and Development (CITED)
On January 6, 2025, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) opened the Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Capacity and Infrastructure Transition, Expansion, and Development (CITED) Round 4 application window, including for the Transitional Rent Community Support. The PATH CITED initiative provides funding to build the capacity and infrastructure of on-the-ground partners, including community-based organizations (CBO), hospitals, county agencies, Tribes, and others, to successfully participate in Medi-Cal. DHCS has decided to extend the Round 4 application deadline to 11:59 p.m. PST on May 2, 2025. This announcement supersedes pervious deadline communications, and updated materials are forthcoming. The application preview and guidance are available on the PATH CITED webpage. All organizations providing the Transitional Rent Community Support must do so in partnership with their County Behavioral Health Department. To demonstrate this partnership, all CITED applicants who plan to request funding to support the Transitional Rent Community Support must also submit a Letter of Support in collaboration with the County Behavioral Health Department. For more information on this requirement, review the information on the CITED webpage, the letter of support guidance, and the letter of support template.
Please submit questions to cited@ca-path.com.
- DHCS will host a series of office hours to provide Round 4 application support to prospective applicants. Please visit the CITED webpage to register in advance.
- Please visit the CITED webpage to access CITED Round 4 webinar recordings and slides, located under "Reference Materials."
Exploring Equitable Futures: Call for Proposals
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is evaluating proposals for a funding opportunity based on the extent to which the proposed project seeds an idea that (1) is new and unconventional and (2) meaningfully advances health equity. They aim to fund projects that:
- Explore the future by researching and experimenting with ideas that are ahead of the curve or at the edge of our collective imagination.
- Shine a light on the emerging trends and forces that are shaping our future for better or worse—and suggest ways to navigate them to mitigate harm and advance health equity.
- Dream big and challenge conventional wisdom to surface possibilities and uncover new paths to dismantle structural racism and build a more equitable future.
Eligibility & Selection Criteria
Preference will be given to applicants that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories. Submissions from teams that include both U.S. and international members are eligible.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation evaluates proposals for this funding opportunity based on the extent to which the proposed project seeds an idea that (1) is new and unconventional and (2) meaningfully advances health equity.
Beginning February 3, 2025, proposals will be accepted on a rolling admission until October 15, 2025.
For more information, please visit the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Exploring Equitable Futures CFP webpage.
Training of the Month
Strategic Communication for Driving Change
Welcome to “Strategic Communication for Driving Change,” brought to you by the Western Region Public Health Training Center, where you’ll learn the fundamentals of strategic communication and its critical role in guiding organizations through periods of change. This training will equip you with key principles for effective communication, with a focus on the unique challenges in health spaces, and how trust, empathy, and transparency can enhance your communication efforts using a comprehensive media mix strategy.
Learning Objectives:
- Define strategic communication and its importance in organizational change.
- Identify key principles of effective communication during periods of change.
- Describe the unique challenges and opportunities in communicating change within health spaces.
- Identify the role of trust, empathy, and transparency in health-related change communication.
- Explore the components of a comprehensive media mix (e.g., digital, print, social media, internal communications).
To register for the “Strategic Communication for Driving Change” training, click here.
San Mateo County Health GARE: What the HEC Video Series
Presented by San Mateo County (SMC) Health GARE’s SEED Lab (Spotlighting Engagement of Equity Developments team within the Government Alliance of Race and Equity), the What the HEC video series celebrates SMC Health Equity Champions (HEC) and features interviews from SMC equity practitioners. The intention of this video series is to increase awareness and exposure to equity concepts, communicate progress towards SMC Health's Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP) objective: Make SMC Health’s commitment to racial equity visible and explicit to our workforce and partners, and to share and celebrate the incredible equity work happening across SMC Health. Each episode delves into the stories of staff who are driving meaningful change, sharing how their lived experiences shape their approach to equity at work, and exploring innovative strategies and actionable insights that support equity in health across San Mateo County.
To watch episodes from the SMC Health GARE video series on YouTube, click here.
Contact Nupoor Kulkarni at nkulkarni@smcgov.org to learn more.
Quality Improvement (QI) Roadmap
The QI Roadmap, brought to you by NACCHO (National Association of County and City Health Officials) features:
- Organizational characteristics and transition strategies, delineated by each foundational element, allowing LHDs to more readily determine their current level of QI integration in order to manage both the “human” and “process” sides of change.
- Links to tangible tools, templates, and resources corresponding to the transition strategies in each phase.
- Identification of PHAB’s requirements for performance management and QI, which appear at various points along the Roadmap.
To learn how to use the QI Roadmap, visit the NACCHO Roadmap to a Culture of Quality Improvement webpage.
Technical Assistance (TA) Services Available:
For general inquiries or to schedule a 1:1 consultation, submit an inquiry to your Equity TA Specialist (below) via the Equity Technical Assistance Portal:
Rural North | Haley Ni
Greater Sierra-Sacramento | Claudia Medina
Central California | TBD
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 contact us through the Equity Portal by the 20th of the month.
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