City of Berkeley: Equity Assessment 

The City of Berkeley utilized California Equitable Recovery Initiative (CERI). funds to create and implement a Strategic Plan for Health Equity for the Department of Health, Housing, and Community Services (HHCS). To accomplish this, the team completed a competitive bid process to identify an equity consultant that would meet the needs of Berkeley, and Tiana Sanchez International, LLC (TSI) was selected to conduct the work in fall 2022. Throughout the end of 2022 and 2023, TSI conducted surveys, focus groups, and leadership interviews to identify areas of success for HHCS and key areas for growth, using the social determinants of health as the foundation.

As a result of the equity assessment conducted, HHCS created specific strategies and goals to ensure that the Department’s work would be conducted with a key focus on increasing equitable health outcomes for the Berkeley community. Strategies range from having an external focus around programming with partners to an internal focus on staff development. Along with this, the strategies will highlight and incorporate upcoming data from the Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHA/CHIP).

Implementation of these five strategies has been an ongoing process. In September 2023, staff received training on the social determinants of health, and in February 2024, staff participated in an interactive bridge-building training that focused on the identified strategies. After experiencing significant leadership transition in 2024, HHCS is exploring different strategies to further codify the Strategic Plan for Health Equity, including potentially formally adopting the plan through the City Manager and City Council to ensure implementation continues.  

To learn more about the City of Berkeley’s equity assessment and ongoing processes, please contact Katie Hawn at khawn@berkeleyca.gov.

October Awareness

Health Literacy Month

Health Literacy Month is a month dedicated to raise awareness to the importance of making health information easy to understand. Underserved communities tend to have lower health literacy rates due to the social determinants of health such as education and income. Health literacy advocates recommend using evidence-based health information in plain language that is easy to find, understand and use.

Visit the Health Literacy Online guide to learn strategies and tips for increasing the understanding and accessibility of health information for online users.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Each October, breast cancer advocates bring attention to breast cancer and breast cancer disparities. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, “Black women have a 41 percent higher death rate from breast cancer compared to white women. Native American women and women of African, Hispanic, and Latin American descent are also more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier age and with more aggressive breast cancers.”

Breast cancer advocacy efforts include improving funding for research, improving access to research and working collaboratively with partners to help women get access to breast cancer screenings.

To learn more about California’s Every Woman Counts program which provides “free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to California’s underserved populations,” please visit the Department of Health Care Services.

National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day: October 15th

National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day, observed on the last day of Hispanic Heritage month, is a day to promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment and reduce HIV stigma among Hispanic/Latinx people in the United States. The HIV epidemic disproportionately impacts the Hispanic/Latinx communities due to a number of factors including language barriers, structural racism, immigration status and lack of access to quality healthcare. According to the CDC, “among all Hispanic/Latino people, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men were the group most affected.”

To learn more about the disproportionate impact of HIV on Hispanic/Latino communities and ways to combat it, please visit HIV.gov.

For more public health observances, please visit the APHA Public Health Events Webpage.

Latest News & Program Reminders

Oct 8th, 2024

Equity TA Office Hours: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Data Collection and Display Guidance

Office Hours will be held on Zoom from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Register Here. 

The Equity Technical Assistance (TA) Team will be hosting an Office Hour on Tuesday, October 8th from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.  During this month’s office hour, CDPH staff from the Center for Health Statistics and Informatics (CHSI) and the Office of Health Equity (OHE) will share drafts of new guidance documents and request LHJ feedback before these are formally released. 

Overview of New Guidance Documents:

CHSI’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Data Collection and Display Guidance provides best practices developed by CDPH. It represents a balance between scientific data collection methodology and recognition of the fluidity of SOGI demographic data collection and includes sample scripts to explain why these questions are being asked.

OHE’s Guide to Promote an Equitable Data Strategy is intended for use by CDPH staff and consists of a worksheet to assess how programs are following equity best practices, a guide summarizing CDPH recommendations, and appendices to support implementation including example forms. The guide focuses on three topic areas: community engagement, data, and legislative analysis.

PLEASE NOTE: REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. 

Oct 15th – 18th, 2024

Public Health Learning Forum: Workforce Development In Action

Join the Public Health Foundation (PHF) for the 2024 Public Health Learning Forum. Sessions will be taking place virtually October 15-18th, with this year’s theme being "Workforce Development In Action."  There is no fee to attend.

Sessions will focus on training and tools to support public health workforce development and build governmental public health workforce capacity. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in dynamic sessions covering topics such as organizational culture, the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, fostering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), and more.

Overview of Sessions:

Opening Panel: State and Local Health Departments Working Together for Workforce Development | Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 1-2:30pm EDT
Presenters: Ron Bialek, President, PHF, Steven Stack, Commissioner, Kentucky Department for Public Health

Introduction to Public Health Workforce Development | Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 3-4pm EDT

Presenters: Ron Bialek, President, PHF, Sonja Armbruster, Performance Improvement Expert, PHF, Grace Davis, Project Associate, PHF

Organizational Culture and Tribal Public Health | Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 1-2:30pm EDT
Presenter: Mona Zuffante, Chief Public Health Officer, Winnebago Public Health Department (NE)

Assessing Workforce Capacity Needs | Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 3-4pm EDT

Presenters: Carol Moehrle, VP of Programs, PHF, Les Beitsch, Performance Improvement Expert, PHF, Matt Stefanak, Performance Improvement Expert, PHF

Enhancing Capacity Through Academic Health Department Partnerships | Thursday, October 17, 2024, 1-2:30pm EDT

Presenters: Kathleen Amos, Director, Workforce Development, PHF Christine Beluk, AHD Manager, Massachusetts Department of Health, Sarah Worthington, Academic Public Health Manager, Toledo-Lucas County Health Department (OH)

Fostering Equitable, Inclusive, Diverse, and Justice-Centered Practices: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment Experience | Thursday, October 17, 2024, 3-4pm EDT
Presenter: Jade Ramsdell, Performance Improvement Director, Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Using the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals & TRAIN Learning Network for Workforce Development | Friday, October 18, 2024, 1-2:30pm EDT
Presenters: Mayela Arana, Senior Program Manager, PHF, Jennifer Harmon, TRAIN Learning Network Engagement Manager, PHF

Closing Session: Celebrating the Public Health Workforce & Taking Action | Friday, October 18, 2024, 3-4pm EDT
Presenter: Ron Bialek, President, PHF

Registration for the 2024 Public Health Learning Forum is free and open!

Please register through the TRAIN Learning Network by logging into your account. Don't have a TRAIN account? Create one for free.

If you have questions or need assistance with registration, please contact Jennifer Harmon at jharmon@phf.org.

Oct 27th – 30th, 2024

APHA 2024: Annual Meeting & Expo | Minneapolis, MN

Registration and housing are open for the 2024 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo. Join the American Public Health Association (APHA) on Oct. 27-30 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The 2024 APHA program offers ample educational and networking opportunities to engage, collaborate and grow to meet your professional goals!

For more information on the 2024 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo, visit the APHA Events & Meetings webpage.

Abstracts and Registration Now Open for 2025 NACCHO360!

Annually, NACCHO360 is the largest convening of local health department leaders and public health professionals in the United States, offering the opportunity to learn, network, and share experiences and best practices across local health departments.  

In 2025, the public health community will gather to explore NACCHO360’s conference theme, “Bright Lights, Bold Ideas: Shaping the Future of Public Health Practice.” Attendees will learn how to adopt effective practices, engages with federal and state partners, and gain insights from public health experts. 

 The call for abstracts and registration for 2025 NACCHO360 are now open! 

Make your plans to join NACCHO360 from July 14-18th, 2025, in Anaheim, California. Click here for more information.

Racial Equity Training Series

The Racial Equity Training Series by Race Forward is designed to meet the user where they are and to advance their analysis and implementation of racial equity in their practice and everyday life. This collection of interactive sessions provides participants with an understanding of key racial equity concepts and tools to challenge structural racism. Race Forward also offers a train-the-trainer session for those interested in learning to train others.

This foundational course explains racial justice values and vision, defines key concepts of racial justice and racism, and emphasizes opportunities to challenge and change institutional racial inequities.

Participants will: 

• Build a clear understanding of key concepts such as racial equity and structural racism. 
• Learn to talk about race constructively within their organizations and constituents. 
• Gain tools and practices for counteracting racial bias in their work and practices. 
• Identify opportunities and next steps for applying concepts and strategies to advance racial equity. 

Upcoming Training Dates:

• October 15th, 2024 | Virtual 
• November 6th, 2024 | Virtual 
• December 3rd, 2024 | Virtual 
• December 10th, 2024 | Virtual 

Please note that this is a paid training series. 

For more information, visit the Race Forward Racial Equity Training Series webpage.

Training of the Month

Rural Health Equity: Exploring Disparities and Solutions 

Brought to you by the Western Region Public Health Training Center, this self-paced 60-minute course provides an overview of specific health concerns in rural communities and strategies and approaches for building upon the existing resilience and strengths of rural communities for improving health. 

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize health disparities faced by rural communities.
• Identify barriers that contribute to health disparities in rural communities.
• Describe innovative projects and programs to improve rural health.

To register for the Rural Health Equity: Exploring Disparities and Solutions 

 training, click here.

Resources

New and Improved! 

Health Equity Guide from Human Impact Partners

The new and improved Health Equity Guide from Human Impact Partners (HIP) is a comprehensive resource that public health departments and practitioners can use to plan and implement long-lasting health equity and racial justice work. This guide lays out 15 strategic practices — from supporting community power-building to shifting organizational cultures toward liberation — and is organized using a cyclical gardening framework, to illustrate how each mutually supports health equity goals.

To view the new and improved Health Equity Guide and learn more about each strategic practice, click here.

Be Prepared for Any Disaster or Emergency 

Emergency Preparedness Guide

The California Department of Aging (CDA) in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), has released an Emergency Preparedness Guide for older adults and people with disabilities. This guide includes valuables resources and tips to help you and your loved ones prepare for emergencies.

To help share these resources with your family, friends, communities, and networks, the Guide's resources have been adapted into an Emergency Preparedness toolkit that includes social media posts, a sample press release, and newsletter article. Coming this fall, the Emergency Preparedness Guide will be available in Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese.

To view the Emergency Preparedness Guide, click here.

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 | 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 contact us through the Equity Portal by the 20th of the month.