Impact

It's New Year's Eve and I have spent some time reflecting on this past year and thinking about what I want to accomplish in 2022. I haven't formalized any goals yet, but I have decided my word for the year.

Impact

This past year has been a significant year for me. I did a number of presentations and trainings. I won a 20 Under 40 Leadership award, and I stated my new role as the Director of Health Equity and Clinical Resources at the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities. It's been a busy year for sure, but a very fulfilling one professionally. 

In 2022, I want to be intentional about making an impact. Not to say my previous work hasn't been impactful, but this past year or so I have worked on strengthening my leadership voice and building confidence in myself. In my new role, I get the opportunity to work with Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services Boards across Ohio to work towards advancing behavioral health equity, diversity, and inclusion. I am a leader in Ohio for behavioral health equity and I am setting my intention to make a positive impact in this space. 

I have ideas for goals for this upcoming year, but they are kind of just floating in my head right now. Once I am comfortable enough I will right them down and put them. Last year I put them in my planner so I could refer to them frequently. This year, I have a notebook where I plan to write them down along with some other things I will be tracking. Tracking progress is a great way to stay motivated to reach the goal. Maybe I'll put my goals here so it can kind of help keep me accountable. 

My friend send me this yesterday and I think it's an important reminder as I consider my goals for next year. 

 

Reflections

I follow a few people on LinkedIn who are in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space. Sometimes they share some insights that make me stop and think. In November, an insight was shared that I decided to send to my colleagues at work. The CEO liked it so much she asked me to share a weekly reflection that goes out with the organization's updates to the members. These are just short pieces; about a paragraph long. I've been doing it for about 5 weeks now and I thought I would share the ones I've written here. 

Health Equity Reflections 

November Thoughts: Workforce

There has been a growing workforce issue within mental health and substance use disorder treatment; really across all helping professions. Almost daily I hear leaders talk about the number of open positions, the hemorrhaging staff, and the lack of qualified applicants who actually apply for positions. 

The issue is vast and multi-dimensional. Should social workers stay when their mental health is on the line? Can anyone blame a person for taking a better paying job? With the staffing shortage, are is there extra care taken for the workers who are there? 

I was in a meeting today and the issue of workforce came up and people from several different states shared what a large organization can do that may be helpful in addressing the workforce issue. Ideas around tuition reimbursement, loan forgiveness, reducing the stigma around working in mental health, and paid internships (to help build a pipeline). These are not bad ideas, and in the context of the conversation were appropriate. Of course things like better work life balance, psychological safer, equitable pay, opportunities for growth, and professional respect can all help with the workforce issues. 

However, as I was listening to these things, something stood out to me. No one was addressing that our workforce has and continues to lack diversity. I challenged those at the meeting to conceptualize the workforce issue as a DEI issue. Leaders and organizations across the county have a great opportunity to find solutions to an issue (workforce) while also bringing solutions to a long standing problem (lack of diversity). As we think through the workforce issue it is critical that we consider how we create equitable opportunities for those with underrepresented and marginalized identifies. 

Finding ways to fill vacancies is not a helpful or sustainable solutions. Brining a DEI perspective into finding solutions to recruiting and retaining a quality workforce is a win-win for everyone. It's the long game. It is not an easy solutions, but in the end  it is better for organizations, employees, and the people who receive services. 

20 Under 40 Leadership Award

On October 29, 2021, I received the 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award. 

Here is the press release. 

(Toledo, Ohio) Elijah Jones, Manager of Treatment Services at Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County, received a 2021 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award on Thursday, October 28 at the 26^th annual 20 Under 40 ceremony.  He was among the 20 selected from a field of 209 nominated candidates.

In his role at MHRSB, Jones monitors over $14 million in mental health and substance use disorder treatment contracts. He is a member of the Lucas County Opioid Coalition and a co-lead for the healing Communities Study to reduce opioid overdoses by 40 percent. In partnership with the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services he worked to rapidly distribute hundreds of naloxone kits into high-risk communities.

Jones is an appointed co-chair of the Social Justice Committee of the City of Toledo Human Relations Commission, he recently completed two terms as the Region 1 director of the National Association of Social Workers-Ohio Chapter and actively volunteers with NASW to create opportunities for local social workers to network and develop professionally. He has participated on the Citizens Review Committee for City of Toledo Department of Neighborhoods as it related to homelessness, and he is a regular abstract reviewer for the American Public Health Association. He is a member of both the University of Toledo Opioid Task Force and the Latino Alliance of Northwest Ohio.

In 2020, Jones won the Adult Leadership Diamante Award from the Latin o Alliance of Northwest Ohio. He is a licensed independent social worker with supervisory designation, a licensed independent chemical dependency counselor, a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers and a certified clinical trauma professional. He recently completed requirements to become a certified diversity professional. A leader in social work he provides training supervision for students and has taught courses at both the University of Toledo and St. Louis University.

Jones earned both an under-graduate and Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Toledo and is currently a doctorial candidate in educational psychology.

The 20 Under 40 program focuses on individuals in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their career and/or in the community. An independent panel of judges selects the 20 candidates for recognition.  It is intended that the program will further motivate young leaders in our area. Since 1996, 520 young, community leaders have been recognized through the 20 Under 40 program.

Program sponsors include Eastman & Smith; Fifth Third Bank; Plante Moran; The Andersons, Inc.; University of Toledo and Dana Incorporated.  The Toledo Business Journal serves as the media partner, Leadership Toledo serves as the community partner, and Buckeye Broadband as broadcast partner.  Ulrich Pinciotti and THREAD are creative partners.  Community support is provided by EPIC Toledo, Imagination Station, The Toledo Repertoire Theatre, Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Opera, Toledo Zoo, and the Valentine Theatre.

November Thoughts: Health Equity

These last several weeks have flown by. Friday was my last day working a job I really enjoyed and was passionate about and today I started a new job in a new city. I am still trying to locate a place to live and finish things in Toledo. I am excited about starting this new role in health equity and have been really thinking about how do we do the work of health equity with an entire system?

For November (and in an attempt to write more), I am going to list some thoughts on some particular subjects. I just want to share my thoughts. That's it. I think things and I think these things can help other people. 

1. SAMHSA seems to center the definition of behavioral health equity on access. However, to do the work of health equity we need to consider all the elements of access and how we ensure everyone knows they have access. 

2. There are so many terms and acronyms. I think Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) work is Health Equity. I think it is great some people add the term belonging which provides just another layer to what this means. I also think health equity is a form of social justice. 

3. Promoting psychological safety helps to foster creativity. I believe creativity is needed to do the work on Health Equity. 

4. Doing what we've done in the past is not working. I would say no longer working, but I am sure the institution and system are doing what they were intended to do. Health equity calls us to disrupt the status quo. 

5. There is a workforce issue and there are not enough clinicians of color. The behavioral health system needs clinicians of color. A client working with a clinician of color which helps to foster safety. Additionally, there is some consideration for more cultural competence training, but I think the work of health equity inherently is inherently a form of social justice. 

To be continued... 

Consider Intersectionality: Caring for Latinx and LGBTQ+ Individuals

Check out this lecture I did for the University of Toledo College of Medicine's Language of Diversity Series. Other lectures as part of the series can be found here. 

Stigma Within Professionals

Let's face-it, there is some major stigma within the social work field in regards to seeking mental health therapy/treatment services. We do not have parity between physical health and mental health. Parity is the state or condition of being equal and we do not view these types of health as equal. 

Recently, I challenged my co-workers to think differently about their responses they gave to changing our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The current EAP provider was ending their contract with us and need to find a new provider. A co-worker asked about a provider she had seen some flyers for in the building (we share our building with another organization). It was shared that the EAP provider on the flyer was a subsidy of a local community mental health center that we contract with. The co-worker wasn't advocating for them, but pointing this EAP provider out as a potential option. The question was proposed, could this be an option?

Several staff members had strong opinions about using this particular EAP as a provider. Staff had the same feelings that stop many people from getting services:

• I may have gone to school with some of them.
• What if someone I know sees me?
• How do I know my information will be kept confidential?

While I am not saying these feelings are invalid (because all feelings are valid), I would challenge people to stop and think about those feelings and if they relate to stigma. If this was a medical procedure would these be the same thoughts and feelings? These immediate reactions staff shared really relate to the internalize stigma we, even as leaders in behavioral health, have towards seeking help for mental health concerns. We don't trust people to keep our information confidential and we are afraid people who we know may see us getting help. 

I challenged the staff to think about internalized stigma. I am not advocating to contract with this particular EAP provider. I do think we need to examine our thoughts and reactions when mental health treatment "hits close to home". Sure it's easy to think that people should get help when they need it and that people should believe that licensed professionals would keep their information confidential, but is it that easy when it comes to the professional needing help. 

Parity comes when we see mental health and physical in the same light. When our thoughts and reactions to someone (or ourselves) needing psychiatric medications or to talk to someone are the same as getting prescribed something for blood pressure or diabetes. Parity occurs when we take the same prevention measures for mental health and as we do for physical health (hint: a lot of it is the same). Parity is when we understand that physical and mental health are interdependent and they effect each other. 

Stigma is a major roadblock to parity. If we are going to #EndStigma we need to start evaluating our own thoughts and beliefs.