Health Equity Reflection
You have undoubtedly heard the term The
Great Resignation, referring to those who have left or are considering
leaving their current employer. However, while the stress is high due to the
demand that far surpasses the supply, we have an opportunity to think
differently about our workplace cultures. Is it the Great Resignation or
the Great Re-Evaluation? We know the issues in community mental
health: low wages, high productivity standards, challenging clients, and historically
high turnover. While people re-evaluate what it means to work and what works
means to them, organizations need to consider how they align their mission and
values with how their employees are treated and not just those seeking
services. Health equity isn’t realized through poor organizational culture. As
behavioral health leaders, let us help the continuum of care re-evaluate how we
create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture.
...
Monday was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and for some it is
difficult to see beyond their own struggles and experiences of oppression. As
we reflect on Dr. King’s advocacy for equality for Black Americans, other’s may
feel left out or want to remind others of their own oppression whether that is
based on sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or socioeconomic
status. Health equity, diversity, and inclusion means all are valued and
belong, however it is important that at times we do focus on certain segments
of the population and reflect on the institutionalized injustices that have
contributed to health inequities. Focusing on one group’s experience is neither
bad nor invalidating of another group’s struggle. Some may feel like that work
you are doing is “only for those people”, sometimes we must narrow our focus to
make progress. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
...
Finding a
solution to any social problem starts with identifying the problem. It can be
tempting to decontextualize the problem so much that it becomes separated from
the human experience. We can talk about the health inequities in marginalized
communities while never taking the time to realize that each community is made
up of individual people—human beings with hopes, dreams and unique, lived
experiences. An underlying value in a Recovery-Oriented System of Care is a
person-centered approach that centers services and supports around the needs,
preferences, and strengths of the individual. Once we fully realize our work is
about the quality of existence – of every individual – we will find a renewed
sense of urgency and motivation to advance health equity.
...
Stop and
reflect for a moment—what is the point of language? It is a vehicle to
facilitate communication and develop shared understanding. Yet, we often
use language to oppress. I am not talking about words that are outright
oppressive, but the collective tendency to not be as accepting or
welcoming of non-Standard forms of communication. In Teaching to
Transgress, the author frames English as the language of oppressors that wiped
out native tongue and is continually used to silence marginalized voices.
Individuals tend to be judged when they are not using proper English and are
often thought to be unintelligent or not having value to add. Think of the time
when someone sent an email with the incorrect tense, used a colloquialism, or
spoke up in a meeting and used a more casual tone or non-Standard English. Did
you have the same level of respect or engagement as when someone uses English
that follows standard tone, diction, and grammar? We understand that language
is a vehicle to facilitate communication, but when someone’s written
or spoken English is not up to our, individual standard their communication may
be viewed as less than even though there is shared
understanding. Fighting oppression requires us to challenge ourselves to shift
our focus to what people are trying to say rather than how they are
communicating.
...
This Friday we host the Crisis Academy: Crisis Response
for LGBTQ+ Populations and what a timely subject matter given the situation in
Texas and other states moving towards LGBTQ discriminatory policies. If you are
not aware of what is happening in Texas, you can read about it here.
Governmental policies, whether they be overtly discriminatory or not, have
potential to have significant effects on the mental health and physical safety
for the most vulnerable in society. We live in a global society; LGBTQ youth
are seeing what is going on in parts of the country and around the world. The 2021 National Survey on
LGBT Youth Mental Health found that 42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered
attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender
and nonbinary youth, 75% of those surveyed reported that they had experienced
discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity at least
once in their lifetime while half of all LGBTQ youth of color reported
discrimination based on their race/ethnicity in the past year. As behavioral
health leaders we must continue to learn about the marginalized and center
those experiences to inform our policies and practices, but more importantly
let us not forget youth in our work – especially those who are most vulnerable
– so we can ensure quality and equitable access to care for all Ohioans. If you
are not able to join us for tomorrow’s crisis academy, don’t worry – it’s being
recorded for later viewing.
