HEALTH EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS CHECKLIST

Name:

Date:

Title/Project/Service:

This tool will assist you in seeing your work through a health equity lens.  It allows you to recognize strengths and areas for growth in your position, and within JCPH, to minimize unintended adverse outcomes and maximize opportunities for positive outcomes.  It should spark ideas and conversations about what is possible and identify action steps to strengthen health equity endeavors.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

In my position/program:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

I take into account my personal bias and assumptions, explicit or implicit.

I display cultural humility in interactions with coworkers, partners, and clients.

I participate in courageous conversations and hold brave spaces.

I proactively discourage disrespectful, discriminatory, and/or biased behavior.

I consider how I/we conduct work might be perceived by those facing health inequities.

I recognize and celebrate differences across coworkers, partners, and clients.

I consider how my health disparities knowledge informs interaction with, education to, and care of coworkers, partners, and clients.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

In our organization:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

Clear messages around the key concepts of health equity permeate in all work.

We expand the understanding about conditions that lead to health inequities with all staff, community stakeholders, and other partners.

We recruit, hire, develop, and promote diverse individuals.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

In my position/program:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

I provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

I use inclusive and culturally responsive language and images in internal and external communications.

I review the literacy level of all publicly distributed written materials to ensure accessibility.

I consider language access, physical accommodations, childcare, transportation, etc. when planning community events/meetings.

I identify and communicate health equity success stories.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

In our organization:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

Funds and resources are specifically allocated for health equity endeavors.

Commitment to promote equity is shared on various communication platforms.

There is an effective process to follow when clients do not speak English.

There is a process for translating materials and evaluating their quality.

There is a process for staff to ask for more training.

There is a safe way to report disrespectful, discriminatory, and/or biased behavior. 

Processes and policies do not disadvantage those experiencing inequities – scheduling (consequences for missing appointment), accessibility (times, locations services/programs offered), etc.

DATA

In my position/program:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

I collect comprehensive demographic data from clients and the public to include – race, ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, geography, disability status, gender, sexual identity, religion, education level, and other relevant groupings.

I search for and use disaggregated data.

I have a clear understanding of what health outcomes are inequitable to which groups and how to address these inequities.

I have explored the cultural norms, myths, or popular ideas that justify or maintain health inequities.

I continually ask “How might structural racism and additional forms of exclusion be operating here and what might my role be in changing it?”

I measure improvement in health outcomes of the disadvantaged groups I serve.

I report data back to our communities.

DATA

In our organization:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

We work with community partners and entities across sectors to analyze, develop, and disseminate data and reports that build an expanded understanding of health equity.

We track specific outcomes to assess whether our efforts are helping to reduce local inequities.

STRATEGIC CHANGE

In my position/program:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

I evaluate how I can improve efforts to engage staff, clients, and partners in meaningful ways.

I determine how can we strengthen communication and understanding about health inequities with coworkers, clients, and partners.

STRATEGIC CHANGE

In our organization:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

We revise our services and resources to accommodate cultural needs and preferences.

COMMUNITY VOICE

In my position/program:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

Community engagement can have varying levels of community involvement, from outreach to consultation, involvement, collaboration, and shared leadership.  I am clear about the level of engagement requested, and the purpose and goal of the engagement effort.

I aim for co-developed, co-curated, and co-produced community content from organizations and people who represent the community.

I intentionally identify and build relationships with impacted people.

I have working relationships with agencies or sectors such as housing, education, corrections, economic development, public safety, etc.

I continually evaluate what voices are present and what voices are missing.

I ensure coalition, committee, advisory board makeup is reflective of the community experiencing inequities. 

I educate partners, coalition members, etc. on health equity issues.

COMMUNITY VOICE

In our organization:

Not At All

Sometimes

Always

Unsure

We capture and highlight lived experiences.

We pay community members for their time and expertise.

We invest in developing power and capacity in people experiencing inequities.  (social connections, economic opportunity, leadership, political power, etc.)