Category Archives: Intentional Communities

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Contact: SFDPH Media Desk, DPH.Press@sfdph.org

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San Francisco, CA The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) today celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Chinatown Child Development Center (CCDC), a behavioral health clinic in the heart of Chinatown. The center has served the social and emotional needs of children and families throughout Chinatown and the City since 1972.

SFDPH established CCDC to serve children, youth, and their families in San Francisco by providing comprehensive mental health services which are easily accessible and linguistically and culturally appropriate. At CCDC, patients can access mental health services such as individual and group counseling, case management, medication support, psychological evaluations, psychiatry, support groups, and parenting education workshops. The program serves children and families who are residents

of San Francisco who have Medi-Cal, Healthy Kids Healthy Families, or no insurance coverage.

For half of a century, the Chinatown Child Development Center has worked to ensure children and families have access to critical mental health services in a linguistically and culturally competent way, said Mayor London Breed. Whether they are in-person or telehealth services, and thanks to CCDCs committed health care providers and staff members, the wide range of services that they offer are so important to our communitys health and wellness. Congratulations on this momentous celebration and five decades of achievements.

As part of SFDPHs capital improvement program, CCDC will relocate to the Chinatown Public Health Center at 1490 Mason Street after the completion of its seismic upgrades and modernization renovation. The relocation will allow for culturally and linguistically appropriate medical services, mental health services, and dental services to be provided in one building to increase access of comprehensive care for the Chinatown community.

We are excited to celebrate the achievements of our Department of Public Health program, the Chinatown Child Development center and its diversity of behavioral health services, said Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax. The Chinatown community is deserving of high-quality healthcare services to youth and families, that play an integral role in safeguarding the mental health of so many.

CCDC fully integrates a comprehensive behavioral health service model for all eligible San Francisco residents with a focus on Asian American communities. These are provided via a multidisciplinary team of health providers who speak English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog Vietnamese and other languages and dialects when requested.

This is a landmark contribution to Chinatowns network of social services, which comes on the heels of the communitys historic fight to pass Baby Prop C in 2018, said Supervisor Peskin. Our early childhood development and childcare providers are at the core of the Citys work provide culturally competent behavioral and mental health services to our most vulnerable children and the newly reopened Chinatown Child Development Center will ensure a continuum of accessible and affordable services so that no family in Chinatown is left behind. Im proud to celebrate their 50th year of service in community!

CCDC mostly serves youth between the ages of 5 and 17 from the Chinatown neighborhood. Additionally, 95% of patients are Asian American, 56% speak Cantonese, 8% speak Vietnamese, and 6% speak Mandarin.

CCDC works diligently to address the top mental health challenges facing children and families. These include high rates of Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), Depressive/ Mood Disorders, Conduct Disorders, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD or Severe Stress Reaction. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that youth between the ages of 10 to 19 years old experience high rates of intentional self-harm and suicide which is the second leading cause of death after accidents amongst this age group in the U.S. The CDC continues to say that this intensifies for Asian American youth between 15 and 24 years old where intentional self-harm and suicide is the leading cause of death. CCDC utilizes specialty mental health practices in self-harm and suicide prevention and protective strategies for individuals, families, and communities.

"Celebrating the 50th anniversary of CCDC means so much to our community and to our staff," said CCDC Director, Linda Wu. "Our efforts to uplift the mental health of children, youth and families in San Francisco is near and dear to our hearts. I am honored to work with a team of dedicated clinicians who are advocates to promote culturally appropriate care and help reduce the stigma of getting mental health services for the API community. These last few years have been especially difficult for the community during the COVID-19 pandemic with shelter-in-place, facing discrimination, shame, and stigma from the origin of the virus and I want to remind everyone that help is out there and that you do not need to face the stress alone. We stand stronger together."

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes that drastically increased in California by 107% in 2020. Asian American youth who experienced racism firsthand are 30% more likely to be concerned about their family and 30% more likely to experience depression than their peers. During this time, CCDC drastically increased their outreach to the Asian American community as well as collaborated with primary care providers and school-based services to improve access to mental health services.

CCDC also works hand-in-hand with community members to develop deep trust with patients to address the stigma sometimes associated with accessing mental health services. Through ongoing educational awareness trainings as well as robust language services, CCDC creates a supportive environment to overcome these challenges.

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SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHINATOWN CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | San Francisco - City and County of San...

Next Monday, hundreds of people from around the state are expected to converge in Madison. Their focus is to come up with solutions to climate change.

Climate Fast Forward 2022, put together by the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts & Letters, aims to take stock of Wisconsins progress towards mitigating and adapting to climate change since 2019. Thats when the Academy held its last climate conference.

The upcoming day-long gathering will be looking at climate action through various tracks, including green jobs, natural and working landscape, and the built environment.

Deneine Powell and Matt Dannenberg are among those who will be adding their expertise to the conference.

Powell, FUSE Corps executive fellow with the city of Milwaukees Environmental Collaboration Office, will be co-leading the climate justice community resilience conversation.

We have societal, we have political and cultural divides that prevent us from working collectively on climate solutions. I think that this track is going to provide the tools and resources to try to overcome some of those barriers so that we can focus on mitigation, adaption and creating resilience in our communities given the current climate crisis, Powell says.

Dannenberg, tribal liaison for the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy, will be delivering a keynote speech at the conference.

I want to pick up on the momentum thats been created here in Wisconsin with the Action Plan On Climate and now utilizing the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law money, $62 billion was allocated to the Department of Energy as well as the Inflation Reduction Act which creates some amazing mechanisms for these dollars to be utilized, Dannenberg says. Tribal governments will be able to accept direct payments from the Department of Treasury to extend our loan guarantee program to tribes from $2 billion to $20 billion.

He calls their combined impact a game changer in advancing clean energy infrastructure.

Dannenberg, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, says hes also pleased the conference will fold in traditional perspective on the environment.

Its going to be great to have such a focus of this event, with the Academy being intentional about having tribes at the table and bringing that indigenous ecological knowledge to the forefrontso that we have that lens as were putting forward the action steps, Dannenberg says.

Both Powell and Dannenberg say climate-action momentum is building.

Dannenberg points to a Department of Energy partnership with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa after massive flooding hit the region in 2010s.

One particularly bad flood washed out some really crucial roads and actually cut off key medical supplies for elders in the community. They were helicoptering tribal elders and medicines in and out. And so the Department of Energy just completed phase oneof the project...so we have microgrid battery storage and some solar that is connected to tribal headquarters and some key infrastructure on the reservation, including the clinic, Dannenberg says.

Deneine Powell points to a project of an organization called Groundwork USA in cities around the country, including Milwaukee.

"[It's] called the Climate Safe Neighborhood Project. There's 22 communities throughout the United States that have projects that show how they can impact climate in their communities; how they can adapt, they can mitigate and they can create resilience for the communities," Powell says.

She believes collective action will lead to collective impact.

Once we start to hear the stories of other communities and how we can apply that to our own, it just creates more opportunities, more solutions to help us work through this time with the climate crisis, Powell says.

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Statewide conference in Madison aims to spur collective action - WUWM

By Ferry Baylon, AsAmNews Intern

On Oct. 31, the Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments on two cases regarding university admissions based on race-conscious practices- an issue that has divided the Asian American community.

Students for Fair Admissions(SFFA) has brought up claims against the affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. During a national news briefing on Friday, equal opportunity and diversity were critical issues tackled by several speakers in a presentation by Ethnic Media Services in partnership with Asian American Advancing Justice.

AAJC President and CEO John C. Yang spoke out against the belief that Asian Americans are discriminated against by affirmative action in universities across the nation.

Yang says that a majority of Asian Americans support affirmative action, dismissing some claims that push to divide the collective thoughts of many Asian Americans.

His assertion has been backed by numerous polls, including one by AAPI Data which found that 69% of Asian American registered voters support affirmative action.

According to Yang, the spike in anti-Asian hate in these trying times should not be conflated with the SFFAs refusal to recognize the benefits of affirmative action.

In the complaint against Harvard University, SFFA alleged intentional discrimination against Asian Americans. Yang addressed this by saying that AAJC has not seen this discrimination. He adds that AAJC would be the first to sue Harvard for that discrimination if this were a real issue.

At the end of the day, when we looked at the evidence, when the district court looked at the evidence, when the appellate court looked at the evidence all came to the same conclusion that there was no evidence of discrimination against Asian Americans, Yang said. He added that SFFA and others who suggest that such discrimination exists are selecting specific evidence to tailor their claims.

Its also important to remember that discrimination against a particular group is fundamentally different than admissions policies as a whole that expand educational opportunities for all communities of color, including many Asian Americans, Yang said.

High-ranking colleges and universities across the nation are highly-competitive. Thousands of students from all walks of life are turned away yearly by huge universities such as Harvard and UNC.

Datahas shown that Asian Americans make up nearly 28% of Harvards most recently admitted class. But in a broader spectrum, they only comprise approximately 7% of the American population.

Yang said that the plaintiffs SFFA and Edward Blum, in particular feed off the stereotype that Asian Americas are model minorities. He says they use this narrative to justify their claims against affirmative action and divide the Asian American communitys views on this policy.

Yang believes that if Harvard stops considering race as a factor in the schools admission, racial diversity on its campus will significantly decrease.

The share of Black students in the admitted class, for example, will probably decline from currently 15% to 6%, and the share of Latinx students would decline from approximately 12.6% to 9%, Yang asserted.

The landmark 1978 Supreme Court decision to uphold affirmative action in the case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke considered race, among many factors, for a student to be admitted to a university.

In the case of the University of North Carolina, David Hinojosa, the director of the educational opportunities project at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said there had been a long history of excluding Black people from the institution. He said that SFFA claims that race is being used as more than a factor to admit students of color to the university.

Furthermore, Hinojosa said that SFFA alleged that UNC did not consider race-neutral alternatives and made a preference for students of color to be admitted to the university. He added that in addition to those claims, SFFA suggested that Harvard used racial balancing so the school could have similar figures over the years.

In the two separate district court trials, no students, alums, or faculty testified on behalf of SFFA in the cases they filed against Harvard and UNC. According to Hinojosa, the judges scrutinized every record and found that those cases did not deserve merit.

They found that all students who were admitted were well qualified and talented. These schools are very highly selective you have a lot of competitive students applying to these schools, and unfortunately, not everybody gets in, Hinojosa said.

Michaele Turnage-Young of the Legal Defense Fund said that all students deserve a fair shot at coming to college regardless of their racial, ethnic, and economic status, among other things.

She added that affirmative action is necessary because research has shown that colleges rely on standardized tests in their admissions processes. However, these tests do not accurately predict how all students will perform in college.

Turnage-Young says that some standardized tests were developed at a time when the population of the United States was 90% White.

Decades of research demonstrate that Black and Latinx students experience bias from standardized tests administered from early childhood through college, regardless of their intelligence or potential, Turnage-Young said.

Turnage-Young highlights that studies found that due to cultural bias, test scores for Black students were artificially depressed by as much as 200 or 300 points.

A 2010 study showed that the SAT favors one ethnic group over another, and calls into question the validity of SAT verbal scores for Black examinees,' she said.

Turnage-Young points out that Black, Latinx, Native American, and Pacific Islander students are three to six times more likely than White students to attend high-poverty schools.

High-poverty schools have less experienced teachers, less advanced courses, inadequate facilities, less extracurricular activities, less arts instruction, less recess, and fewer resources, Turnage-Young said. She added that many of those schools have a large minority population.

Students of color continue to experience systemic and interpersonal racism that detrimentally affects their educational opportunities, she said. Turnage-Young added that these students often have less opportunities to amass the credentials psychologists consider in admissions.

Sally Chen is a Harvard graduate and one of the student amici in the Harvard case. Chen said affirmative action allowed her to tell her story about human dignity and the reality of race in the country. One of the reasons she decided to testify in support of affirmative action is her direct experience of race-conscious admissions.

I had a counselor in high school who said dont tell an Asian immigrant story; its overdone, its not compelling, Chen said. I think about how hurtful and harmful that was about what that kind of advice that sort of imposes to a student to make them feel that their backgrounds and stories arent valuable.

Chen said that Harvard acknowledged how she navigated hardship and her leadership potential. She said those who read her essay left comments saying she had the potential to contribute to campus life in a way that can be truly unusual.

Another reason Chen supports affirmative action is that she saw first-hand the impact of race-conscious admission on her educational experience.

I very much feel the real benefits of a Harvard education was in learning and organizing with other students of color on campus, she said. In particular, Chen identifies Black and Latinx students among those who were part of advancing common issues.

Having diverse perspectives at the table really made our education stronger, she said. It is an asset to the work that I do today, where cross-racial coalition building is really key to what I do, whether that is on language access issues across the immigrant communities or the many other issues that we work on, Chen said.

Yang believes that considering race as one of many factors in the admissions process remains necessary to ensure that equally qualified students from communities of color have the same access as privileged White students.

Turnage-Young says that without affirmative action, college admission will likely only reproduce privilege.

If we see that our institutions are not representing the entire population that is an unfair process that undermines the very legitimacy of our countrys promise that everyone will have equal opportunity. Its incredibly harmful, she said.

Hinojosa added that those who are against affirmative action are against equality. Theyre betting against fairness and opportunity. But the history is on our side; the constitution is on our side, the laws on our side, and so are the facts, Hinojosa said.

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DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In observance of Global Diversity Awareness Month, Balfour Beatty hosts its third Together Allies conference dedicated to the companys Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) commitment. The virtual summit takes place throughout October and includes a series of panel discussions on the positive impact DE&I initiatives have on operational improvement and advancement, fostering Balfour Beattys people-first culture and furthering the companys efforts towards more inclusive workplaces nationwide.

This years summit theme is Stronger Together which conveys the value DE&I brings to Balfour Beattys commitment to operational excellence on behalf of its clients and how intentional actions cultivate togetherness between its culturally- and skillset-diverse employee base. The sessions feature guest speaker and employee-driven conversations on fueling the companys diverse recruitment and retention imperative, creating inclusive environments for career development, leveraging diverse industry partnerships and uniting teams across diverse communities.

To drive these vital and powerful conversations the conference features highly regarded keynote speakers and panelists including COL. Willie L. Cooper, Commander, 375th Mission Support Group at Scott Airforce Base, Illinois, COL. Chad W. Caldwell, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District, Stacy Cassio, Pink Mentor Network founder and chief executive officer, Esu Maat, Orlando Magic chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, and Whitney Eichinger, Southwest Airlines vice president of culture and engagement.

Balfour Beattys employee affinity groups, Connecting Women, Building PRIDE (People Respecting Inclusivity, Diversity and Equality), NOBLE (Network of Black Leaders and Executives), Somos, representing Hispanic/[emailprotected] teammates, and REGAL (Reinforcing, Educating and Guiding Asian Leaders) will also be well-represented throughout the conferences sessions as moderators and panelists.

During Global Diversity Awareness Month and beyond, its vital for our company and industry to explore how diversity and inclusion is an underpinning of construction operations, said Leon Blondin, Balfour Beatty chief executive officer. Integrating these initiatives into every operational facet of our business creates a strong and solid foundation that positively impacts how we serve each other, our clients and our communities. It is important for our teams to understand that collaborative acceptance of diversity, equity and inclusion programs prompts intentional actions and encourages a sense of togetherness and unity.

As an Associated General Contractors (AGC) Culture of CARE pledge member, Balfour Beatty has committed to create more welcoming workplace environments for team members, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, and provide tools and resources to establish a caring culture. In addition to hosting the Together Allies summit virtually, offices and jobsites across the nation will gather teammates together for in-person viewings of the multiple sessions throughout the month.

Balfour Beattys Together Allies virtual DE&I summit begins with an opening keynote on Oct. 11 and concludes with a summit capstone on Oct. 28.

About Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty is an industry-leading provider of general contracting, at-risk construction management and design-build services for public and private sector clients across the United States. Performing heavy civil and vertical construction, the company is part of Balfour Beatty plc (LSE: BBY), a leading international infrastructure group that provides innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. Balfour Beatty is ranked among the top domestic building contractors in the United States by Engineering News-Record. To learn more, visit http://www.balfourbeattyus.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005580/en/

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When Dr. Kim Rhoads first set up Umoja Health Partners in San Francisco in June 2020, she didnt know how quickly her volunteer collective would go from providing information about COVID-19 to setting up testing and vaccine sites for communities of color facing disparities in the pandemic response.

Two years later, Umoja a word that means unity in Swahili now counts close to 60 community partners and offers other types of vaccines for monkeypox and the flu, along with screenings for patients who may be at risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and colon cancer, at its pop-up clinics.

Catering to African American patients but open to all, the community-based approach is crucial in reaching vulnerable populations that continue to face discrimination in health care, Rhoads said.

Discrimination in health care is just like discrimination that happens outside of health care, said Rhoads, a UCSF professor and colorectal surgeon who now focuses her research on cancer disparities and community care. Its horrible, but with health care, peoples lives are literally at stake.

Illistine Banks fills bags with information about breast cancer, colorectal cancer and diabetes along with gift cards while working with Umoja Health Partners during a community event in San Francisco.

Life-and-death stakes are at the heart of a study released this month by the California Health Care Foundation.

Conducted by Evitarus, a Black-owned public opinion research firm in Los Angeles, the study surveyed 3,325 African American adults across the state from March 5 to May 8. One in 3 reported being treated unfairly by a health care provider because of race.

The three-part study, which also ran 18 focus groups and interviewed 100 Black Californians, said women, LGBTQIA+ individuals and those with mental health conditions reported more frequent experiences with racism and inadequate pain treatment than other Black Californians.

The survey also found that Black Californians are highly intentional about their health, with 77% putting a great deal of effort into getting appropriate screenings or preventative care, while 79% said they focused on their mental health.

Dr. Vanessa Grubbs started nonprofit Black Doc Village in April to combat discrimination faced by Black health care providers.

There were very high levels of engagement with protective strategies, even for folks that had not experienced racism and discrimination, said Shakari Byerly, principal researcher at Evitarus.

Byerly said everyone should seek preventative care, but the sheer number of Black Californians who do underscores how providers have to be more proactive because of past discriminatory experiences.

Numerous studies show that several contributing factors create disparities in health care, such as living in communities with environmental problems, poor treatment at hospitals and medical centers, and distrust, which Rhoads says is a valid response to past untrustworthy behavior by the medical establishment. A recent Pew Center study stated that Black adults say less access to quality medical care where they live is a major reason why Black people in the U.S. generally have worse health outcomes than other adults.

Rhoads, who lives in Oakland, said this is why its important to meet people where they are instead of expecting them to come to you. Whats also lacking among medical institutions is connection, which is crucial in eliminating disparities. Setting up pop-up clinics in neighborhoods that are often neglected is a way to possibly mend relations and build trust, she added.

Cassandra Robertson (left) of Umoja Health Partners applies a bandage to the arm of Seana McGee after administering a COVID-19 booster shot during a health fair at Hayes Valley Playground in San Francisco.

A recommendation of the California Health Care Foundation study was to expand community-based education and advocacy for residents, which Umoja Health is doing through five dozen community partnerships with local clinics, places of worship, school districts and local governments. The volunteer-run collective hosts pop-up clinics and educational drives almost every week in San Francisco, Alameda and San Mateo counties.

Other recommendations included increasing Black representation among health care providers, holding the health care system accountable, and developing more holistic approaches to health care.

Dr. Vanessa Grubbs runs Black Doc Village, an Oakland collective that is trying to increase representation by advocating for Black trainees and physicians facing workplace discrimination.

Black residents make up 5% of the residency training programs, but account for 20% of dismissals, Grubbs said. The point of Black Doc Village is to increase the Black physician workforce so that we can improve the health of the Black community. We dont want to be catching people as theyre falling off a cliff but to actively move them out of harms way.

Cheryl Bass (left), Illistine Banks and Wilma Batiste, chair of the UCSF Abundant Life Health Ministry Network and member of Neighborhood Baptist Church, fill bags with information about breast cancer, colorectal cancer and diabetes along with gift cards in San Francisco.

Grubbs said Black physician residents are subjected to disciplinary actions and microaggressions that their white counterparts dont experience. She said Black residents can face disciplinary action over the most minuscule of issues such as dressing or speaking differently or wearing their hair a certain way.

There is a lot of work to be done, and it will take time to make processes more equitable, Grubbs said.

Rhoads believes small but consistent steps are key in making headway for Black patients. Most of her volunteer staff members are from the communities they serve, which is a way to make medical care less clinical and transactional, she said.Having a community participate in its own solutions through an active dialogue shows care, she said.

Umoja is a method, Rhoads said. It is a method of amplifying community voices and holding public health institutions accountable.

Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika

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It's an epidemic the health care industry is still trying to cure its own racism - San Francisco Chronicle

With the November election just weeks away, communities are working to ensure that neighbors, friends, and loved ones are ready when the polls open. Milwaukee youth are not only working to prepare city residents to navigate the voting process, they also represent a powerful voting block all their own something that members of Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) have realized as the group conducts its own voter outreach efforts.

I think 100%, as a voting block, were overlooked, 22-year-old LIT member Crystal Egbo told Wisconsin Examiner. I think, in my experience, its kind of come down to campaigns wanting to put their efforts towards something thats more certain, and more sure. And I think a lot of times being youth, being that were still developing our ideas, being that we tend to move around a lot, its easy for us to be overlooked. But I think thats extremely unfair, because a lot of us have extremely different life perspectives and experiences that deserve to be included, and deserve to be considered by people who are running for these positions.

Being young and underestimated, however, hasnt translated to a lack of motivation. Rather, voters in their late teens into their 20s are playing an important role in informing and mobilizing fellow citizens. On Sept. 30, LIT held its Statewide Action Gathering , bringing student organizers from 11 University of Wisconsin campuses together for a weekend of training, voting outreach and other activities. LIT members also created a voter guide for youth statewide and contacted nine candidates statewide for comment.

Young voters are powerful, Cendi Tena, interim co-executive director of LIT, said in a press statement. Based on what were hearing from youth on the ground in Wisconsin, I expect young folks will turn out in historic numbers this year. If candidates, party leaders, and elected officials really want to gain traction this November and in 2024, they should prioritize building relationships with young voters.

Amanda Avalos, also interim co-executive director at LIT, said elected officials shouldnt overlook young people in the state. We have been working hard for years to ensure the youth voter constituency is represented in our political system, Avalos said in the LIT statement. Were going to continue showing up for each election, so we encourage [elected officials] to see the value in young voters throughout the state and take future opportunities to engage with them.

LIT volunteers say the issues that motivate young voters like themselves to go to the polls are never far from mind. We want to see a lot of different changes in our community, Jayla Ross, a 20-year-old, told Wisconsin Examiner. And some of those issues include addressing abortion rights, gun control, inflation, and most definitely student loan debt. Ross, a Milwaukee-native, moved to Oshkosh for college, and participated in the late September weekend action gathering.

LIT members who gathered at UW-Milwaukees campus also canvassed the surrounding neighborhood. Egbo said that she particularly enjoys outreach with LIT as its a nonpartisan group. The LIT volunteers canvassed with confidence despite a recent Republican-backed lawsuit targeting voter outreach efforts that they claim were partisan. (The lawsuit, which sought records from the Milwaukee Election Commission about the voter outreach program, was recently dismissed.)

The nonpartisan aspect for me is a huge relief, Egbo told Wisconsin Examiner. And I think that it really just reiterates the mission and purpose of the organization. Get out the vote is not to go out there and agitate Republican people. Its to go out there and make sure that people have information, specifically those who are historically disenfranchised.

Ross found the gathering rewarding. Ross and Egbo canvassed together in a predominately Black neighborhood. Other participants focused on Spanish-speaking parts of the city, while others talked to voters in the neighborhoods surrounding UW-Milwaukees campus. Both Ross and Egbo heard city residents bring several issues to their attention that may drive them to the polls.

I think, across the board, what were hearing from the people that we spoke with in our community was definitely wanting more representation, Egbo explained. People feel really dismissed, and they feel as though its harder to interact with society through voting and participating in elections when you dont see anyone that looks like you. So really wanting to have more of a representative Congress, more of a representative state legislature, was something that we heard a lot. The pair also heard from several voters they spoke with who were concerned about environmental issues, particularly climate change.

Another issue that LIT has heard a lot about is voting rights, said Kathleen Otto, senior policy manager for the organization. The threat to democracy, and the infringement of voting rights, that is something that weve been hearing a lot from students and other folks in the community, she told Wisconsin Examiner. In the confusion like, intentional confusion that has been kind of stirred up especially since the 2020 election, and all the lawsuits [about access to voting] that have been happening at the state-level and different things like that.

That makes direct voter education and outreach a crucial undertaking, she believes, from knowing where a persons polling place is to understanding that they can no longer use dropboxes to submit an absentee ballot. So, part of LITs task is making sure that were even more clear about getting people the information they need in order to cast their ballot, and the new hoops that they have to jump through in order to do so, said Otto. People are frustrated because they know that its not quite as easy as it was before. And they know that its due to people trying to infringe on those rights.

Since the gathering, LIT has been updating its voter guide and plans to distribute 100,000 copies. Its really a great opportunity to give people an easy but in-depth way to understand whos on the ballot, and what issues are really going to be up for grabs, this election, said Egbo. LIT also has a field team that knocks on doors full time, with a goal of knocking on 100,000 doors in Milwaukee before the election cycle ends. LIT volunteers reached 5,400 during the action gathering weekend.

Ross and Egbo described meeting a man who was older than 60 who was unregistered and had never voted. We literally spent like, 30 minutes going through every single thing with him to make sure he had his I.D., and really get him registered to vote, said Ross. It was really heartwarming because he was a really nice guy and he just wanted our help.

LIT will continue holding meetings and organizing for November and beyond. For Ross and Egbo, the work is a constant reminder of the potential of Wisconsins young minds.

I think especially just within my friend group and my peers, a lot of people within our age range dont really feel like their voice matters, said Egbo. They dont really have a high sense of individual political efficacy, and I think LIT is doing a really amazing job of bringing us in so we can go back and inspire them to express their experiences and their ideals and their beliefs through voting. Because thats one of the most important, and prominent ways to be heard.

Ross underscored the sentiment. We just want to be heard and seen, and make a change in our environment and our community, she said. Just giving the youth a chance at life.

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Will November's election show the hidden potential of young voters? - Wisconsin Examiner

School psychologists play a major role in assessing various developmental and behavioral issues in students. There is a critical shortage nationwide. That deficit is also felt in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, especially when it comes to Black male psychologists CMS doesnt have any. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends one school psychologist per 500 students.

In CMS, theres a total of 110 psychologists who serve 181 schools. Alongside psychologists, there are also counselors. Duane Green is a retired psychologist who has worked for CMS. He says theres a difference between the two professions.

Being a psychologist, you are trained to deal with three endeavors. Especially on a Ph.D. level, to provide counseling psychotherapy, in addition, to do psychological assessments," said Green. How do you assess a persons cognitive abilities. How do you assess the social, emotional, status? The third component is doing research. To look at data, to summarize it.

One key difference between the two professions is that a psychologist is often the only person in a school who interprets if a student needs special education services, according to research by the University of Massachusetts Global.

As reported by NPR, more than 85% of school psychologists in U.S. public schools identify as white, while most K-12 students are not. There is also a lack of representation for other ethnicities, like Hispanic and Asian Americans. 77 out of 110 psychologists in CMS are white. Last year, CMS had more than 140,000 students overall, and more than 50,000 were Black.

Overrepresentation of African American students in special education

The National Center for Learning Disabilities reports that students of color, with the exception of Asian students, identify for special education services at a higher rate than white students.

Monica Stevenson is one of 25 Black female psychologists in CMS who cover two to three schools each. She says that with more African American male psychologists, special education services may not be required for Black students.

For me, not only, does it not, it may not lead to special education, but a relationship could be developed and fostered where that African American male school psychologist could actually provide that child with more options, said Stevenson. Perhaps tutoring, resources, where special education may not even be a factor in this.

CMS has a Specialized Behavior Support program that helps students with emotional and/or behavioral needs that affect their learning. 67% of the program is composed of African American students.

Because of the disproportionate number of Black students referred for special education services, Stevenson says she is highly attentive when assessing Black students.

Even as an African American female school psychologist, we are always hyper-vigilant and hyper-sensitive about ensuring that not only the test that we administer, but the information that we receive and disseminate is very fair and equitable to that student, said Stevenson.

NPR reports estimate that Black male psychologists nationwide make up less than 1% of the profession in public schools. Stevenson says the nationwide shortage is related to Black students not being exposed to the field.

Its not a profession that they are lured to. I guess some of the programs arent actually recruiting, going out, purposely recruiting African American males either, said Stevenson. So, I think those are two of the reasons. Its not something they are lured to, they are interested in, that they even know about.

Culture impacts mental health

Access to a Black male psychologist has proven to be lifesaving for some, like Rwenshaun Miller, who suffered from mental challenges and attempted suicide several times. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder in college. To help him, Miller says his uncle connected him to a Black male psychologist someone he could relate to.

I could talk to him, like certain nuances; I didnt have to explain because we spoke the same language, we dressed the same way, we did all of these things, said Miller. When I first met him, he had on a T-shirt and some basketball shorts and some Js.

Because of this life-changing experience, Miller became a licensed professional counselor who volunteers his support to the 224 Black counselors at CMS.

Green was one of a few Black male psychologists while he worked for CMS in the early 2000s.

We had three Black male psychologists in 2001; CMS had three of us, said Green. We were tight. After the first year, one had left. After the second year, the other two had left.

Green says the overload in work during his time in CMS led to him and the other colleagues leaving CMS. He also says the financial commitment associated with this profession is one of the reasons behind the shortage.

People often ask the question, why is it we dont have many male psychologists? Well, when I say this, its almost like its a rich mans major, said Green. And I say that because youre talking a minimum of four years of undergraduate. In addition to that, youre looking at another three years of graduate work.

In the United States, the average cost of college per student, per year, including books, supplies, and daily living costs, is more than 35,000 dollars, according to the Education Data Initiative. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, a school psychologist's annual salary was slightly over 78,000 dollars.

Strategic recruitment may hold the key to a solution

For there to be more Black male psychologists, Green says there needs to be more of a partnership between colleges and federal funding.

Look at the graduate schools that surround the communities of CMS and other districts around the nation and set up things encouraging minority males and females, said Green. If you do a graduate school program in psychology and if you are willing to work in a district that is highly populated with minority students, loan forgiveness.

For Stevenson, targeted recruiting is another way to address the shortage.

It has to be a very intentional process, but I think its with the colleges also in luring African American males, being very intentional in high school, saying, this is what a school psychologist does, said Stevenson. We have to get them in high school to go to college, and then my department would be able to lure them into CMS.

Stevenson says the representation of Black male professionals benefits everyone in a school.

Sometimes children, they need to connect with people that can connect with them, said Stevenson. Sometimes culturally, just to see an African American male school psychologist, somebody who is talking with them and developing relationships with them, the impact is enormous.

The NASP aims to address the shortage through the Exposure Project, which focuses on psychologists of color delivering lessons to high school students about the profession.

An event titled "School Psychologists, Seen. Heard. Valued," centered on addressing inequalities, will be held by the North Carolina School Psychology Association. The Exposure Project will be a part of the event, which will run from Oct. 23-25 in Cary, N.C.

Major support for WFAE's Race & Equity Team comes from Novant Health and Wells Fargo.

Excerpt from:

Nationwide shortage of Black male psychologists reflected in CMS - WFAE

What do oil spills, workplace safety violations, failure to adopt alternative energy practices, regulatory investigations, bad corporate structure and no female directors on a board have in common? These are all factors along with a long list of others taken into consideration when looking at a companys ESG (environmental, social and governance) risk ratings.

ESG is now a watchword in the investor community, but a recent global survey by Iowa company Workiva revealed that companies worldwide feel underprepared to navigate the evolving ESG reporting landscape. Are you prepared to lead your company to success as attention on ESG increases?

Scrutiny on corporate practices is escalating. As the focus on the intersection of business, people and the planet has intensified, attention to ESG, also broadly referred to as sustainable investing, has also amplified. Shareholders are increasingly analyzing companies reporting to understand how the organizations are attending to environmental, social and governance issues. While reporting may look different in various types of organizations, addressing ESG is equally relevant for public and private companies; today, all stakeholders including customers and employees are delving into how companies are conducting business.

I wrote about why social responsibility matters to your business in a February Business Record column, pointing out that increasingly companies may lose investors, customers or workforce if they cannot demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable footprint, social responsibility or sound governance. While many boards still view ESG as an amorphous, non-core activity, it will be critical for management and directors of organizations to create comprehensive strategies that they can demonstrate publicly and authentically.

If you and your organization are not yet prepared with an ESG plan, how do you start? Dedicating talent to create, implement and oversee strategy is a logical first step. According to Workivas study, 68% of organizations globally have put in place specific roles to oversee ESG reporting and initiatives. A report by the National Association of Corporate Directors emphasizes that defining board governance roles to oversee ESG is also critical for organizations. However, where ESG lives in the enterprise varies in both management and board structures as companies seek to organize this work.

I turned to several leaders in ESG at top Iowa companies and asked: Why do organizations need to put in place specific roles to oversee ESG reporting and initiatives?

Jane Keairns, director, ESG and emerging strategies, Principal Financial Group: Organizations across the globe face a common set of opportunities in their sustainability efforts: determining which material issues to focus on; integrating sustainability into business practices; setting appropriate goals/targets for their organization; and telling their sustainability story amid a complex set of ESG regulations, reporting frameworks and ranking agencies. Having dedicated resources can galvanize a companys efforts, enhance its ability to address both environmental and social impacts connected to the business, and signal the importance of sustainability to employees and external audiences.

Mandi McReynolds, global head of environment, social and governance, Workiva: ESG is a bedrock of modern business strategy. We have seen growth in executive ESG roles and over 7,000 different ESG jobs posted on LinkedIn last year. It is important to have oversight into the various stakeholder demands, the business value drivers, and level of transparency needed to address regulation, investors, customers and employee expectations. The most effective to drive business value forward have been individuals who have had experience working with the board of directors and can collaborate across executive teams. Often companies are blending the right talent, teachers (consultants/academia) and technology to drive the impact of ESG.

Barbara Tormaschy, senior vice president of sustainability and regulatory strategy, Alliant Energy: Alliant Energys ESG goals apply to a wide variety of the companys operations and take teamwork by all employees to achieve. Due to the broad range of these initiatives and the collaboration needed across the company, we have identified specific roles that reinforce our commitment to the goals, align our strategy and maintain appropriate oversight from our management and board of directors. This team also ensures transparency on our progress to our customers, communities, employees and shareholders. Responsibility to our customers and the communities we serve is at the heart of everything we do.

Georgia Van Gundy, executive vice president, chief administrative officer, chief customer officer, Hy-Vee Inc.: Companies and organizations are focused more on purpose today than ever. There are opportunities through an organization to make an impact on ESG goals. It is important to have a person thinking about strategy, driving change and measuring results for ESG on a daily basis. It takes a coordinated effort among many business units to maximize. At Hy-Vee, we are continually evaluating and measuring our efforts to see where were making strides and where we need to improve. Measurement is the key to driving results.

Leaders advice on shaping your ESG strategy:

Develop a cross-functional team. Van Gundy advises that it is important to have buy-in throughout the company or organization when developing and implementing ESG strategies. The first step is to have a cross-functional team work together to shape your ESG plan, she says, adding that it is critical to set clear, intentional and measurable goals. This will enable you to develop accountability, measure impact and tell your story, says Van Gundy.

Set a strong governance structure for strategy development. The best companies who unlock the most business value with ESG are those who have an internal and/or external ESG advisory/taskforce reporting into the executive team and board of directors, says McReynolds. She points out that organizations need the voices of finance, the ESG team, operations, investor relations and product groups around the table discussing what is most material to the business, what business value the company is driving together, and debating a path forward. McReynolds notes: It is critical to recognize ESG as a team sport.

Begin with small steps. The ESG journey can be an overwhelming one, especially for a complex global company, so its important to acknowledge that every step toward more sustainable practices is a movement in the right direction, says Keairns, pointing out that once you can embed those practices into business as usual, progress will continue to accelerate. She adds: Progress over perfection is a mantra our team tries to embrace.

Start with the customer. Alliant Energys ESG strategy takes into consideration their stakeholders and what they expect from the company as a corporate citizen.?Our purpose is to serve customers and build stronger communities, says Tormaschy, adding that at Alliant Energy it was critical to start with the customer first and keep their perspectives at the forefront as they advance their ESG goals.?

Use feedback from stakeholders. Keairns advises organizations to use feedback from their key stakeholders to determine which sustainability topics are most material to the business. She recommends that your team listen for requests to address related issues facing society and the planet, with special attention to those issues related to your organization and its business and then assess the biggest opportunities for impact. She says, Start small and prepare yourself for full or even radical transparency, related to the starting point, long-term goals and progress against those goals.

Prioritize stakeholders. It is important to recognize the rapid pace of ESG and the difference between shareholders and stakeholders, says Reynolds, who points out the interests of these groups can conflict at times, having a serious impact on the business. Board, executives and your ESG taskforce need to be preparing and working through moments when investors may conflict with employees perspective or future customers or suppliers may not be ready to meet the demand another stakeholder desires, says Reynolds, Without navigating stakeholder prioritization, companies will be left tossing and turning in the wave of requests and the level of transparency consistency.

Create a transparent scorecard. Tormaschy says that to demonstrate their commitment to governance, Alliant Energy has created a transparent and ongoing accountability through a Corporate Scorecard.?This scorecard includes ESG metrics for carbon emission reductions, energy reliability, customer experience and workforce diversity.?These ESG targets and milestones are part of each employees annual performance expectations, from the CEO to individual contributors. We believe this helps all our employees understand the importance of and help drive improvements in our ESG performance, says Tormaschy. These metrics are articulated from the very top.

Create partnerships. Leveraging new and existing partnerships is another resource organizations should consider using when building out their ESG strategy. At Hy-Vee, we believe we can make an even greater impact by partnering with others and combining resources to work toward a common goal, says Van Gundy. She notes that Hy-Vee often partners with others on initiatives such as tree planting, meal packaging and food giveaways, which can help those organizations maximize their impact by reaching underserved populations, supporting families in need and promoting racial unity and equality.

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On Leadership: Are you prepared to lead in today's evolving ESG landscape? - Business Record

By guest contributors Ayoade Alakija, Winnie Byanyima, Vuyiseka Dubula-Majola, Madhukar Pai; Christine Stegling, Steve Letsike, Lazenya Weekes-Richemond, Lola Abayomi, Leigh-Anne-Agnew, Divya Bajpai, Kreena Govender, Yumnah Hattas, Mumtaz Mia, Tabita Ntuli, and Orosmani Gonzales-Romero

For the first time in its history, the International AIDS Conference (#AIDS2022) the largest gathering of HIV and AIDS experts and activists hosted a satellite session, focusing on institutional racism and decolonizing global health.

The Canadian government and the International AIDS Society (IAS), organizers of these bi-annual conferences including AIDS2022, held in Montreal, Canada, received heavy and apt criticism for the often complex, traumatic and humiliating visa application processes, visa denials as well as the exorbitanttravel and conference registration costs which blocked hundreds of delegates, mainly from the Global South, from participating in the conference in person. All African panelists for the satellite session on stigma related to HIV in clinical settings were forced to participate virtually, due to visa denials and/or high participation costs inciting Dr Ayoade Alakija, co-Chair of the African Unions Vaccine Alliance, to tweet a picture of the empty chairs stating A picture is worth a thousand interviews. Heres the @AIDS_conference news segment right here. No more words needed.

The Global North dominance over hosting health conferences and the under-representation of Global South participants, who often have to overcome financial and visa barriers, which in our opinion is underpinned by racism and discrimination, is chronic. Researchers whoreviewed more than 20 years of global health conferencesfound that 96% of such events happened in high- or middle-income countries with only 39% of attendees from low-and middle-income countries.

Activists vehemently protested against the visa denials and the conference being held in a Global North high-income country. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, former president of the IAS and co-chair of AIDS2022 said that she was deeply upset about the visa denials that were a result of global inequality and systemic racism.

Did the IAS and other conference decision makers heed the calls and take action to validate and redress the harsh experiences of those from the Global South who were excluded? The answer is a resounding no. The 12th IAS Conference on HIV Science will take place in Brisbane, Australia in 2023. A clear indication that the concerns of thousands of Black, Brown and Indigenous people living in countries most impacted by HIV/AIDS are being ignored.

Back to the historic AIDS2022 satellite; Anti-racism and decolonizing the AIDS response: From rhetoric to reformation, which brought together a powerful panel of public health experts and activists. Their bold and courageous statements and calls to action, challenging institutional racism and racism as a pathology struck a chord. For many Black, Brown and Indigenous people, these issues are rooted in historical and generational trauma that is still very personal and visceral. Reverberations from the satellite session, amplified through social media, continue to gather momentum, demanding collective and organized action. Conference inequity is a chronic and neglected problem which is symptomatic of the insidious and deeper issue of systemic institutional racism that exists in global health and development.

As the panelists of the #AIDS2022, anti-racism and decolonization session, we share the following key messages and calls to action.

Winnie Byanyima: Intersectional disparities are putting sub-Saharan African women, Black and Brown people in higher income countries, men who have sex with men and transgender persons across the world at higher risk of HIV infection and other ill-health outcomes. Where we have been able to disaggregate data based on racial and ethnic identities, there is clear evidence of the disparity with very often Black Women at the bottom of the ladder. Our focus on ending inequalities in the Global AIDS Strategy recognizes that inequalities are brought about by racial and other intersecting identities. Racism stymies peoples life chances, multiplying their risks. We need to dismantle systems which uphold systemic discrimination.We need to do this in a way which addresses intersectional inequalities of race, gender, income-level, health status, and nationality.

Ayoade Alakija: From the very early days there were barely veiled racist attacks on the Director General of the WHO, from global leaders, from presidents and the way that dynamic impacted the global views of what people thought or not of this microbe called SARS- COVID 2. People underestimated the gravity of the moment because the man at the head of the WHO was a Black man from Northern Ethiopia namedTedros. But we wonder what would have happened if he was a white man from Calgary, Alberta, called Theodore. Perhaps the world would have taken it more seriously and we would not be where we are today. Perhaps the WHO would not have had their funding cut in a pandemic. From North America to the UK to Africa communities of color have fared the worst through this pandemic. And institutional racism is defining history and the way we respond to crises, be they man-made conflict or naturally occurring viruses. Its time that our leadership says we are not having the AIDS conference for in Canada; well have these conferences in the Global South so that we can make decisions together.

Madhukar Pai: All aspects of global health, including conferences, are designed to benefit the Global North. From antiretrovirals for HIV/AIDS to COVID-19 vaccines to monkeypox vaccines, we see the African continent and low-income nations left behind. This is not a mistake or unconscious bias. This is deliberate, intentional and working as it is designed to work. When we see the same, recurrent pattern decade after decade and disease after disease, the only explanation is white supremacy and systematic racism. We cannot decolonize global health without confronting this reality. If decolonization is to happen, then the Global South must assert itself and be the driver. The self-determination and self-sustenance of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), and Global South countries is fundamental. They need to make their own drugs, vaccines and tools to meet their needs. They cannot rely on trickle down charity from the Global North. Where does that leave others, those who are in the Global North, white people, and people with privilege? Their path to collective liberation lies in the practice of real allyship. People in HICs must be allies to people in LMICs. White people in global health must be allies to BIPOC people. Men in global health must be allies to women. Able-bodied and cis-hetero people must be allies to people with disabilities and LGBTQ+. The list goes on because it is intersectional.

Vuyiseka Dubula Majola: The reality for many Black and Brown people in the world continue to face structural racism and thus this uncomfortable conversation. AIDS activism has been a ground-breaking movement that shifted the balance of power between the North and South with access to affordable medicines. We were never shy to name and shame. So lets be brave again and vulnerable to openly engage in this anti racism and decolonization of global health movement. It is clear that we will never reach our equity and development goals for as long as we do not confront the biggest white elephant in this room. The recent AIDS conference is a typical example of racism, exclusion and putting people in vulnerable conditions and we say no more!. We need to take a position. No more sitting on precarious fences. Be counted, be an ally and join us.

Lazenya Weekes-Richemond: The global health sector and the global AIDS response has been white- washed with Black and Brown people largely excluded from key decision making. This white-washing is intentional, it is racist and it is rooted in the belief that Western knowledge, Western medicine, Western ideals are superior. If global health programs fail to consult and include Black and Brown people with lived experiences from LMICs, well continue wasting money, well continue to see widening health inequalities and ultimately, we will fail to reach the Sustainable Development Goals in 8 years time.

Christine Stegling: We need everyone working in global health funders, implementers and researchers to have honest internal reflections about the prevalence and impact of racism in the aid sector and within their own organizations. As a white woman in a leadership position, Ive asked myself some deeply uncomfortable questions about my own privilege. This wasnt easy. We all have very personal journeys and experiences. I had not really consciously asked myself what white privilege means for me when I show up in spaces. I am still on that journey, and it is deeply personal but I want to state that whatever you do as an organization, do not shy away from the difficult personal work we all have to do, and white people in particular need to do. In my position as a female leader, I will continue to be an ally and use my voice to raise concerns about racism and post-colonial approaches to doing development wherever and wherever possible.

Steve Letsike: We ought to be frank and honest in our discussion on this subject. We need to reflect on the importance of truth when discussing structural racism in the AIDS response. The marginalized majority, who carry a disproportionate burden of the AIDS epidemic continue to be disadvantaged and disempowered by deep seated economic, ethnic and racial inequalities. Power imbalances are by design and are by no means unique to the field of global health. Yet health is often the locus where many of these inequalities intersect.

Ensuring that #AIDS2024 will be held in the Global South provides strategic opportunity for our joint mobilization and collective action. As a first step, in the spirit of moving from rhetoric to action, we commit to drafting an anti-racism and Decolonization Charter, for our collective action. Redressing the issue of conference inequity will be a key component of the Charter. We encourage and stand in solidarity with all Black, Brown, Indigenous, Global South and racially marginalized people, as well as our white Global North allies around our common agenda.

About the authors:

Ayoade Alakija is WHO Special Envoy for the ACT-Accelerator, and Co-Chair of the African Unions African Vaccine Delivery Alliance (@yodifiji)

Winnie Byanyima is the Executive Director, UNAIDS (@Winnie_Byanyima)

Vuyiseka Dubula-Majola is Director, Africa Centre for HIV and AIDS Management, Stellenbosch University, South Africa (@VuyisekaDubula)

Madhukar Pai is a professor of epidemiology and global health at McGill University in Montreal, Canada (@paimadhu)

ChristineStegling is the Executive Director of Frontline AIDS (@SteglingC)

Lazenya Weekes-Richemond is a Strategy Manager at the NHS England (@LazenyaR)

Steve Letsike is the Deputy-Chair of The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) (@msletsike)

Lola Abayomi, is an Adviser of Programmes and Communications at Frontline AIDS (@lola_abayomi)

Leigh-Anne-Agnew is a Senior Adviser of Risk Management at Frontline AIDS

Divya Bajpai is the Director of Programmes at Frontline AIDS

Yumnah Hattas is the Senior Adviser for Gender and SRHR at Frontline AIDS

Mumtaz Mia is the Senior Adviser for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UNAIDS

Tabita Ntuli is the Community Support Adviser at UNAIDS South Africa (@tabitamah)

Orosmani Gonzales-Romero is a Procurement and Operations Officer at UNAIDS (@OGCfgos)

Kreena Govender is the Regional Adviser for Gender, SRHR and Human Rights at UNAIDS MENA (@KreenaGovender)

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If you are uncomfortable in the room then you are in the right place Reflections on anti-racism and decolonizing global health from the International...

Intentionally designed programs can remove barriers and help organizations win talent.

The healthcare industrys need for workers has hit a critical level and one way out of it is by removing barriers to entering the field and strengthening career pathways.

The numbers are stark: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment in the sector is projected to grow 16% by 2030 a higher percentage than any other occupational group.

Between now and 2030, a million registered nurses are set to retire, and the United States will need 1.2 million new nurses by then. Colorado, in particular, will be short 10,000 nurses by 2026.

At the same time, droves of healthcare workers are leaving their jobs. A McKinsey report found that over the past two years, nurses planned to leave the workforce at a higher rate than in the past ten years.

That pace is unsustainable.

Communities already feel the fallout. If this issue goes unaddressed, it will have profound ripple effects on patient care. The healthcare industry must take swift action to remove barriers to entering the field and build career pathways with intentionality. With this approach, the growing needs of the industry can be met by people who are capable and eager to join the field.

By investing in internal talent pipelines, companies can mobilize the careers of those in their communities and promote economic opportunity and equity.

Weve all seen examples of what can happen if our industry doesnt adapt: Health systems are caught flat-footed and scramble to meet basic needs in terms of staffing and coverage.

At UCHealth, were committed to tackling the healthcare talent shortage while positively impacting individuals. That means strengthening our workforce in specific ways, including eliminating high school completion requirements for certain roles, building a new program promoting education, and offering ample opportunity for career development.

We believe our path is one model for a way out of the industrys labor issue.

Expanding the hiring pool while focusing on community development

For some entry-level roles in the healthcare field, a minimum requirement, like a high school diploma, is restrictive and discriminatory. More than 12% of Black adults and 30% of Latino candidates, for example, are immediately excluded once a job listing requires a high school degree.

The value of education is undeniable and can empower individuals. Companies can support their workforce, though thats why a high school diploma or GED is no longer required for certain roles at UCHealth. We now fund this foundational education once employees are hired.

We must explore all options when it comes to talent. Small changes create a wider, more diverse range of applicants. The status quo is unacceptable.

Educate and skill with intentional inclusivity

Healthcare companies have a long history of investing in employees' education. Yet, organizations struggle to develop and retain talent at the required pace.

If we want a more enduring, flexible, and diverse workforce, the old ways of doing things wont work.

Companies must be more strategic adopting approaches that create career pathways and make mobility accessible for all.

UCHealth pledged up to $50 million over the next four years to these efforts. That investment includes foundational learning programs, including high school completion, English language learning, and college prep. It also funds a selection of clinical certifications and advanced degrees and pays tuition upfront rather than reimbursing learners later. The program, in partnership with Guild, ensures that all employees can take advantage.

In addition to eliminating barriers, our program doesnt have any tenure eligibility requirement workers are eligible on day one of employment.

Career pathways to support business and individual needs

Two of the biggest challenges healthcare companies face are small talent pools and high turnover rates. One of the most common reasons workers leave is a lack of opportunity63% of participants in a March 2022 Pew Research Center report cited no opportunities for advancement as their reason for quitting a job in 2021.

Its crucial for organizations to integrate ample opportunities for growth and development.

This means identifying high-demand roles and equipping internal talent through learning and education with skills they need to succeed.

UCHealth funds select degree programs in social work and behavioral health, and other areas of study to support critical staffing needs. By advancing our workforces growth and development into these roles, well help address vital needs.

Employees, in turn, are able to access sustainable jobs, supporting their families and communities.

A culture of change

The pandemic pushed the endurance of healthcare workers. However, theyve remained steadfast while delivering patient care.

Now is the time for employers to double down to support their invaluable, diverse workforce.

We must also address the industrys labor issue, threatening to render local communities even more vulnerable to the next public health emergency.

Investing in skilling and career growth of employees especially from those in talent pools that have been historically overlooked is one vital way to support both goals. We must remove barriers and make education more accessible and equitable, charting a tenable career path for workers.

By putting resources into our own workforce, we can sustain our mission of improving the lives of our staff, our patients, and our communities.

David Mafe is the chief diversity officer at UCHealth of Aurora, Colo., and Hanna Patterson is senior vice president, healthcare and applied learning at Guild, which partners with companies on education and career opportunity programs.

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To address the labor shortage, the healthcare industry must tap into overlooked talent | Viewpoint - Chief Healthcare Executive