What it means to advance health equity is to ensure everyone has opportunities to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of his or her social position or other socially determined circumstances. Y-USA utilizes a four-pillar approach to health equity work: Principles, Programs, Partnerships and Policy. Ys that work within all four pillars will likely see the greatest levels of success bridging gaps in health equity. The following information comes from the ‘Guide to Healthy Equity: Principles.’
Principles are often demonstrated in operations and include factors such as facilities access, improved information and communications, the presence of dedicated and inclusive staff, and established mechanisms for engaging relevant groups. Principles provide the foundation for any action plan for addressing health equity issues.
In order to address some of the factors in Principles (such as mechanisms for engaging relevant groups) you have to establish a foundation of information—what does your community need? You will determine this by engaging with the community, a process that involves several tasks.
Building Trust: Ys already engaging in health equity work have found they needed to focus every day on strengthening trust by working side-by-side with neighbors, partners, and community leaders to move their communities forward. It is not a simple or fast process, and long-term commitment to building trust is necessary. Ys and other organizations cannot assume they have the trust of the entire community.
Listening First: It is important to listen from the perspective of a learner, and refrain from acting as the expert by prescribing solutions. By actively listening, leaders and staff of our organizations can learn about community members and facilitate discussions in a way that allows community members to also learn about themselves.
Your community is multifaceted. Each culture that makes up your community has unique foods, words, traditions, values, music, dances, and more. Understanding the diverse cultural origins of your community will help engage them effectively, and help realize that different groups may have different needs and they may respond differently to your Y’s marketing, environment, and program offerings. The following factors should be explored and understood when working with individuals, families, and groups that experience inequities:
· What is the history of the community?
· What languages are spoken?
· How will home/work life affect participation at the Y?
In the most basic terms: engage community stakeholders in conversation. Consider hosting a meeting and inviting leading community organizations (religious groups, chambers of commerce, businesses, nonprofits, and service organizations) as well as trusted parents/caregivers and Y members. These are community experts who will be interested in helping engage their constituents in a program that teaches and inspires a healthier lifestyle.
Read more about this topic in the guide on yexchange, search ‘Advancing Work in Health Equity.’