California Pan-Ethnic Health Network

TO PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY BY ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC POLICIES AND SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, CPEHN HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF PASSING, CHANGING, AND IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT REFLECT COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR BETTER HEALTH. WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE, WE HAVE ENGAGED HUNDREDS OF ADVOCATES FOR POLICY CHANGE THROUGH LETTERS, TESTIMONIES, EDUCATIONAL VISITS, AND MEDIA ADVOCACY. AT THE CORE OF OUR WORK ARE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND COALITIONS THAT WE CONVENE TO LEVERAGE OUR WORK AND ENHANCE OUR CAPACITY TO MOBILIZE FOR POLICY CHANGE. WE WORK WITH FOUR STATEWIDE NETWORKS: THE HAVING OUR SAY COALITION (HOS), WHICH CONVENES GRASSROOTS, DIRECT SERVICES, AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA; THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EQUITY COLLABORATIVE (BHEC), WHICH CONVENES STATE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS SERVING THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, YOUTH, LGBTQ, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR; THE CALIFORNIA ORAL HEALTH PROGRESS AND EQUITY NETWORK (CA-OPEN) CONNECTS LOCAL AND STATE ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT GOOD ORAL HEALTH CARE IS A RIGHT FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS; AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH COLLABORATIVE, WHICH ORGANIZES AROUND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EQUITABLE COVID-19 RECOVERY POLICY THAT FOSTERS LOCAL RELIEF IN THE AREAS OF DISEASE CONTAINMENT, MENTAL HEALTH, HOUSING, AND FOOD SECURITY. CPEHN WORKS WITH THESE NETWORKS TO EDUCATE STAKEHOLDERS AND EMPOWER THEM TO ADVANCE A HEALTH EQUITY POLICY AGENDA VIA LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ADVOCACY, CONNECTING THEM TO KEY DECISION-MAKERS SO THEY CAN MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD. WE ALSO WORK WITH THESE NETWORKS TO IDENTIFY ISSUES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH AND PUBLISH POLICY REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON OUR FINDINGS TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND DECISION-MAKERS ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND HEALTH EQUITY-FOCUSED SOLUTIONS TO THESE ISSUES. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, CPEHN WORKED CLOSELY WITH ITS NETWORKS TO MOBILIZE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND CONDUCT ADVOCACY TO ADVANCE ITS POLICY AGENDA, WHICH FOCUSED ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, TIMELY, AND HIGH QUALITY ORAL, MENTAL AND PRIMARY CARE AND ENSURING THAT STATE AND COUNTY RESOURCES ARE FUNDING THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO BUILD HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING TO OUR LOCAL PARTNERS ON POLICY ANALYSIS, STATE BUDGET AND LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES, AND ADVOCACY STRATEGIES TO AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES, ENSURING THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES CAN MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD BY POLICYMAKERS. IN 2021, CPEHNS WORK TO ADDRESS THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR CONTINUED, ADDRESSING NEW AREAS INCLUDING THE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF COVID-19 VACCINATION AND THE ALLOCATION OF COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDING MADE AVAILABLE TO LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT. CPEHN STAFF MEET REGULARLY WITH STATE POLICYMAKERS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNORS STAFF AND STATE LEGISLATORS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON KEY HEALTH EQUITY ISSUES INCLUDING COVID-19 VACCINATION, ADDRESSING THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, AND ENSURING THAT STATE AND LOCAL BUDGET DECISIONS ARE MADE IN COLLABORATION AND CONSULTATION WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.CPEHNS WORK TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR HAS ALSO CONTINUED. IN SEPTEMBER, CPEHN PUBLISHED A LANDMARK REPORT ON HOW COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS PLAYED A KEY ROLE THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PROVIDING LOCAL BIPOC COMMUNITIES WITH ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND HOW GOVERNMENTS CAN BETTER SUPPORT THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE SAFETY NET. CPEHNS OCTOBER REPORT LOOKED CLOSELY AT THE USE OF AREA-BASED SOCIAL INDICES, POLICYMAKING TOOLS THAT ASSIGN SCORES TO GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS BASED ON DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, AND LAID OUT BEST PRACTICES TO ENSURE THAT THEIR USE DOES NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT COMMUNITY VOICE IN DECISION MAKING. CPEHN ALSO PUBLISHED SEVERAL MAJOR REPORTS ON MENTAL HEALTH THAT LOOK CLOSELY AT HOW THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM CAN BECOME MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. IN APRIL, CPEHN PUBLISHED A LANDMARK PAPER ON THE USE OF COMMUNITY-DEFINED EVIDENCE PRACTICES IN MENTAL HEALTH THAT SET OUT POLICY OPTIONS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY COMPETENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. IN JULY, CPEHN PUBLISHED A RIGHT TO HEAL, WHICH DREW UPON KEY LOCAL LEARNINGS FROM ADVOCATES REPRESENTING DIVERSE RACIAL AND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE ON HOW THE PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM CA BETTER SERVE THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. AND THE SEPTEMBER REPORT, MEDI-CAL MANAGED CARE PLAN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: AN UNFULFILLED PROMISE FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, ASSESSED SHORTCOMINGS IN HOW MEDI-CAL MANAGED CARE PLANS ARE PROVIDING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, WITH THE GOAL OF HELPING IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS THAT MEET COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.