Michigan POWER to THRIVE: Building Health Equity Together

1. Michigan POWER to THRIVE August 2015 Gathering And Issue Convention August 20 & 21, 2015 SAVE THE DATES: WeROC Public Event: November 15, 3:00 – 4:30

2. Welcome Morning Reflections Charles Wilson, Washtenaw County Public Health Jamie Forbes, The Ezekiel Project, Saginaw

3. Orientation Objectives Set the stage for today’s and tomorrow’s work. Demonstrate the connection between one’s personal values and the change we want to see in the world. Explain (in a BASIC way) tools and practices of community organizing. Explain (in a BASIC way) how local health departments are adopting a social justice framework. Explore emerging tensions in bringing the two disciplines (community organizing and public health) into deep relationship.

4. “As public health professionals, we need a new kind of practice where public health practitioners understand that creating health equity requires us to be in deep relationship with people who understand and are willing to create and build power. Powerlessness is making us sick.” Dr. Tony Iton, the California Endowment, (former Health Officer, Alameda County, CA)

5. Michigan POWER to THRIVE Milestones November 2013: First Gathering of seven health departments and GAMALIEL affiliates: Launch Network. Monthly Conference calls. Relationship-building, cross training. June 2014: Second Gathering. Announced focus on “Health in All Policies.” August / September 2014: Half-day work summits (HIAP; expanding boundaries) October 2014: Five-state Healthy Heartlands convening. Raising of America screenings June 2015: GAMALIEL Summit on Race and Power. June 2015: Half day work summit: When are going to ACT????

6. Living Wage Saginaw Co. H.D. Kent Co. H.D. Ezekiel Genesee Co. H.D. Various Partners Various Partners Health in All Policies Mass Incarceration/ Deportation Early Childhood Development Detroit/Wayne Co. H.A. MOSES Kalamazoo Co. H.D. ISAAC Predatory Lending Access to Health Care Paid Sick Leave Washtenaw Co. P.H. Ingham Co. H.D. Health Equity Alliance WeROC ACTION of G. Lansing JONAH Transportation Water

7. Community Organizing 101 Sister Cheryl Liske GAMALIEL of Michigan Charles Wilson, Washtenaw County Public Health

8. Thoughts About Power One story about a time when you felt very powerful, or thriving One story about a time when you felt powerless, or that you life was dying

9. Public Health and Social Justice Doak Bloss Michigan Public Health Institute Johnnie Turnage MOSES

16. What are we talking about?

17. Primary Prevention: A Social Justice Framework Primary Prevention The prevention of diseases and conditions before their biological onset. Conventional Interpretation Preventing Environmental Exposures Improving Resistance To Disease Education to Reduce Risky Behaviors e.g. Food & Water Safety… … Immunizations… …Smoking cessation Social Justice Interpretation Attending to the Social Determinants of Health Confronting Root Causes Explicitly

18. Primary Prevention: A Social Justice Framework Social Determinants of Health The economic and social conditions that influence the health of individuals and communities. They include, but are not limited to: Safe Affordable Housing Quality Education Job Security Social Connection & Safety Living Wage Access to Transporta- tion Availability of Food Dennis Raphael,Social Determinants of Health; Toronto: Scholars Press, 2004

19. Changing the Questions Instead of only asking: Why do people smoke? Perhaps we should also ask: What social conditions and economic policies predispose people to the stress that encourages smoking?

20. Changing the Questions Instead of only asking: Who lacks health care coverage and why? Perhaps we should also ask: What policy changes would redistribute health care resources more equitably in our community?

21. Changing the Questions Instead of only asking: How do we connect isolated individuals to social supports? Perhaps we should also ask: What institutional policies and practices maintain rather than reverse people’s isolation from social supports?

22. Changing the Questions Instead of only asking: How can we create more green space, bike paths, and farmer’s markets in vulnerable neighborhoods? Perhaps we should also ask: What policies and practices by government and commerce discourage access to transportation, recreational resources, and nutritious food in neighborhoods where health is poorest?

23. However,If we reduce disparities at the level of Social Determinants of Health, will we be reducing health inequity? Safe Affordable Housing Quality Education Job Security Social Connection & Safety Living Wage Access to Transporta- tion Availability of Food

24. Root Causes Power and Wealth Imbalance Social Determinants of Health Institutional Racism Class Oppression Gender Discrimination and Exploitation LABOR MARKETS TAX POLICY GLOBALIZATION & DEREGULATION HOUSING POLICY EDUCATION SYSTEMS SOCIAL SAFETY NET SOCIAL NETWORKS Safe Affordable Housing Job Security Transportation Living Wage Quality Education Availability of Food Social Connection & Safety Psychosocial Stress / Unhealthy Behaviors Disparity in the Distribution of Disease, Illness, and Wellbeing Adapted from R. Hofrichter, Tackling Health Inequities Through Public Health Practice.

25. 4 Levels of Oppression and Change Personal Feelings, beliefs, values Interpersonal Actions, behaviors, language Institutional Rules, policies, procedures Cultural Collective ideas about what is normal, true, right, beautiful

26. Emerging Tensions Denise Evans Healthy Start, Spectrum Health (Grand Rapids Charles Wilson Washtenaw County Public Health

27. Tensions Differing norms between the two disciplines regarding concepts like power, self-interest, agitation, etc. Public Health “Issues” vs. deep structural change... Exposing and replacing dominant narratives t that hurt people. Restrictive assumptions about what public health employees can and can’t do… i.e. “too political.” Community Organizers Identifying an issue we can all get behind, across counties and across the two disciplines.

28. Afternoon Reflections Renée Canady Michigan Public Health Institute Sister Cheryl Liske GAMALIEL of Michigan

29. Wrap-Up Sister Cheryl Liske GAMALIEL OF Michigan

30. Michigan POWER to THRIVE August 2015 Gathering And Issue Convention August 20 & 21, 2015 SAVE THE DATES: WeROC Public Event: November 15, 3:00 – 4:30

31. Objectives Continue to build an understanding of complementary disciplines of public health and community organizing. Present and consider potential issues to build a collective campaign around. Select Issue(s) around which to build campaigns. Begin to develop these potential campaigns and organize work teams to further research and develop them, aiming for a public announcement on November 15 in Ypsilanti. Coordinate the use of the documentary series The Raising of America in support of the campaign(s).

32. Issues Convention: Process Eight Issues Each presenter will make a 10-minute presentation showing why it would be a worthy and important focus for MPTT. After the presentations: Facilitated Dialogue how we can best focus our power on issues that will change the conditions that create inequity in Michigan. Voting with your feet / negotiation. “Everybody wins but not the same prize”

33. ClosingRemarks Evaluation of the Day

34. Michigan POWER to THRIVE August 2015 Gathering And Issue Convention August 20 & 21, 2015 SAVE THE DATES: WeROC Public Event: November 15, 3:00 – 4:30

35. Welcome Morning Reflections Matt Friedrichs, MOSES Johnnie Turnage, MOSES

36. Power Analysis Sister Cheryl Liske, GAMALIEL of Michigan

37. Power Analysis Breakouts Report Out

38. Cutting an Issue Matt Friedrichs, MOSES Sister Cheryl Liske, GAMALIEL of Michigan

39. Issue Cutting Breakouts Report Out

40. BrainstormingThe Raising