Partnerships for Equity

The vision of Partnerships for Equity (PE) is to achieve behavioral health equity for all under-resourced groups by building diverse, sustainable partnerships that maximize resources.

Anne-Marie Gomes
Public Health Advisor
Office of Behavioral Health Equity
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration
240-276-1036
Anne-Marie.Gomes@samhsa.hhs.gov

The four main objectives:

Measurable Impact: Identify at least one project to be completed within one year of initiation and every fiscal year thereafter.
Diverse Voices: Engage stakeholders that represent and support the best interests of under-resourced groups.
Awareness: Raise awareness about Partnerships for Equity opportunities and broader behavioral health equity issues through publications and other external media.
Framework: Develop, implement, and evaluate a model for building effective multi-sector partnerships

Current PE Groups

PE in African Americans (PE-AA, established in September 2021)

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The PE-AA Group’s work has led to several new partnerships and opportunities.

Reviewing policies to ensure eligible minority students in behavioral health programs can simultaneously access multiple sources of funding like stipends
Working with mainstream media to highlight the journeys of diverse young adults seeking mental health treatment
Supporting HBCU leadership and students with technical assistance to expand their behavioral health services and programs
Increased activity and representation with the White House HBCU Interagency Working Group and participation in their annual national HBCU conference

PE in Hispanics/Latinos (PE-HL, established in November 2021)

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The PE-HL Group is developing a train-the-trainer toolkit to support Community Health Workers/Promotoras de Salud in creating an anti-stigma campaign. The toolkit will be available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese to ensure it is linguistically appropriate for different Hispanic/Latino communities.

Toolkit will include:

Stigma 101 with a focus on Hispanic/Latino communities
The importance of humanizing data through vignettes and storytelling
Best practices for reducing stigma at the individual, community, and institutional level
Practical ways to use the Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index (SASI)

PE in American Indian/Alaska Native (PE-AIAN, established in February 2022)

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SAMHSA Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy
Indian Health Service Area Behavioral Health Consultants
Indian Health Service Scholarship Coordinators
American Indian Higher Education Consortium
Numerous other committed stakeholders from various backgrounds

The PE-AIAN Group plans to support AIAN behavioral health students and practitioners by:

developing mentorship programs with experienced AIAN behavioral health practitioners,
building a support network among cohorts of students and practitioners, and
creating quality career exposure opportunities with our IHS partners.

Other potential activities include hosting a virtual career fair with a detailed training on utilizing USAJOBS, understanding job announcements, and uploading required documents. The PE-AIAN will also host listening sessions with students and practitioners to learn about their specific needs.

Future Partnerships for Equity Groups

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer (LGBTQ)
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPIs)

Have an idea for another PE Group? Contact us today to share your suggestions.

Events

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Partnerships for Equity in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Communities is pleased to announce a 3-part Virtual Behavioral Health Job Fair.

The purpose of the Virtual Behavioral Health Job Fair is to share information and knowledge about the USAJobs process and opportunities for behavioral health students and professionals to serve AIAN communities.

Who should join: Behavioral health students and professionals interested in federal employment as a pathway to serve AIAN communities.

October 13th 1pm – 2pm Eastern Navigating USAJobs

October 20th 1pm – 2pm Eastern Accessing IHS Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program

October 27th 1pm – 2pm Eastern Exploring Behavioral Health Career Opportunities

Partners include: SAMHSA; Indian Health Service; American Indian Higher Education Consortium

The U.S. Department of Education’s 2022 National HBCU Week Conference has selected SAMHSA’s Partnership for Equity African American Team to present the HBCU C.A.R.E.S. collaborative in a segment entitled: My HBCU C.A.R.E.S Supporting the Behavioral Health Workforce! The HBCU C.A.R.E.S. at Clark Atlanta University has inspired hundreds of undergraduates by offering over 470 presentations, as well as outreach via chat to 2,219 students at 64 various HBCU campuses! Partnership for Equity African American Team will present in partnership with the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence and SAMHSA’s Office of Behavioral Health Equity. Learn more about the conference.

PE in African Americans Event: Diversity Inclusion Project Showcase (DIPS) for Dollars

Highlighted federal funding opportunities for HBCU behavioral health students and practitioners. Attendees represented various HBCUs including Albany State University, Bowie State University, North Carolina Central University, and North Carolina A&T State University.
Speakers included federal partners from National Institutes of Health, Indian Health Service, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Public Health Service, and the Department of Education. SAMHSA’s Minority Fellowship Program Directors shared detailed information about their programs in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Nursing, Psychiatry, Psychology, and Social Work.
Preliminary outcome data indicate that most attendees would recommend the event to a colleague. Participants shared that learning about “the resources available for budding and established professionals” and “the heft of information provided about the programs available” were most useful.