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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Betsy E. Havens, MPH¹, Mondi Mason, DrPH², Michael Yonas, DrPH¹, Vanessa Jeffries, MPH³, and Eugenia Eng, MPH, DrPH⁴. (1) School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina, Rosenau Hall Campus Box 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 919-923-7506, bhavens@email.unc.edu, (2) Association for Study and Development of Community, 2860 Adams Street, Denver, CO 80205, (3) Chatham County Public Health Department, Post Office Box 130, 80 East Street, Pittsboro, NC 27312, (4) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina, School of Public Health CB #7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Anti-racism initiatives and community-academic partnerships are increasingly popular methods aimed at organizing and holding institutions accountable to eliminate healthcare disparities. Beginning in 2001, a Southern county public health department partnered with an anti-racism training and organizing firm in order to establish a Dismantling Racism (DR) process aimed at addressing institutional racism and its impact on health disparities. In order to facilitate staff in addressing the dynamics of race and power, the DR process incorporates a mandatory two-day workshop, optional bi-monthly caucus meetings (including a White caucus and People of Color caucus), and optional participation on the Change Team, which serves as the oversight committee for the comprehensive DR process. In 2005, an qualitative evaluation was conducted using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach in effort to understand 1) the varying levels of participation amongst staff and leadership within the DR process, 2) the perceived impact of the DR process, and 3) ways to improve the workplace intervention. This poster summarizes the CBPR process of development and implementation of the evaluation and highlights findings related to the participants' experience with the DR process. Findings include that 1) perceptions and critical consciousness about racism varied; 2) job responsibilities, experience with the DR workshop, and perceived impact of the DR process served as factors that both encourage and discourage participation in the process; and 3) the DR process has impacted participants' jobs, personal lives, and the health department overall. Implications for promoting social justice through anti-racism initiatives are also addressed.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the community-based participatory research process for developing and implementing a qualitative evaluation of a Dismantling Racism Process
• Identify key issues related to staff participation in a Dismantling Racism process
• Discuss social justice implications for organizational initiatives focused on eliminating institutional racism and health-care disparities

Keywords: Health Disparities, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered