Stacy D. Scott, PhD, MPA
Executive Director of The Global Infant Safe Sleep Center
Greetings!
This is the inaugural edition of the Global Infant Safe Center’s monthly newsletter. It’s our way of keeping our friends and supporters updated on our efforts to reach every family member – parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts – and caregivers with messages of education, encouragement, resources and hope. Our mission: to assist in establishing health and birth equity in our communities.
Last week, I was in our nation’s capital at the National Action Partnership to Promote Safe Sleep Improvement and Innovation Network (NAPPSS-IIN) meetings. As chairman of NAPPSS-IIN Wisdom Council, I spoke to national experts, hospital teams and national partners about the importance of the equity empowerment lens in the development of culturally competent approaches and resources. I also talked about what I call “The Capability-Capacity Paradox:” both huge obstacles to our success in reducing infant mortality rates and achieving equity in birth outcomes in African American, Native American and Hispanic communities.
The equity empowerment lens, with a racial justice focus, is a transformative quality improvement tool used to improve planning, decision-making, and resource allocation leading to more racially equitable policies and programs. It is a set of principles, reflective questions, and processes focused on the individual, institutional, and systems:
How do we deconstruct what is not working around racial equity based on the history of the campaign?
o Were people (communities of color) affected by SIDS meaningfully included or excluded? (Critical- historical lens for analyzing: 1969 – 1996)
How do we reconstruct and support what is working?
o Through meaningful engagement of communities of color in planning, decision making and evaluation that support shifts in perception, paradigm, and demonstrated values
How do we shift the way we make decisions and think about this work?
o Authentically embody racial equity and empowerment principles, including transformative and non-traumatizing practices, in planning, decision-making, implementation and evaluation
How do we heal and transform our structures, our environments, and ourselves?
o With bold and courageous long-term commitment to unearthing racism’s root causes and addressing barriers to racial equity in and between individuals, institutions and systems
Source: https://multco.us/multnomah-
The Capability-Capacity Paradox
Public health systems and community-based entities are joining forces to improve the health of communities through engagement and education. These partnerships are essential in the ever-changing public health landscape. Partnering with community-based organizations is necessary to create change and improve health. However, many of the community outreach interventions are not all evidence based, which means funding opportunities are limited for community-driven organizations. For organizations that do receive funding, there’s no capacity building and sustainability plan developed to keep those critical projects running. Too often, they are set up for failure within the first two years.
The GISS Center is working to address such contradictions, focusing on and supporting true, authenticated community engagement. We are working to position ourselves as a resource to all who are committed to serving vulnerable populations. My experience has shown me that the struggle is real — navigating systems, policies and protocols can sometimes leave one discouraged and disenfranchised. But know that collectively we will continue to make a difference as the lens is brought into focus.
I appreciate the opportunity to work with the NAPPSS-IIN team as they are committed to ensuring the work we are doing is being viewed through an equity empowerment lens as we continue to develop cultural competent approaches and resources and work to ensure the longevity of our community-driven programs.
“The American people have this to learn: that where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither person nor property is safe.” — Frederick Douglass