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REFLECTIONS ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
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OUTLINE
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
This document was developed by Social Policy Research Associates in October 2023 as a summary of the Reflections on Accomplishments and Lessons Learned Report.
1: WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY ACTION TEAM
ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE ACTION TEAM
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2015 – 2020
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ENROLLMENT EVENTS
Since 2015, Healthy Richmond and their partners hosted enrollment events as an opportunity to connect people to health resources through Covered CA, Expanded Medi-Cal, and Contra Costa Cares including: the “Health Happened Here: We Connect” event in 2015 focused on the Medi-Cal population with multiple on-site health screenings and resources; the “Let’s Get Covered, Contra Costa!” enrollment event in early 2016 where materials were provided in 14 different languages and 102 people enrolled in healthcare; and in early 2018, an event at a city recreation center to support enrollment and re-enrollment in expanded MediCal for many West County residents.
The overarching goal for the AQH Action Team is to expand access to comprehensive, quality, and timely healthcare for all Contra Costa residents, regardless of income, immigration status, background, gender, or age. The campaigns, strategies, and advocacy efforts from 2015 – 2020 of the AQH Action team focused on ensuring access to health coverage for all Richmond residents (with the #OneContraCosta Coalition) and launching the Healthy Equity Dine and Learn series to bring together community members and healthcare providers and administrators to engage in dialogue.
ESTABLISHING AND EXPANDING CONTRA COSTA CARES
As part of Healthy Richmond’s advocacy efforts with the #OneContraCosta Coalition, in 2016, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted to support the Contra Costa Cares program to provide access to primary care for the uninsured. The $1 million investment by the County and three local hospital systems (Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and John Muir) allowed for 3,000 individuals to be enrolled in the program for one year. In 2017, Contra Costa Cares was funded for another year and the program was expanded with a commitment of $750,000 to be matched by partnering hospitals. The $1.5 million investment provided access to primary care for 4,467 undocumented adults in the county. In 2023, the advocacy shifted to removing the enrollment cap and adding behavioral health visits.
CHA SITE VISITS TO HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
In 2018, after the third Dine and Learn event, the Community Health Advocates (CHA) conducted three site visits to healthcare delivery systems serving local residents, primarily of Richmond and San Pablo. After the site visits were completed, Healthy Richmond continued to facilitate a learning space for the CHAs so that they could thoroughly assess the information presented in each site visit, in the context of their lived experience as patients and health advocates. The participation of the CHAs in all three site visits afforded them a rare opportunity to identify the strengths of each system, opportunities for the systems to work together, and differences/similarities between the systems in their approach.
QUARTERLY HEALTH EQUITY LEARNING SESSION - MENTAL HEALTH
In the fall of 2019, Healthy Richmond hosted a mental health learning session to launch the learning community across health systems. The goal of the session was to build trust in health systems among the community, and panelists shared the current state of mental health care within their respective systems, as well as gaps between community needs and approaches and current mental health support systems.
HEALTH EQUITY DINE AND LEARN SERIES
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At Health Equity Dine and Learns, Community Health Advocates, systems health system administrators, and health providers come together to discuss approaches, strategies, and best practices being used to reduce barriers to accessing care for West Contra Costa residents. These events provide a space for resident Community Health Advocates to build their power and voice through meeting with health care leaders who are making decision that impact the community. This collaborative effort works to change structures in the health care system to integrate patient voice more fully into the decision-making process. As a result of this work, Healthy Richmond is actively involved in providing COVID-19 response efforts with the health department.
The Dine and Learn series began as a way to bring the knowledge and experience from community members utilizing health services, some for the first time as a result of the Affordable Care Act, and figure out how to help doctors and health system administrators learn about their experiences so that they could act on those learnings. The precursor to the series were community listening sessions conducted in 2016 that focused on three underserved communities: Boys and Men of Color, Asian Pacific Islanders, and formerly incarcerated residents.
Dine and Learn 1 – Healthcare Providers.
The first Dine and Learn event was held in the spring of 2016 and was attended by physicians and behavioral health providers across health systems including Contra Costa Health Services, Kaiser Permanente, and clinic providers. In hearing the themes shared by residents and findings from the community listening sessions, health care providers shared their own views on what they experienced in clinic and hospital spaces.
Dine and Learn 2 – Health System Administrators.
The second event, held in the fall of 2016, shifted the audience focus to health systems administrators from Contra Costa Health Services, Kaiser Permanente, and local clinics. Afterwards, many administrators expressed interest in what was shared, and wanted to find ways to build the larger learning community.
Dine and Learn 3 – Community Health Advocates.
The third event, hosted by Kaiser Permanente in early 2018, brought together Community Health Advocates (CHA) with health system administrators and health providers to discuss approaches, strategies, and best practices being used to reduce barriers to accessing care for West Contra Costa residents. Each system provided information on their equity work that was displayed as gallery walk for the systems leaders and community to review. Innovations in community engagement were also discussed.
ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE ACTION TEAM
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2020 - NOW
PARTICIPATION IN THE COVID-19 VACCINE EQUITY COMMITTEE
In late 2020, HCC’s Director participated in Contra Costa Health’s (the county health department) COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Committee wherein they created a vaccine equity framework to support the vaccine roll out across Contra Costa County. Additionally, HCC is supporting Contra Costa Health with their health equity work through helping them launch the Historically Marginalized Community Group, create public health measures that center racial equity, and incorporate community in quality assurance metrics discussions. HCC led the effort to establish the AAPI focus group which later created a formal structure and is now fiscally sponsored by a local APPI community-based organization.
CHAS’ TOGETHER TOWARD HEALTH PROJECT
In the fall of 2021, HCC’s CHAs, which included BIPOC residents from Richmond, San Pablo, and Bay Point, participated in the Together Toward Health project, where they collected community experiences of 448 residents from the COVID-19 pandemic. Partners included Health Leads, who supported CHAs to connect community members to resources that address the social determinants of health, and Streetwyze, which supported the CHAs in monitoring data, data analysis, and reporting. CHAs concluded the project by formally meeting with Contra Costa Health (CCH) to present recommendations in the areas of accessibility and equitable healthcare services, community building and collaboration, and center BIPOC marginalized voices. Furthermore, the CHAs recommended specific systemic changes and more importantly, a seat at the CCH decision making table hosted by the Health Equity Team.
CONTINUED CONTRA COSTA CARES ADVOCACY WITH THE #ONECONTRACOSTA COALITION
In January 2022, the Governor announced expanding eligibility to enroll income-eligible immigrants of all ages in Medi-Cal beginning in January 2024. These changes will allow the CARES program to sunset at the end of December 2023 because all income-eligible residents will qualify for the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits. However, advocacy efforts are still needed in the interim and HCC was able to secure a rapid response grant from the San Francisco Foundation for its CARES-focused advocacy campaign. This resulted in the recruitment of 15 community-based organizations to participate in the #OneContraCosta CARES Outreach and Education Network, increased payment rates for CARES providers, and three behavioral health services visits added to the provisions of CARES. This campaign will continue to advocate for the new remaining uninsured by recommending that the county consider sustaining primary care for undocumented residents who earn above 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) as many neighboring counties have done. HCC will also build upon its existing coalition to include allied organizations that work on housing and legal rights issues impacting immigrant community members.
ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION ACTION TEAM
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2015 – 2020
CITY OF RICHMOND JOINS GARE
In January 2016, the City of Richmond joined the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) Cohort. GARE is a national network of government working to achieve racial equity by focusing on the power and influence of their own institutions and working in partnership with others. Healthy Richmond is partnering with the GARE Richmond team to create a “menu” of options related to equity, in the hopes that the city will take up these options when welcoming new businesses and/or developers into the community.
The overarching goal for the Economic Revitalization Action Team (ERAT) is to create an employment and business environment that brings growth and economic vitality to the region while also supporting residents to build their capacity and financial stability, as well as their ability to take advantage of employment and other opportunities. To this end, the team’s two top priorities include having meaningful input on the city’s race equity policies related to workforce development and equitable housing development without gentrification, and the establishment of community research and policy recommendations for Richmond residents through the Y-Plan Adult Program.
BERKELEY GLOBAL CAMPUS COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP RETREAT
While UC Berkeley ultimately decided not to pursue a large development on the site of the current Field Station in Richmond, many Healthy Richmond partners actively participated in the development of a comprehensive Community Working Group Recommendations Report released in April 2016. The recommendations were intended to form the basis of a legally enforceable agreement between UC Berkeley and the Richmond community, covering the areas of local hire and workforce training, housing and displacement, education, and procurement. The process engaged multiple stakeholders, and in the end, the report reflected a strong commitment to equity for Richmond residents. This work has also influenced the recent development of a Comprehensive Economic Development plan for Richmond.
RICHMOND LIVING MAP (RMAP)
The RMAP is a printed map of Richmond, developed as a commissioned work by a local artist. Youth and residents defined their own narrative about Richmond through their selection of locations and sharing of stories on the maps. Several community events are used as anchors to showcase map locations and engage residents and partners.
WEST COUNTY HEALTHCARE PATHWAY PARTNERS
In April 2016, a collective impact effort involving many Hub partners to strengthen health career pathways for West Contra Costa County youth and young adults was launched. Partners worked to deepen program coordination, collaboration, and systems alignment to expand opportunities for young people to learn about and gain exposure to health careers. The key partners include LifeLong Medical Care, CCHS-Public Health, Clinic Consortium, WCCUSD, UCB-Y-Plan, Kaiser Permanente, the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County, as well as several local healthcare training partners.
DEVEOPMENT OF THE EQUITY-BASED PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES DOCUMENT
In 2019 the ERAT developed a document that outlined their commitment for “equity in all policies” and three main equity-based principles which include authentic community engagement, comprehensive workforce development, and equitable physical development. The ERAT presented their equity platform to the City of Richmond and the Richmond GARE team.
Y-PLAN ADULT PROGRAMS -> RESIDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
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Beginning in 2017, as part of a Healthy Richmond Community Grant, the ERAT developed a work-based learning program pilot for adults in Richmond in partnership with the Center for Cities + Schools, LEAP (Literacy for Every Adult Program), the City of Richmond, and the Stride Center. Since the pilot in 2017, there has been a Y-Plan program every year, with alumni forming the Resident Ambassador Program.
Y-PLAN – BUS TRANSFORMATION (2017)
Richmond residents interested in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) careers developed a project to find solutions on how the City of Richmond could expand public WiFi along bus routes that residents regularly use to get to work. The participants worked together to create a set of project and policy recommendations based on a community survey they created to gather data and insights from residents and their own lived experiences. They presented their findings to a range of city staff from IT, engineering, planning, community services departments, and the mayor’s office.
Y-PLAN – WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (2018)
Through mind-mapping, a site visit to the Richmond-based Health Courier Corporation, a SWOT analysis, and a community survey, the Y-Plan Team addressed the issue of employee retention and support. Findings were presented to the City of Richmond and the Employment and Training Department.
Y-PLAN – NYSTROM MASTER PLAN (2019)
In this project, Richmond residents focused on the Nystrom Village Housing Project in order to provide short term (physical amenities and built environment) and long term (economic and social well-being) recommendations informed by the needs of the Nystrom Community. Findings and recommendations were presented to the City of Richmond’s Planning Department.
Y-PLAN – BRIDGE PROGRAM (2021)
Held in the Summer 2021, three Y-Plan alumni participated in this week-long training to join the City of Richmond’s Race Equity Team Resident Ambassador Program. During the training, facilitators shared practical tools and conceptual knowledge to help participants understand how their positions as resident ambassadors and visions of equity in its all forms (health, racial, housing, etc.) are associated with institutional/systems change, the political landscape, policy advocacy, and community power.
RESIDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM LAUNCH
In 2021, Resident Ambassadors focused on supporting the development of Richmond’s 5- year Race Equity Action Plan by attending city meetings and planning meetings. Resident Ambassadors also met with the City of Richmond’s Planning Department to follow up on the Nystrom Master Plan to ensure residents that are going to be temporarily displaced would have their housing needs met during the development process. Additionally, Resident Ambassadors are attending and participating in other City of Richmond events.
COMMUNITY BUZZ CAFES ON RACE EQUITY
Throughout 2022, the Resident Ambassadors of the Racial Equity Team hosted monthly Community Buzz Café Meetings on Race Equity where residents learned about the goals of the Racial Equity Action Plan and provide input into the development and strategies in the plan. The next step will be to ensure that community recommendations be added to the city’s 5-year Race Equity plan.
NORTH RICHMOND LEADERSHIP TEAM – CREATING THE QUAILITY OF LIFE PLAN
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This case study tells the story about how a core group of community members came together to form the North Richmond Resident Leadership Team (RLT) to organize and express the dreams and concerns of the North Richmond community.
This led to the creation of the Quality of Life Plan, which illustrates the collective voice and influence of North Richmond residents in building a stronger and integrated community. It is a guide for investment and action that reflects the aspirations and priorities of the community.
By participating in Healthy Richmond’s leadership team, North Richmond resident leaders gained a deeper understanding of their leadership and change-making potential, used their voices to hold stakeholders accountable, and exercised real power.
Quality of Life Plan
Case Study on Resident Power Building
ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION ACTION TEAM
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2020 – NOW
SPECTRUM OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO OWNERSHIP WORKSHOP
In the fall of 2020, the City of Richmond’s Race Equity Team (also known as the GARE team) and HCC hosted a half-day virtual workshop facilitated by Rosa Gonzalez of Facilitating Power, who developed the Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership framework in partnership with multiple communities advancing racial equity through centering resident voice and power. The purpose of the workshop was to create a space for collaborative learning and capacity building to promote equitable community engagement and fair outcomes for all Richmond residents by centering on historically marginalized groups impacted by structural racism. There were over 60 participants representing community-based organizations, different departments of City of Richmond, Contra Costa Health, WCCUSD, and resident leaders. A case study was developed describing the outcomes of this workshop and it was included in the 2022 county Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice report presented to the Board of Supervisors.
YOUTH-LED NORTH RICHMOND LISTENING SESSIONS
Youth and education were named as key priorities in the North Richmond Quality of Life planning process. Specifically, it was articulated that youth need supportive environments that are conducive to their learning and education and promote social cohesion and belonging. In 2022, HCC North Richmond Youth Leaders (NRYL) conducted five listening sessions with over 50 participants to engage youth that currently live or have lived experience in North Richmond and to ensure that their input is integrated in efforts to make North Richmond a more youth-friendly environment and community.
NORTH RICHMOND RESIDENT LEADERSHIP TEAMS’ BROOKSIDE SITE ADVOCACY
Throughout 2022 and 2023 the North Richmond Resident Leadership Team (NRRLT) has been advocating for a full clean-up at the Brookside Site and for regulatory agencies to be transparent and accountable to partner with impacted community members for input during the development process. The community recommendations that were developed were presented to the state agency, Department of Toxic Substances Control regulatory agency, and the county Hazardous Materials Commission. Although the advocacy did not result in stopping the development or a more complete clean-up of the brownfield site, the county is reviewing its decision-making process for approvals of future developments.
SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS ACTION TEAM
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2015 – 2020
“YOU ARE THE EXPERTS” CURRICLUM, TRAININGS, AND VIDEOS
As part of a Healthy Richmond community grant, these LCAP parent advocacy trainings were brought to six school campuses and more than 70 parents attended in early 2017. Additionally, Healthy Richmond produced a training video that features parents and the superintendent explaining, in English and Spanish, the LCAP, how it works, and how parents can get involved in their schools and communities to advocate for their children to receive the resources and programs they need. This film has been used by SNAT and other Healthy Richmond partners to continue training parents about the LCAP process, which has helped stretch the reach of parent engagement efforts.
The overarching goal for the School and Neighborhoods Action Team is to improve outcomes in health and well-being, school climate, academic achievement, and community and student engagement in policy decisions. Their two priorities areas include community and student engagement in policy change, particularly around the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), and a targeted focus on policies and resources to ensure a positive school climate where students can thrive.
YES-HEALTHY RICHMOND FAMILY CAMPS
YES Nature to Neighborhoods provides access to experiences in the natural environment for youth, adults, and families living in Richmond and other parts of West Contra Costa County. In the fall of 2017 and 2018, YES Collaborated with Healthy Richmond’s SNAT to design a speFcial camp focused on helping parents understand and engage around the LCAP. Participant survey results indicated that an overwhelming majority of respondents left the camp having a better understanding of the LCAP process, feeling more connected to their community, and feeling compelled to become more engaged in school advocacy and in their community in general.
PARENT LEADERSHIP TRAINING BY CENTER FOR THIRD WORLD ORGANIZING
The RMAP is a printed map of Richmond, developed as a commissioned work by a local artist. Youth and residents defined their own narrative about Richmond through their selection of locations and sharing of stories on the maps. Several community events are used as anchors to showcase map locations and engage residents and partners.
RESOLUTION FOR A POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE POLICY
SNAT members advocated for WCCUSD’s “Resolution for a Positive School Climate Policy” that contains a significant number of supports and new initiatives for restorative justice, trauma informed care, training for teachers and staff, and ways to deeply involve students, parents, and community members in the process. The policy was passed in November 2017.
RICHMOND PARENT POWER CONVENING
In January 2018, more than 60 parents, families, and district leaders convened for a day of storytelling, community building, and celebration of parents that are advocating for a healthier WCCUSD.
LCAP RECOMMENDATIONS
Each school year since the creation of the LCFF (local control funding formula) and LCAP, the SNAT members have developed a set of recommendations for the LCAP which they have presented to West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD).
SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL AWARENESS EVENT
In September 2019, parent leaders planned and facilitated an event to educate a broader base of parents on the role of their school’s SSC in budget oversight. Parents who attended also were asked to commit to a range of activities from observing a meeting, talking to a current SSC member, or requesting to be elected to the group.
WE DECIDE | WE WIN – SNAT LCAP ADVOVACY EFFORTS
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This case study tells the story about how parents, students, and Healthy Richmond and its partners began leveraging their power even as they were building it—asserting their voices at district and school board meetings, writing letters to the superintendent, and crafting yearly DLCAPS committee recommendations for the district.
Over the years, as parent engagement and advocacy strengthened, Healthy Richmond and the SNAT team continued to hold the district accountable to the community engagement mandate in the LCFF and pressed them to be more transparent and to work towards a more authentic and trusting partnership with community members.
Meanwhile, parents became more confident in their advocacy and systems navigation skills as they got better at knowing what to ask for and how to ask for it, resulting in demands that got clearer and more refined over time.
LCAP Recommendations and Platforms from previous school years
Case Study on Community Power Building
SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS ACTION TEAM
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2020 – NOW
RESIDENT AND PARENT LEADER RETREAT ON RACE EQUITY
This retreat in early 2020 included a deep dive on how racial equity impacts the advocacy work in the SNAT team.
BUILDING PARENT POWER TOWN HALLS
In the summer of 2020, Healthy Richmond partnered with local West Contra Costa residents to host two parent-led town halls focused on distance learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the town halls, they developed a platform that included nine recommendations to address problems related to equity, transparency, and inclusion.
WELCOMING DR. HURST COMMUNITY-LED FORUM
In the summer of 2021, Healthy Richmond co-hosted with Building Blocks for Kids Richmond a Q&A with WCCUSD Superintendent Dr. Chris Hurst and community members. Parent leaders facilitated the forum and asked specific questions related to community ownership.
PARENT LEADER RETREAT
This two-day overnight retreat in early 2022, co-hosted with YES Nature to Neighborhoods, focused on building relationships among parent advocates through storytelling and reflection toward actions that advance race equity.
WCCUSD PARENT & STUDENT COMMUNITY FORUM
This forum in 2022 centered on the visions and voices of the youth who are directly experiencing what it is like to be in school while dealing with the many different pressures and challenges that emerged from the pandemic.
YOUTH INTEGREATION SERVICE INITIATIVE
In the Spring of 2022, Healthy Richmond launched the Youth Service Integration Initiative to create a shared vision and strategy for a coordinated system for Community Schools. The initiative team met with district staff, the Director of the Office of African American Student Achievement, mental health providers, and afterschool providers. They created a final report that included an analysis of the efforts and resources to date, description of the high need schools and student populations, a shared strategy and framework for unification, and recommendations and next steps.
2: SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS
BECOMING HEALTHY CONTRA COSTA
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In 2019, Healthy Richmond created a Sustainability Task Force to lead the sustainability efforts which engaged organization partners, systems partners, and resident leaders to lay the foundation for the next phase of work, which would take place after the sunsetting of Building Healthy Communities Initiative in 2020.
Healthy Richmond engaged two consultants: Y’s Change focused on organizational development and Dana Ginn Paredes focused on movement building. Key activities during the sustainability process from 2019 – 2021 are included to the right.
This engagement and strategy process revealed that Healthy Richmond has the potential to increase the economies of scale for social change with its partners when it operates at the county-level while still remaining anchored in the progress in Richmond. This led Healthy Richmond to expand its mission to work county-wide and change its name to Healthy Contra Costa.
Healthy Contra Costa (HCC) continues to deepen its relationships with partners and created a three-tiered partnership model: anchor, allies, and supporters. As of October 2023, HCC has signed partnership agreements with 16 anchor partners and 14 others have expressed intentions for partnership. This, coupled with new partnerships HCC has developed in central, east, and far east Contra Costa County, signals a strong foundation for the work moving forward. As they continue to deepen and expand this foundation, HCC is also currently working toward the development of a funding committee to diversify HCC’s funding base to support both HCC as the hub and the campaign work.
High-level timeline of Sustainability Task Force activities:
ORGANIZATINOAL STRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
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Y’s Change assisted the Sustainability Taskforce and Steering Committee to finalize their organizational structures. These efforts resulted in the development of the following:
During the course of the sustainability efforts Y’s Change also assisted Healthy Richmond to make key decisions to remain a fiscally sponsored initiative for the next five years and develop processes to transition fiscal sponsorship from Local Initiative Support Corporation to RCF Connects as a new fiscal sponsor.
STRATEGIC COMPASS ON RACE EQUITY
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Healthy Richmond envisions a transformed community where resident leaders (youth and adults), CBOs and system leaders work together to shift power and create equity within and across education, economy, healthcare and safe communities to increase race equity and eliminate racism.
To empower and mobilize organizational and resident leadership most impacted by race inequity and anti-Blackness to transform and make radical changes to address racism in our community and system in order to build power and reallocate resources.
VISION STATEMENT
PURPOSE STATEMENT
Demonstration of collective impact and power-building for public systems change in Richmond that is rooted in healing and eliminating anti-Black racism and centers resident leaders and young people.
HORIZON STATEMENT FOR RACE EQUITY
3: LESSONS LEARNED
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FROM HEALTHY RICHMOND’S 10+ YEARS OF WORK
LESSONS LEARNED
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For over 10 years, Healthy Richmond has convened residents and decisionmakers and facilitated community organizing and community leadership development activities to support community power building. These efforts prioritized community voice, with goals focused on ensuring that policy and systems change efforts center the concerns of those most impacted and meaningfully engage community members in ways that leverage and honor their strengths and insights. Reflecting upon Healthy Richmond’s approach to its work, several lessons emerge that may be useful to others seeking to engage in equity-focused, community-centered change: