Health Equity Training Resources

From September 15-October 15, we celebrate Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month in honor of the histories, cultures and contributions of Latino/a/x Americans.

To help support your care for your Latino/a/x patients, the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs (OCHA), which is actively engaged in its statutory work focusing on access to care, health coverage, culturally competent care, health education, and better health outcomes for all, offers a variety of Equity-Related Research & Resources on its website, including: 

• "Mental Health Disparities for Latino Oregonians: Exploratory Analysis Using Administrative Data," by Kimberly Voelker, a graduate intern at OHSU Public Health
  PowerPoint Presentation (PDF) (oregon.gov)
• Access and Barriers to Mental Health Services for Oregon’s Latino Population (PDF)
• Crisis de Nuestro Bienestar* : A Report on Latino† Mental Health in Oregon (PDF)

Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month Events 

• El Grito Fiestas Patria
  Sept. 15–16, 2022, 1 N Center Ct St, Portland, OR 97227
  El Grito Fiestas Patrias celebrates the independence of Mexico and other Latin American countries from Spain. This free event features folkloric and Aztec dancers, live mariachi, salsa, cumbia and pop music, traditional food and beverages, community booths with interactive and educational materials and the Mexican tradition known as El Grito de Independencia.

On July 26, we celebrate Disability Independence Day, the anniversary of the 1990 signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act giving protections to individuals with disabilities.

Cultivating a greater shared awareness of all disabilities, including ‘hidden’ or ‘invisible disabilities,’ helps foster environments that de-stigmatize disabilities. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public accommodations to provide services to people with disabilities on an equal basis with the rest of the general public. To help identify accessibility challenges and solutions in your clinic or facility, visit the ADA Readily Achievable Barrier Removal Checklist (PDF) for Existing Facilities checklist. 

In honor of Disability Independence Day, below you’ll find resources related to providing care and support for your patients with disabilities. 

OHA Approved CEU Provider Trainings 

Your Patient and Disability: How context and attitudes about disability affects physical therapy outcomes

• Time: 1 CE credit Hour; Cost: $10, $20 or $25  
• This session for physical therapists will explore research that revolves around clinicians’ attitudes towards disability and potential factors that may influence those attitudes. This session will also include case studies and incorporate discussion to expand physical therapists’ knowledge of disability studies and relevant research.
• Register here

Beyond Cultural Competence: Fostering Skills to Improve Healthcare Delivery

• Time: 1 CE credit Hour; Cost: $10, $20 or $25  
• In this session for physical therapists, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, nurses, optometrists and other specialties, participants will explore their personal beliefs and positionality, relate social and cultural identities to health determinants, gain skills to improve patient interactions and communication, and identify how they can take action in creating inclusive and transformative health environments.
• Register here

Related Resources, Stories and Events

Webinar: How to handle ADA and religious accommodation requests

• June 2, 2022, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; Cost: Free; HRCI: 1 Credit; SHRM: 1 Credit
• This session will discuss the ADA and religious accommodation process, including best practices and recognizing red flags.
• Register here 

ADA National Network

• National Events 
• Local Events 

New York Times: 'Nothing About Us Without Us’: 16 Moments in the Fight for Disability Rights

NPR: In Their Own Words: How The Americans With Disabilities Act Changed People's Lives

In May, we recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, and we celebrate Memorial Day, honoring the contributions and sacrifices of our veterans who served. In June, we celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and Juneteenth, a federal and Oregon state holiday. During this time, we pay homage to the successes of LGBTQIA+ people, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, veterans, and Black Americans, and recognize the injustices they’ve overcome and their ongoing efforts to make the world a safe and welcoming place for every person to be themselves. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we are reminded of its impact on everyone’s mental health, as well as the need to reach underserved communities with physical and behavioral healthcare resources. In recognition of our May and June awareness months and holidays, below you’ll find resources related to providing care and support for all of your patients. 

OHA Approved CEU Courses

Cross-Cultural Care in Mental Health and Depression

• Time: 1 CE credit hour; Tuition: $65; Worth 1 CME/Recredit hours
• This interactive course will develop your cross-cultural communication skills across all stages of care, including diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of individuals with mental health conditions, especially depression.
• Register here

Creating a Welcome Environment for LGBTQ Individuals

• Time: 1 CE credit hour; Tuition: $60; Worth 1 CME/Recredit hours
• This interactive course provides an overview of healthcare concerns and preventative measures specific to the LGBTQ community, laws governing individual rights, and terminology that communicates understanding and sensitivity. 
• Register here

Introduction to Trans Cultural Competency

• Time: 1 CE credit Hour; Tuition: $50 for each training; 5/26/22, 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom 
• This course will help you integrate best practices for providing care to the trans community that avoids making assumptions and allows for the complexity of an individual’s needs; identify ways to correct misgendering transgender people and other microaggressions within healthcare contexts; develop and demonstrate skills in speaking with other healthcare professionals about transgender individuals in ways that emphasize the humanity and dignity of transgender people; and more.
• Register here

Introduction to Non-Binary and Genderqueer Cultural Competency

• Time: 1 CE credit Hour; Tuition: $50 for each training; 6/17/22 & 6/23/22
• This course will help discuss and apply best practices for providing care to non-binary clients; articulate common obstacles that NBGQ people encounter in health care settings; identify ways to reduce or remove these obstacles in their own healthcare work settings; and more.
• Register here

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Resources & Events

• Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
  The Library of Congress and other government institutions offer resources and events paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history.
  
• Bystander Intervention Trainings
  Advancing Justice | Chicago is partnering with New York-based nonprofit Right To Be and CAIR-Chicago to provide bystander hate incident intervention trainings for community members. Visit their website to register for upcoming virtual trainings.
• PBS: Asian Americans
  This film series, told through intimate personal stories, casts a lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.
• USA Today: How to Be An Ally
  This online article provides tips on how to be an ally to the Asian American community.
• Right To Be
  This non-profit organization working to end harassment offers training on implicit bias, how to respond to harassment and more.
• Young, Proud, and Sung-jee: A Children’s Book on Fighting Anti-Asian Racism During COVID-19
  This book can help generate meaningful discussions between adults and children about anti-Asian racism.

LGBTQIA+ Pride Month Resources & Events

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month
  The Library of Congress curated resources celebrating June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month. This month-long celebration demonstrates how LGBTQ Americans have strengthened our country, by using their talent and creativity to help create awareness and goodwill.
• LGBTQ Heritage Theme Study
  A publication of the National Park Foundation, each chapter is written and peer-reviewed by experts in LGBTQ Studies and explores the legacy and history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and places. 
• Juneteenth.com
  Learn about the history of Juneteenth and celebratory traditions across the U.S.
• PBS: Juneteenth Jamboree
  Each yearly episode explores the history and entertainment of Juneteenth celebrations.
• Committee on Racial Equity Meeting
  June 16, 2022, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
  The Committee on Racial Equity advises the Metro Council and staff on the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Advance Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. CORE typically meets the third Thursday of each month.
• Portland Pride Waterfront Festival and Parade
  June 18-19, 2022, Tom McCall Waterfront Park
  In-person festival with music, performances and a parade celebrating Pride Month. Sign up for Portland Pride Email List to stay up to date on all festival and parade activities. 
• Uproar: A Celebration of African America Creativity
  June 19, 2022, 2 p.m., live and streamed at the African Burying Ground Memorial
  This high-energy performance introduces audiences to the unique lineages of the African American art of stepping and demonstrates how enslaved people on American soil used stepping as a vehicle for communication, self-expression, and joy. 
• Juneteenth Virtual Team Building
  $20-$85 per person
  This engaging experience shares the history of Juneteenth and includes live-streaming visits to Hampton and Austin. 
• Oregon Statewide Resource List for LGBTQ2SIA+ Youth
  A list by Oregon county that includes resources for events, brochures, workshops and support services
• Healthcare Equality Index 2022
  The Healthcare Equality Index evaluates healthcare facilities’ policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. Find local facilities that participate in Health Equity Index, resources for LGBTQ+ patients, and resources for providers who are serving transgender patients.

Trillium supports creating an environment where all patients feel welcome, safe and have access to the care they need. Below are tips derived from the American Medical Association on making an office space a more inclusive environment.

• Provide visual cues that your practice is a safe place 
  • Display brochures and educational materials about LGBTQ health concerns.
  • Post a nondiscrimination statement (PDF). 
  • Consult the Guidelines of Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Patients (PDF), created by the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, for advice on communicating with LGBTQ patients, guidelines for forms and patient-provider discussions, and more.
• Customize your patient intake forms
  • Examine the comprehensive Sample New Patient Intake Form that The Fenway Institute recommends for use with LGBTQ patients and see how it compares to what your practice currently uses.
• Get advice on making your practice LGBTQ-friendly
  • Listen to the Journal of Medical Practice Management podcast “Expanding into the Gay and Lesbian Market: What Savvy Medical Practices Know," an informative, half-hour-long discussion with Ellen Kahn, director of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Family Project. Learn concrete steps you can take right away.
• Meet a standard of practice
  • Meet the standards of practice in caring for LGBTQ patients. 
    • Consult the “Community Standards of Practice for the Provision of Quality Health Care Services to LGBT Clients(PDF),” a set of recommendations created by the LGBT Health Access Project, part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

March is Women’s History Month. This year’s theme as set by the National Women’s History Alliance is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.” It highlights the ways in which women of all cultures serve on the front lines to facilitate healing and hope within their families, communities, the workplace and beyond.

OHA Approved CEU Courses

Working for Diverse Populations in Maternal and Child Health: Shafia Monroe Consulting

• Time: 6 hours; Cost: Y; MEAC CEUs: 0.6; DONA international CEUs: 6
• This training is designed to meet the unique needs of health professionals, who work in maternal and child health, in education, direct services, breastfeeding support, and who seek to build a culturally competent practice.
• Register here

All Pregnant People: Trans Birth for Birthworkers: Collaborate Consulting, LLC

• Time: 3 hours; Cost: $150; CEUs: 3
• In this three-hour live online workshop for birth workers, we will be examining the full spectrum of trans fertility, including how to support trans people who haven’t medically transitioned, what the effects are of medical transition on fertility and nursing, postpartum considerations for trans gestational parents... and more!
• Register here

Women's History Month Events

Local Events

• Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism Exhibit
  Feb. 19-June 5, 2022, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
  For those interested in celebrating Women’s History Month and learning more about Frida Kahlo’s life, the Portland Art Museum is currently displaying “Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection,” a fascinating exploration of the Avant-Garde cultural movement in Mexico in the early 20th century.
• HRWGC Crafternoons
  March 4, 12:00-2:00 p.m., Hattie Redmond Women and Gender Center, Corvallis, OR
  Join the Hattie Redmond Women & Gender Center for crafting and community. This is a weekly drop-in event, and each week features a different craft.
• Women's History Month: A Coffee Tasting Social
  March 26, 3:00-5:00 p.m., Either/Or, Portland, OR
  In celebration of Women's History Month, Cup of Excellence invites you to a tasting of coffees produced by five Cup of Excellence-winning women followed by exciting drinks from local women fermenters and Snacks by Either/Or. Ticket proceeds will be donated to Grounds for Health, a nonprofit that works in coffee-growing communities to establish sustainable cervical cancer prevention programs. This event is organized and sponsored by female-owned Roast Magazine, Barista Magazine and Either/Or, with help from Cup of Excellence. You must show your vaccination card to enter and bring a mask.
• Nursing History Timeline
  To learn more about the major events and milestones that female nurses, in particular, have achieved between the 1800s and 2000s, visit the City of Hillsboro’s Nursing History Timeline. This timeline shows how world events and famous nurses influenced nursing history and paved the way for modern nursing practices.

National Events: Virtual

• Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Great Americans” Medal Posthumous Presentation
  March 30, 3:30 p.m., virtual event
  The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, recognized for her groundbreaking commitment to gender equity and human rights, will posthumously receive the National Museum of American History's signature honor, the “Great Americans” medal. Her children, Jane C. Ginsburg and James S. Ginsburg, will accept the medal on their mother's behalf. A significant selection of artifacts representing the justice's Supreme Court career will be donated by her family during the virtual ceremony.
• National Museum of Women in the Arts at Home (NMWA @ Home), virtual collection
  The National Museum of Women in the Arts is the only major museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. Their online collection, NMWA @ Home, features over 200 works of art by women artists searchable by name, time period, medium, and theme. They also have free downloadable coloring books and a virtual scavenger hunt.

In February, we celebrate Black History Month. Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History sets the theme for Black History Month. This year’s theme is “Black Health and Wellness,” which acknowledges the legacy of Black scholars and medical practitioners, as well as birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, healers, and others committed to supporting community health.

OHA Approved CEU Courses

Cultural Competency for Health Professionals: Portland Community College

• Time: 6 hours; Tuition: $119; Worth 6 Ethics Credit Hours
• During this 6-hour course, you will learn how to create a culturally inclusive healthcare environment. Working with two long-time leaders in cultural competency and healthcare, you will gain tools and resources to engage people from different backgrounds in conversations about their health care.
• Register here

Recognizing and Overcoming Unconscious Bias

• Time: 1 CE Credit Hour; Tuition: $60; Worth 1 CME/Recredit Hours
• This course provides an essential overview of the research surrounding unconscious bias, its societal prevalence, and negative effects. You will learn important strategies for recognizing and addressing implicit bias, and practice applying these techniques to interactive case scenarios
• Register here

Black History Month Events

• Association for the Study of African American Life and History: Black History Month Virtual Festival
  Throughout February, ASALH will host virtual programming celebrating the 2022 Black History Month Theme: “Black Health and Wellness,” including panel discussions, author’s book talks, and more.
• Black History Month
  The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to Black History Month with a variety of resources and tools.
• 28 Days of Black History: Free Daily Email Series
  When you subscribe to this daily email series, you will receive emails that include a cultural artifact representing the impact of Black people and culture in U.S. history, action steps to carry this work into tomorrow, and discussion questions to drive conversation and learning.
• 2022 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival
  Feb. 17–26, 2022
  This festival has been celebrating jazz music and culture in Portland for 19 consecutive years.
• Cascade Festival of African Films
  Feb. 4-Mar. 5, 2022
  This free film festival shows us Africa through the eyes of Africans. It will be held virtually with a limited number of in-person screenings. 

Did you know Centene offers free webinars for providers on a variety of behavioral health topics, including substance use disorders, social determinants of health and mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder, cultural competence and more?

These webinars are free, scheduled all year-round, and most offer free continuing education hours.

Visit our Behavioral Health Training webpage or bookmark the links below to view the schedule and explore complete course descriptions.

View the complete schedule of Oregon-focused trainings
View the complete schedule of national trainings

Cultural Competency Continuing Education Requirement for Oregon Providers

Effective July 1, 2021, the Oregon Medical Board (OMB) requires cultural competency training for all new medical licenses and for all renewing providers.

To meet the requirement, providers must complete an average of at least one hour of cultural competency education per year during an audit period. An audit period is two renewal cycles (for example, every four years for most licensed providers). To be approved for licensure with the OMB, providers must attest to the training.

Starting in October 2021, per Trillium’s updated policies, providers must demonstrate on initial and renewal application for credentialing that they meet the state requirement by submitting proof of completion of the training in cultural competency.

Many different types of courses and experiences meet the cultural competency continuing education requirement, including experiential or service learning, cultural or linguistic immersion, volunteering in a rural clinic, courses approved by the Oregon Health Authority and more. Below are some resources to help you locate cultural competency continuing education opportunities.

• Oregon Medical Board Cultural Competency Webpage: The OMB provides information about the mandatory cultural competency continuing education requirement, including a record keeping form to track educational hours.
• OHA-Approved Cultural Competence Continuing Education Trainings (PDF): A list of OHA-approved courses including title, trainer, hours and cost.
• Think Cultural Health: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a variety of free, continuing education e-learning programs designed to help you provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS).

If you have any questions, please email Trillium Provider Relations.