Increasing Equity in Pain Management, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, and Linkages to CARE

STRATEGY : Provide Leadership to Support Equity Work

Leadership support strategies To achieve health equity goals, health center leaders must create an organizational culture and climate that supports and empowers care teams to provide equitable pain management and SUD treatment. Below are recommended strategies and principles for leaders to support these goals: ❚ Maintain open communication Leaders need to hear and learn from care teams on a regular basis so they can understand what is happening on the front lines. Regular meetings and other forms of communication can keep leadership aware of program successes, concerns, and resource needs. ❚ Provide needed resources Leaders can follow-through on care team requests for resources by asking the development team to apply for grants and reaching out to leaders of community organizations to form partnerships. ❚ Appoint a leader of health equity Health centers can designate an executive to lead organization-wide improvement activities in health equity. This may be a primary role or an addition to a staff member’s current role. ❚ Engage champions of health equity The health equity leader can engage with self-identified champions of equity within the health center. Ideally, champions represent as many departments of the organization as possible.

Naomi Windham discusses ways in which leadership can equip healthcare staff to provide equitable care through education,

making space for asking questions,

and interpreting data accurately and with sensitivity.

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