The Benton County Health Department is conducting a department-wide health equity assessment and developing a health equity plan. The assessment will take place between November 2022 - February 2023, followed by a planning process and implementation of a health equity training series. The assessment includes the following components:

  1. Staff survey

  2. Community partner organization survey

  3. Staff focus groups

  4. Management interviews

Q1: Why is BCHD doing this assessment?

A: Our ability to fulfill our vision and mission is closely tied to how we serve each other as employees, and to our ability to confront and reduce inequity in our community. This assessment will give us a baseline understanding of where we are on our journey toward a workplace culture that feels capable and supported in addressing community-level inequities. The assessment covers Behavioral Health, Developmental Diversity, Healthy Communities, Public Health, Business Services, and Customer Services.  It does not include the community health center functions.

Q2: How will results from this assessment be used?

A: BCHD will use results from this assessment to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement in our work to improve health equity. Priorities, goals, and strategies will be included in a department-wide health equity plan. It’s important to know that this assessment process is not about assessing individuals or trying to change anyone’s beliefs or values. Our sole focus will be on looking at systems and environments and making improvements to optimally support equity, diversity, and inclusion within our workforce, services, and community.

Q3: What actions will be taken as a result of this assessment?

A: This assessment is designed specifically for Benton County, to give us actionable information about how to better utilize our strengths and make improvements. Upon completion of this assessment, we will be developing a health equity plan with priority goals and strategies for improving our health equity capacity at the organizational and individual level. Anticipated completion of the health equity plan is May 2023. We will also be engaging in a health equity training series that is tailored to the needs of BCHD in May - June 2023.     

Q4: How will this assessment be conducted?

A: This assessment will make use of multiple methods in order to gain a complete picture of where we stand on our journey to fully embracing equity capacity, diversity, and inclusion. It will include a survey distributed to all of our staff, surveys distributed to partner organizations in our community, focus groups conducted with a subset of staff, and interviews conducted with a subset of managers.

Q5: Is my participation important/necessary?

A: Yes. It is critical that this assessment incorporates the rich diversity of cultures, beliefs, and experiences within our workforce. Every employee brings a slightly different viewpoint and, therefore, it is important that all employees complete the staff survey. Employees may also be invited to participate in focus groups, which will help us gain a deeper understanding of key issues.

Q6: I am already stretched thin in my ability to get my work done. How will I find time to take this survey or participate in a focus group?

A: Division Directors are working with managers and supervisors to identify strategies that will support staff in completing the survey, such as providing time during already scheduled meetings for staff to complete the survey. The survey will be electronic and should take approximately 50 minutes to complete. You will be able to stop and restart the survey so that you do not have to complete it all at one time. Similarly, managers will encourage staff participation in focus groups and will work with staff to make it possible for them to do so. Additionally, we are exploring providing incentives via a drawing for prizes if we reach a target response rate.

Q7: How will BCHD make sure that my answers to survey questions or participation in focus groups are kept confidential?

A: BCHD has contracted with the Rede Group - a neutral, third-party organization - to conduct the assessment. Rede will distribute the surveys and facilitate focus groups, and will not disclose information about any aspect of individual responses to Benton County. Once you have completed the survey, your responses will be de-identified for analysis, and survey responses will be electronically destroyed after the analysis phase of the assessment.

Q8: How will community partners be selected for the survey? What if they are too busy to participate?

A: Each division will generate a list of community partners, whom the Rede Group will invite to participate in the survey. Rede Group and BCHD are aware of the additional stress on community partners right now due to the pandemic. We will work diligently to accommodate and support partners collaborating in the survey. We are prepared to provide the partner survey in English and Spanish.

Q9: Will the final assessment report be made available for all staff?

A: Yes.

Q10: How can I be involved in the next steps of putting the assessment to use; in creating and implementing a plan for a more equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace and community?

A: The BCHD leadership team and the Health Equity and Planning team welcome your input and participation in this assessment, or other aspects of improving our workplace and services. In addition to the staff survey, focus groups, and management interviews, staff may meet with members of the Health Equity and Planning team individually to share input. To meet with a member of the team, please contact Rocío Muñoz and Sara Hartstein, Health Equity Assessment and Planning Project Leads.

Rocío Muñoz Phone: 766-6362 Email: rocio.munoz@co.benton.or.us   
Sara Hartstein Phone: 766-6250 Email: sara.hartstein@co.benton.or.us 

Q11: After completing the health equity assessment and developing a health equity plan, what will the training series entail?

A: The BCHD and Rede teams will utilize information from the health equity assessment and plan to identify knowledge and capacity-building gaps related to the fundamentals of health equity and associated topics. Training sessions may engage some or all staff, and will include a minimum of four of the following topics: 

  • Fundamentals of health equity 

  • Cultural competence 

  • Implicit bias 

  • Accessibility 

  • Power dynamics in government-community relationships 

  • Other relevant topics determined between Rede and Benton County