April 10, 2023

Background

rootsofhealthinequity.org

What is Roots of Health Inequity? An educational website and collaborative learning course for public

health practitioners. Roots of Health Inequity is…• …based on a social justice framework.• …includes five course units featuring interactive presentations and

case studies, readings, videos, audio, and group-directed discussions.

• …revolves around online group discussion.• …non-linear—there is no prescribed way to participate or “go

through” the course.

Why now?“A wealth of research has documented the deep connection between

lived experience, social injustice, and inequities in rates of illness and

death among different populations. Meaningful responses to these

complex issues include equipping the workforce with new

approaches and the support of a community of peers ready to

act. Roots of Health Inequity attempts to do just that.” (Roots of

Health Inequity Newsletter, 4/19/2012)

The Opportunity: What will Roots offer?

• A different way of thinking about public health practice.

• A conceptual frame that links social justice to public health practice.

• Resources and insights learners can share with others.

• Answers to common questions about addressing health inequities.

• Opportunities to collaborate and strategize with colleagues across the

country.

“Roots of Health Inequity is an exciting resource that supports individuals, small groups, and organizations in advancing public health practice. During these challenging times, this online curriculum ties public health to social change and offers keen insight on the important mission of reorganizing public health practice to eliminate health inequities.”

Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH – Chief Medical Officer, Cook County Department of Public Health and Past President of the American Public Health Association, 2009-2012

“These course materials are transformative. As students engage in and reflect on social justice and public health they are able to understand issues in a broader context allowing them to bring forward a more powerful approach to decreasing health inequities. [Roots of Health Inequity] allowed my students to build a critical conversation around the roots causes of health inequity.”

Jennifer Herbert-Beirne, PhD - Clinical Assistant Professor University of Chicago at Illinois School of Public Health

Course Units

UNIT 1: Where Do We Start? (CEUs)

Explore the relationships between changing the culture of our

organizations, engaging community members, and negotiating with

political pressures strategically.

While this course is filled with valuable information and interesting

activities, only specific areas of Unit 1 are required for Continuing

Education (CE). You do not have to complete the entire unit. The

required activities are indicated by the icon below or in the title of a

link with the initials "(CE)" at the end.

UNIT 2: What Are “Frames” and How Do They Influence

Public Health Practice?

Consider how “mental models” or “frames” influence public health

work. Discuss how values, assumptions, and interests affect the

capacity for addressing health inequities.

UNIT 3: What Can History Teach Us about the Role of

Public Health and Public Health Practitioners?

Consider how “mental models” or “frames” influence public health

work. Discuss how values, assumptions, and interests affect the

capacity for addressing health inequities.

Unit 4: What Are the Principles of Social Justice?

Explore the principles of social justice and ways to influence the

institutions and agencies that generate health inequity.

UNIT 5: What Are the Root Causes of Health Inequities?

Examine the importance of class structure, racism, and gender

inequity in the development of health inequities.

DefinitionsLearning Group:

• A group of 5-8 participants who agree to participate in group discussion

based on the course material.

Group Leader:

• The coordinator for the Learning Group. The Group Leader selects

activities and organizes in-person meetings, timelines, and expectations.

The Group Leader is not expected to facilitate online discussion,

necessarily.

DefinitionsCourse Unit:

• An area of the website, comprising presentations, discussion activities and resources

grouped by two or three themes. Learning Groups are not necessarily expected to

participate and review all of the presentations, discussion activities and resources in a

course unit.

Discussion activities:

• The bulk of the “work” in Roots of Health Inequity. Review presentations and resources,

reflect, and then respond to discussion prompts online in a discussion forum. Your

Learning Group can choose to participate in one discussion activity or several.

Roots of Health Inequity offers wide a selection of multimedia

Course Unit Overview Page

Review the “Purpose and

Overview” Section

The “Purpose and

Overview” section

introduces each unit.

Review the Unit Index

Use the Course Unit Index

to preselect discussion

activities and navigate the

unit.

Sample Activity

Presentation

Click to explore

presentations, reflect on

the content.

Discussion prompt

Review the discussion

prompts and respond

online.

Discussion

Scroll to down to the

bottom of a discussion

page to find the

discussion box. Cut-

and-paste your text from

Word, or edit your text in

the discussion box. You

can add formatting,

links, and images.

Advice for Learning Groups

Step 1: Plan a Group• Gather colleagues from your organization.

• Include colleagues who work in different parts of your organization

with different experiences in addressing health equity and learning

about the root causes. With this type of diversity, your group

discussions may reveal surprising insights.

Step 2: Select the Group LeaderThis person will serve as a central contact and administrator for the

group. Group Leader responsibilities include:

• Creating the group

• Selecting the units, activities, and discussion prompts for your group

• Establishing a calendar with schedule, goals, meetings

• Inviting others to join the group

• Posting bulletin board updates and announcements

• Encouraging and monitoring online discussions

Step 3: Group Leader Selects ActivitiesLeaders may want to look over the course units before starting their

group to get a sense of the course topics, interactive presentations

and depth of content. This will help the leader allocate time and create

a schedule that meets the needs of the group. To do this, join the

"General Group" and look for the unit titles under "Units."

An activity from Unit 2: Perspectives on Framing, “Recognizing Frames Through Language.” Participants are asked to complete the table and then see how their answers compare to other members of their Learning Group.

Step 4: Set up an in-person meeting. Discuss:• How to…

o … create a username and passwordo …logino …find the course material and discussion prompts chosen for

the groupo …use the interactivities o …use the discussion forums

• Questions or concerns about the chosen activities and discussions

Step 4: Set up an in-person meeting. Discuss:• Scheduling and participation issues

o Start and end dates for discussion activitieso Future in-person meetingso New group memberso Issues that might affect participation (e.g., group members’

schedules)o Group responsibilitieso Group expectations for participation

Step 4: Set up an in-person meeting. Discuss:• Group norms

o What are the basic ground rules for participation?o What conditions do we need for a comfortable discussion?

What conditions are realistic?  An example of group norms developed by a Learning Group.

Step 5: Begin!• Learning Group members should review important background

information

• Contact rootsofhealthinequtiy.org with any problems related to

registration and login in.

Review information on the Homepagerootsofhealthinequity.org

members.rootsofhealthinequity.org

Help Guides!

Review information on the login page.members.rootsofhealthinequity.org

Some Frequently Asked Questions

Some Frequently Asked Questions

1) How much time will I need to do this?Take as much time as you need. The Roots of Health Inequity site offers

a collection or menu of activities and discussions. There is no prescribed amount of time necessary to participate on the site or to review material. You don't have to go through each unit from start to finish or feel pressured to explore the material in a particular order. Your group is free to explore the material or participate in the discussions you find most interesting.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

2) Will Roots be used in accreditation processes and performance reviews?

There are no plans to tie this course into formal accreditation and quality improvement processes, although participating organizations are welcome to incorporate material from this course into their staff development programs.

3) Can I get Continuing Education credits for this activity?Yes.

The International Association for Continuing Education and Training CEU: The CDC has

been approved as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing

Education and Training (IACET), 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102. The

CDC is authorized by IACET to offer 0.2 ANSI/IACET CEU's for this program.

For Nurses, CNE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is accredited as a provider

of Continuing Nursing Education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission

on Accreditation. This activity provides 2.4 contact hours.

For Health Educators, CECH: Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the

National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designed for

Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) to receive up to 2.5 Category I CECH in

health education. CDC provider number GA0082.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Some Frequently Asked Questions3) Can I participate on my own? If you want to take the course with others, but are not able to form a group

from your organization, join the "General Group." You will see the comments from other members and you can engage in their discussions, activities, and bulletin board posts. Access the course units from the group page under the heading "Units." Take this course as a solitary individual by creating a private, closed group. Comments and postings from other members will not appear in this type of group.

NOTE: Continuing Education requirements include participation in group discussions.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to additional Frequently Asked Questions can be found at the

top of the Homepage.

Contact for questions and concerns:

rootsofhealthinequity@naccho.org