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HEAL visited Youth Uprising in Oakland, and discussed the successes and challenges that YU has experienced in advancing its mission to provide an array of community activities and health based services for young people.
Our discussion focused on the mental health aspect of Youth Uprising, and the importance of physically and psychologically safe community spaces for youth. We were impressed by the impact YU has had on students from Castlemont High School, along with many other young people from throughout the Bay Area. We especially appreciated the authenticity and genuine desire of staff at YU to provide positive activities and places of community engagement and learning in an age appropriate and culturally relevant way.
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HEAL intends to prepare students for hands on experience in the field of health equity. Part of this preparation includes support through the process of researching and applying for internships and jobs.
On Monday, HEAL examined example resumes and discussed the pros and cons of design and layout choices, the importance of clarity, and brainstormed ways to highlight valuable and relevant experiences. Students were asked to compile a list of internships, to draft a cover letter for one of the applications, and to tailor their resume for a specific position. As a group, HEAL workshopped and peer edited cover letters and resumes. Students were able to get feedback on their own work, as well as help others develop their applications. Last week, we had the opportunity to speak with Professor Mahasin S. Mujahid about the goals of public health and what it means to take action in the field of public health.
We discussed the difference between inequity and inequality, in which inequity refers to output and inequality refers to input. Although people come from different backgrounds and have varying circumstances in their lifestyles, it is important to give support to all people. We raised a lot of questions on how the public health system ultimately improves lifestyle. How do we impact a large population? How do we make sure policy implementation helps everyone, and does not exclude exceptions? We brought up the idea of structural change, that it is a collective process rather than separate or independent individual action. Through this approach, the system targets large populations in an equitable way. How do we not only address those are considered "high risk?" Professor Mujahid drew a graph showing how thresholds and limitations can be shifted in order to target a broader range of people. This way, there is less restriction and policies reach out to a greater community. Not only was everyone engaging and giving their opinions, but they were also listening to what their peers had to say. It allowed everyone to contribute and be a part of the discussion, rather than being on the outside. The HEAL retreat acted as an introductory means to pose the question, what does health equity really mean, and what can I, as an individual, do about it? Health Equity Action Lab Spring 2015 launched with a day retreat at Haven House in the Berkeley hills. The retreat started off with brief introductions, each person shared an experience that influenced our interest in health equity. Though HEAL is a small group, it is comprised of a diverse array of students, each to whom health equity has a unique significance. Some students are just beginning to discover how their interests fit into the topic of health equity, while others have had both academic and hands on experience in the field.
Later in the afternoon, we watched Unnatural Causes: In Sickness and in Wealth. This documentary opened up a discussion about upstream and downstream health interventions, and the intricate web of health determinants. Students discussed the social gradient of health, and the importance of preventative healthcare. Through the retreat, HEAL was able to create a dialogue regarding the public health, health equity, and the social determinants of health. Students were able to share their unique experiences and to establish that there is no singular path to health equity, that there are many routes and interdisciplinary approaches to creating positive, sustainable, and equitable health outcomes. |
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