Purpose: Based on resources first mobilized during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2023 Public Health established a dedicated unit to modernize and streamline language access services.

The Language Justice Unit (LJU) us made up of CHE staff who:

• Serve as in-house translators for document translation in 12 threshold languages

• Work with vendors that support with translation and interpretation services (including sign language)

• Coordinate and deliver language justice-realted trainings and provide technical assistance to program staff

• Provide administrative support for back-office functions (i.e. processing invoices, managing language assistance equipment inventory, tracking and managing team projects

• Design and mange the Hub for Interpretation and Translation (HIT) system, an online portal for managing and tracking language assistance services

The Center for Health Equity also supported the crafting of a language interpretation policy for Public Health, developing a comprehensive language access plan for the department, and working with the Contracts and Grants Unit to update the Language Access Services Master Agreement (LASMA).

Purpose: Working collaboratively with other DPH programs to identify inequities in our internal or other systems that create barriers to staff being able to grow and apply an equity lens to their public health work. Which in turn impacts the support provided to the communites we serve.

Activities include:

• Equitable Contracting: Working to create practices to streamline processes for contracting with the department to ensure more community-based organizations are able to access funding

• Equitable Data: Creating toolkits, reports and other guidance materials to help programs understand how to use public health data to better understand community health, to develop effective community programs, and to more effectively engage with community partners. CHE also works colaboratively with the Chief Science Office to help ensure useful and accessible data that tells the story of health inequities, identifies root caues of disparities and lifts community voices

• Equitable Recruitment, Hiring and Retention: Support program hiring managers with implementating equitable resume reviewing and interviewing practices, while working with DPH leadership on designing protocols to ensure staff feel welcomed and valued

• Program Design: Working on policies and guidance to ensure program materials and services are linguistically and culturally appropriate and accessible to a wide audience

• CHE data staff also participate on various internal data-related workgroups, data governance sub-committees and sub-councils within DPH to help ensure an equity lens is considered in data policy development, and the availability of health equity data that is accessible, inclusive, and usefull to the communities that need it

All this while ensuring statt and clients feel that they are in a welcoming environment regardles of socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status or any other socio-demographic characteristic.