In 2021, APHSA created an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Peer Community, which in 2023 expanded its scope to include Belonging and is now the EDIB Peer Community. This community of leaders is charged with advancing racial equity outcomes and collectively informing EDIB practices in human services systems across the country. The APHSA EDIB peer community is comprised of EDIB experts committed to tackling racism and marginalization in human services systems. To do this, the members focus on policy and practice related to advancing racial equity at the state, local, and community levels.
In addition, this community provides opportunities for sharing ideas, offering peer support, and developing innovation that will help transform the human services sector. The goals of decreasing/eliminating disparities and increasing outcomes for communities of color set the agenda for every meeting. To fully inform EDIB culture nationally, the EDIB Peer Community has recruited strategic leaders from multiple states and communities. These leaders have extensive experience in advancing equity and justice.
Targeted areas for discussion and development for the EDIB Peer Community include:
Agency Culture
Discuss and learn about advancing organizational culture focused on eliminating racial disparities inside human services organizations and for the communities served. Learn from current efforts by looking at the outcomes and barriers to outcomes.
Community-Based Organizations and Partnership
Discuss the use of data to assess service impact on communities of color. Learn about disaggregating data to adjust programming and educational goals to keep pace with the changing needs of the communities and measure improvement using baseline data to see if program solutions positively impact outcomes for communities of color.
Data and Analytics
Discuss tools and ideas to measure the cultural responsiveness of policies and programs for employees, stakeholders, and communities. These policies and programs track coordinated diversity activities aligned with organizational direction and measure race equity outcomes using quantitative and qualitative data.
Education
Discuss how training can achieve organizational change and advance EDIB in the workforce.
Human Services Delivery and Outcomes
Examine system service delivery through a race equity lens.
Policy
Examine racial disparities' root causes in policy by looking at data and outcomes.
Well-Being and Health
Discuss how to advance well-being and health equity for communities of color through service delivery.
Budget Priorities
Opportunities to advance EDIB through state block grants, highlighting potential engagement with community-based organizations serving diverse racial and ethnic communities.
Community Voice
Co-create strategies for people with lived experience to inform and influence the design, delivery and evaluation of human services programs and policies.
For more information about the APHSA EDIB Peer Community membership, please see the names and bios below.