ALEMAN WRITES A LIST OF INITIATIVES ON A WHITEBOARD REGARDING DIVERSITY , EQUITY AND INTOLERANCE TRAINING .
“ It is a modality that you don ’ t have to be a person of color to employ ... The majority of our therapists are white but it gives us a huge opportunity on so many different levels ,” he said .
There has also been an effort within LifeSpring to focus on gender inclusivity , discussing pronoun usage and cultural competency .
Aleman discussed the need to look at the intersection of identities and how that plays a role in healthcare . While Black transgender and other LGBTQ + individuals face health disparities , racism is still an underlying factor among those intersections .
Access to information can be a large reason that many minority populations are unable to seek medical care .
Community Action of Southern Indiana has made efforts to reach out to the Black population to discuss the importance of self care and knowing about your health .
Clark said that they spend time in barber shops , an important community space for Black males , talking about blood sugar , weight , blood pressure and exercise .
“ Not all the men were comfortable getting their blood pressure checked and we don ’ t force anyone to , then we ’ ll say ‘ Well can I talk to you about diabetes or can I talk to you about the importance of knowing your numbers ? Do you have a provider ?” Clark said .
“ We ’ ll refer them to the Family Health Center or LifeSpring Health Systems ... It ’ s really just being that resource .”
Olive Tree Resources not only extends mental health resources and information to the New Albany community , but it also offers a sliding pay scale for its services .
The cost of medical care plays a role in the ability people have to obtain medical care . Services like Olive Tree Resources ’ and LifeSpring ’ s sliding pay scale makes healthcare more affordable .
While workers are looking to find ways to better serve minority populations , they are also encouraging youth to get involved in the medical field .
Along with mental health resources , Olive Tree Resources hosts a Teen Life Program that provides teens aged 13 to 17 with counseling , life coaching and job placement skills .
Through the program , Starks said they are looking to partner with Baptist Health to introduce teenagers to careers in the health world .
“ Connecting children of color with opportunities in the healthcare field , to show them the possibilities of being in that arena . Starting them early in exposure ,” Starks said . “ That helps with breaking up some of the divide there as well , and the disparities , is exposure .”
Starks said she likes to help teenagers see that they are the solution to the societal problems that they feel most passionately about .
2022 Diversity Magazine 27