Commission on Racial & Structural Equity (RASE)
Context:
In acknowledgment of national and local calls for systemic and institutional change, the City of Rochester and County of Monroe partnered on a joint governmental response to address systemic issues of racial and structural inequities. Through this partnership, the Commission on Racial and Structural Equity (RASE) was established to review, identify and recommend changes to local laws to address systemic inequities. The commission would:
Inventory and assess current local laws/policies that either promote or are intended to eliminate institutional and structural biases, racism and inequities in the City of Rochester and Monroe County
Provide recommendations to enhance current local laws/policies to increase effectiveness, and/or “sunset” local laws/policies that are ineffective or no longer applicable
Provide recommendations on any new local laws/policies which address “gaps” identified per “a.” and “b.”
Role: Research & Communications Manager
Research: As a research staffer for the RASE Commission, I aided with reviewing, scanning, and outlining City and County ordinances online at: City of Rochester: https://ecode360.com/RO0104 and Monroe County: https://www.ecode360.com/MO0860 This preliminary research was on local laws, policies, and practices (page 232 of 271 of the pdf) as it relates to the 9 working groups that the commission consisted of:
Healthcare
Mental health / addiction
Policing
Criminal Justice
Education
Job creation
Business development
Housing
Human / social services
Internal Communications Management
We use Microsoft Teams for the Internal communications. Teams is used for the entire commission, so as to ensure a streamlined approach to communication between each working group.
Why?
MS Teams served as a space for internal communications between the commissioners, consultants, staff, interns, and the 9 working groups of community members.
Additionally, it also served as an infrastructure for cross-research analysis between working groups, documents and file sharing, and video conferencing, that I managed for the entire commission.
I managed the Teams platform, organized meetings with key community stakeholders, RASE commissioners, community groups, facilitated Microsoft Teams trainings, facilitated document / research sharing between working groups members, and facilitated cross group discussion on the work plans / key foci areas of the research development. (page 72 of the report has each Working Group’s Plans)
This platform aimed to ensure for a clear, streamlined approach medium for communication regarding research and analysis between the work of RASE and the Rochester / Monroe County community at large. There were 200+ community members involved in this work.
In addition to internal communications management, conducting preliminary research, and combing through local laws and policy, we conducted additional research through surveying. Several of the working groups distributed surveys throughout the community. I served as the lead for survey operations: creating, writing, framing, developing, and fielding/administering surveys throughout the community.
Example: Mental Health and Addiction Working group
I designed, wrote, and created a survey for this subgroup and we fielded the survey throughout the community - at food pantries, jails, super markets, schools, etc.
Below are data insights from the survey responses.
Survey Analysis - Excerpts
Survey respondents were asked to share details of their experiences with the behavioral health system. Of those who felt comfortable disclosing, many felt discouraged by the wait time to receive services, especially after engaging in CPEP. Other participants felt that the services they were receiving were beneficial but could not continue to utilize the services due to the cost of lack of insurance available. When asked to describe how the patient got involved with the services, a medical provider or self-referral was the most popular response. The most popular service providers were private therapists/practices and URMC/Strong, including University of Rochester University Health Services, BHP, and CPEP. Other agencies participants have utilized include South Ave, Villa of Hope, MHA, NAMI, and East House.
Respondents notated that they wished providers were aware of certain things regarding race, religion, ethnic background, or culture, etc. Communication, relatability, and cultural competency are amongst the most crucial elements that respondents highlight that providers need to be aware of. Many wished that providers were mindful of their culture/religion, spoke the same language, had a trauma-centered approach, or were aware of LGBTQIA+ culture and experiences.
Survey participants were asked the question, "What do you think would improve the experience(s) of those seeking mental health services?" While participants' answers did vary, themes were apparent among responses. The central theme prevalent in response to this question was centered on the affordability and accessibility of behavioral health services, as depicted by the three most popular answers. About 63% of respondents felt that "getting an appointment more quickly so I do not have to wait a long time to see a provider" could improve the experience of those receiving behavioral health services. Additionally, "getting help that will not lead to an expensive bill" was a popular response, with around 62% of respondents indicating that this would improve experiences. The third most popular response echoes the ongoing concerns, with about 56% of respondents feeling that "Having someone help me find a therapist, psychiatrist, substance use counselor, or other behavioral health professionals" would improve experiences as well. Other recommendations were provided by survey respondents, with many indicating that either getting help from somebody who is of the same (or at the very least is sensitive of) race, ethnicity, culture, etc., would improve experiences.
Lastly, survey respondents were asked to picture an “ideal behavioral health system” and encouraged to think big with no limitations. The responses we received showed solutions that would remove the community’s most common barriers: affordability, accessibility, and culturally responsive services. Multiple answers encouraged affordable services to allow more individuals to receive quality behavioral health care. Additional suggestions included community-based services/involvement, diversity of providers, shorter wait-times to receive services, and the minimization of police involvement within the behavioral health system.
After extensive community engagement through focus groups, open forums, meetings with key stakeholders in the Criminal Justice system, surveys, bus tours with small business owners, school visits with students and teachers, and interviews with incarcerated men and women, the Commission outlined the following key issues and recommendations below:
(Note, ALL of the recommendations for each working group (about 200+ recommendations) can be found starting at page 72 here)
Findings & Recommendations
Create and Invest in Sustainable Economic Opportunities for Black and Latinx Communities to Promote and Maintain Self-sufficiency, Entrepreneurship and Career Advancement.
Inadequate investment into Black and Brown communities is detrimental for families and the local economy. Lengthy and cumbersome application processes for Minority and Women-Owned Business certifications pose barriers to building wealth for people of color. The Commission recommends that the City of Rochester and Monroe County create a localized process for businesses to become MWBE-certified, so that local businesses have a more accessible and streamlined process. Redesigning civil service functions to create equitable and unobstructed access for applicants, as well as pushing for a $15/hour minimum wage increase locally, are additional recommendations. The $15/hour minimum wage should be added as a requirement to contracts with agencies and businesses with the City and County.
End Practices that Disproportionately impact Black and Brown Communities.
Report findings show that communities of color throughout Monroe County are at a disadvantage in the criminal justice, education, and social services systems due to its policies. African Americans are more likely to be incarcerated, experience school suspensions and be brought into social service. To address these problems, the Commission recommends an end to police stops for minor offenses with the intention to investigate something different, and decriminalizing and de-prioritizing violation-level offenses — making incarceration a last resort. The commission calls on the City and County to embrace a philosophy of diversion and restorative justice, ending Monroe County’s high use of financial assistance sanctions in human services to ensure individuals who need help can get it. Lastly, the City and County should increase access to mental health and social emotional support services for all Rochester City School District students.
Implement and Sustain Practices that increase Racial/Ethnic Diversity and Cultural Competence of Employees, Vendors, and Contractors.
The report shows that organizations and agencies are deficient in cultural/linguistic competencies which often leads to a lack of efficiency and cultural responsiveness in service delivery and care to Black and Brown communities. The Commission recommends for the City of Rochester and Monroe County to increase and strengthen the cultural competence of their entire workforces, use government contracting and procurement practices to require all contractors to have diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in place, and for all Monroe County school districts to provide the full range of curriculum offerings for English Language Learners, as well as offering programs to students and their families in their native language.
Decentralize City and County Services and embed them in trusted agencies within the community.
Report findings say that the relationship between police and the Black community has a long history rooted in injustice and distrust, from Native Americans to the enslavement of African Americans. The Commission recommends to create and fully fund alternatives to police, including trained community responders, crisis intervention specialists and community mediators. Additionally, the Commission recommends the creation of a community-based program for youth facing criminal charges, which would include counseling and restorative justice circles, case managers who create a comprehensive plan with parents and youth, respite services, and a forensic psychiatric specialist trained to handle youth with complex mental health issues. The foster care and child protective care services should be redesigned by using blind removal meetings, hiring culture brokers, and developing kinship navigators. The Monroe County Department of Public Health should be decentralized, with service locations in Black and brown neighborhoods.
Embed Accountability Measures in all Policies to ensure Equity and Fairness across all Services, Programs, and Delivery models.
The report finds that the lack of reliable transparency and accountability has negatively impacted trust between Black and Brown communities and government systems. Recommendations include: City and County to bring the major players in the criminal justice system and community members together to review local criminal justice data and identify strategies to eliminate racial disparities. Additionally, the Commission recommends the adoption of tenant protection strategies such as right to counsel, a local fair housing law, and incentives to expand affordable housing options throughout Monroe County. Lastly, it is recommended that the City and County invest and support the “Liveable Communities for an Older Adults” Initiative, which would address racial discrimination impacting older people of color, under the oversight of representative and diverse advisory boards.