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The Office of Equity and Community Partnerships

See the goals and principles used by the Office of Equity and Community Partnerships to address the root causes of health inequities, including systemic racism.

Determinants of equity.
Determinants of equity.

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Did you know?

When Equity and Social Justice was first launched as an initiative in 2008 and until the creation of the Office of Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) in the Executive's Office in 2015,
Public Health — Seattle & King County (PHSKC) was the County’s lead agency for Equity and Social Justice.

Today, PHSKC and its Office of Equity and Community Partnerships continues to collaborate with the community and rest of King County government to address the root causes of health inequities, including systemic racism.

The Office of Equity and Community Partnerships supports and works with PHSKC divisions, county employees and leaders, and community partners to advance racial and health equity in King County by addressing the root causes of health inequities, including systemic racism. Activities include assuring the department’s commitment to values outlined in Racism as a Public Health Crisis (RPHC) and implementation of King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan.

Areas within the Office of Equity and Community Partnerships

Learn more about the Groups and Teams that contribute to the Office of Equity and Community Partnerships.

Con Confianza y En Comunidad.

Learn about Con Confianza y En Comunidad.

Overall goal

Anti-racism and community co-creation drive desired outcomes, decisions, resource allocation, program design, and results across the determinants of equity.

Pandemic/crisis response goal

Inequities in health and determinants of equity are minimized and response objectives are achieved through anti-racism practices and activation of community participation, influence and power.

Department goal

Public Health implements the ESJ Strategic Plan and Racism as a Public Health Crisis goals and strategies with focus, transparency and accountability, working closely with all divisions.

Anti-Racist Organizing Principles

Building on the legacy work of local community organizers and internal leaders, RPHC Anti-Racist Organizing Principles provide us a framework for challenging racism, power, privilege, and other forms of oppression in our practices. Through these guiding principles, we collectively commit to understanding how race, power, privilege, and other forms of oppression function at the Internalized, Interpersonal, Institutional, and Structural level:

  • Anti-Racist
  • Focus where negative impacts have been most harmful
  • Center on Black and Brown experiences and voices
  • Responsive, adaptive, transparent, and accountable
  • Focus on addressing root causes
 

Unhealthy stream

The unhealthy stream.

Healthy stream

The healthy stream.

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