About Us

CPEHN Accomplishments & History

2023
CPEHN publishes three Building Towards Antiracist Governments stories

Building Towards Antiracist Governments is a policy research project aiming to highlight how local governments can take meaningful steps to advance racial equity. CPEHN produced three county stories featuring Orange County, Sonoma County, and Monterey County in 2023 to document the best efforts and lessons learned in the journey of government and community working to address systemic racism and inequities in a local jurisdiction.

CPEHN sponsored bill SB 595 (Roth) was signed into law

This bill will resolve outreach barriers for Covered California, more specifically, the entities they contract with to do outreach, while ensuring informed consent and privacy are protected for individuals at both the federal and state level.

Having Our Say hosts second lobby day

In August, Having Our Say hosted a second lobby day in Sacramento to advocate for SB 435, AB 85, and the Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund. 16 HOS Coalition members participated in five scheduled legislative meetings, and CPEHN staff conducted one drop-in meeting.

CPEHN publishes Time for Change: A Snapshot of Health and Racial Equity Efforts in California State Government

In August, CPEHN released Time for Change: A Snapshot of Health and Racial Equity Efforts in California State Government. The first-of-its-kind report was commissioned by the California Health Care Foundation in 2022 to assess health and racial equity efforts in California.

CPEHN partners with Berkeley Media Studies Group to provide partner training

In August, the Public Health Collaborative partnered with Berkeley Media Studies Group to provide partner organizations with a training on messaging and communication strategy to advance health and racial equity.

CPEHN was appointed to the Advisory Committee for the newly formed Office of Health Care Affordability
CPEHN provided expert testimony at several committee hearings

CPEHN was invited to provide expert testimony at several committee hearings, including the Senate and Assembly Budget Subcommittee and the Assembly Select Committee on Mental Health. CPEHN spoke about the implementation of CalAIM, the Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund, the Governor’s Behavioral Health Modernization Proposal, and mental health disparities.

CPEHN publishes Transforming Emergency Response to Advance Health Equity

CPEHN released a policy brief drawing upon survey and listening session data for our People Power for Public Health project related to access to emergency medical services for people of color.

Having Our Say held its first in-person lobby day since 2019!

14 partner organizations participated in addition to Health Equity and Racial Justice coalition partners, and advocates from the California Black Health Network advocacy training program. One day prior to the HOS lobby day, CPEHN facilitated a lobby day with medical residents from UC Davis.

CPEHN publishes Two Years After COVID-19 Vaccine, Disparities Persist

CPEHN conducted data analysis and published a policy brief examining racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates two years after the vaccine first became available. Unsurprisingly, racial disparities persist as foes the gap between Medi-Cal members and the general population.

CPEHN published Winning COVID-19 Relief Funds for Underserved Communities in Calexico City, California: A Success Story of Partnerships and Local Organizing During the Pandemic

To support equitable use of ARPA dollars at the local levels, CPEHN partnered with the Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition (IVEJC) who was organizing a campaign in Calexico City. CPEHN provided analyses and education for the Coalition organizers, breaking down the Treasury’s equity guidelines and sharing best practices from other local governments to help make a case for the Coalition’s demands. CPEHN also sent a letter directly to Calexico City Council elevating the Coalition’s campaign. Read the story here.

CPEHN launches the Building Towards Antiracist Governments Project

For this project, CPEHN will convene a community collaborative to research and develop a roadmap for local governments to address racism as a public health crisis by putting the community at the center of policy and decision making processes. We will also develop a state policy agenda to enhance the ability of state and local public health leaders to meaningfully share power with local communities and implement antiracist systems change.

CPEHN launches the Immigrant and Refugee State Level Advocacy Project

The goal of the project is to strengthen the voice of immigrant and refugee communities in mental health policy and program development.

2022
CPEHN Receives Generous Gift From MacKenzie Scott

CPEHN receives generous gift from MacKenzie Scott. This is the largest gift CPEHN has received in its 30-year history of advancing health equity and racial justice through policy, community-based partnerships, and research.

Addressing the Root: Dismantling Systemic Barriers to Oral Health Equity

CPEHN hosts “Addressing the Root: Dismantling Systemic Barriers to Oral Health Equity” webinar to discuss CPEHN policy recommendations on reducing racial disparities and working towards true oral health equity in November.

Community Health Workers and Promotores Policy Coalition

CPEHN launches Community Health Workers & Promotores Policy Coalition with a kick-off event that explained the coalition’s purpose, goals, and key activities. During this event, CHW/Ps and policymakers spoke about California’s implementation of new CHW/P benefits and policies.

Addressing the Root: Dismantling Systemic Barriers to Oral Health Equity

In September, CPEHN publishes Addressing the Root: Dismantling Systemic Barriers to Oral Health Equity. This 31-page report highlights barriers to achieving oral health equities in communities of color and makes policy recommendations to fill these gaps. This report was published with the Oral Health Equity Core Group, a collaboration of racial health equity-focused grassroots and safety-net organizations representing the racial, ethnic, and regional diversity of California.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 2697 Is Signed Into Law!

CPEHN sponsored bill AB 2697 is signed into law. This bill facilitates linguistically and culturally accessible outreach to community members that are eligible for Medi-Cal’s Community Health Worker/Promotores (CHW/Ps) benefit.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 1019 Is Signed Into Law!

CPEHN sponsored bill SB 1019 is signed into law. This bill prioritizes culturally and linguistically relevant outreach to Medi-Cal enrollees about mental health benefits covered by their plans and would begin to address racial disparities in access to mental health care within the Medi-Cal Managed Care system.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 644 Is Signed Into Law!

CPEHN sponsored bill SB 644 (Leyva) is signed into law. This bill allows Covered California to work with Educational Development Department (EDD) to conduct outreach to individuals who have lost their job.

A Right to Heal: Mental Health in Diverse Communities

CPEHN releases A Right to Heal: Mental Health in Diverse Communities. This full report documents the collective stories, experiences, struggles, and resiliencies that emerged from those discussions with the intention of 1) honoring the voices of those who participated, 2) providing information that can be used by BIPOC communities to advocate and advance the mission to strengthen community mental health, and 3) educating local and state policymakers about BIPOC communities’ mental health needs, as well as how to better improve the mental health resources available.

Right to Heal: Centering Mental Health Multi-Racial Equity in California

CPEHN hosts the 2022 Right to Heal: Centering Mental Health Multi-Racial Equity in California virtual conference with nearly 200 attendees. During the conference attendees gathered to build connections; uplifted regional mobilization efforts led by local partners; discussed the findings from community listening and learning sessions; and empowered people to become advocates for themselves and their communities to achieve mental health wellness.

People Power for Public Health Webinar

In August, CPEHN hosts the People Power for Public Health Webinar. This free and virtual webinar reviews the findings of the People Power for Public Health report and answers the question of how can local governments better engage with communities to adequately resource priorities that community members care about.

People Power for Public Health

CPEHN releases People Power for Public Health. This report explores how budget processes and just resource allocation can be used to alleviate racialized health disparities and how we can support communities of color in building power for public health.

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Scorecards

CPEHN publishes American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Scorecards that analyze how five California counties spent their federal ARPA dollars. In the spring, CPEHN conducted research and analyses of publicly available information from 11 California counties to see how they have been spending their critical public relief dollars. A 51-question equity metric was developed to examine in-depth counties’ efforts in the use of funds, promoting racial equity, and engaging constituents, ensuring transparency, accessibility, and accountability between March 2021 and February 2022.

California Needs Standards for Demographic and Social Needs Data to Reduce Disparities and Advance Health Equity

In April, CPEHN releases California Needs Standards for Demographic and Social Needs Data to Reduce Disparities and Advance Health Equity. This brief provides recommendations for state policymakers to improve the collection and reporting of demographic and social needs data which are critical to reducing health disparities and addressing the social drivers and determinants of health.

Building Culture and Gender Responsive Emergency Services

CPEHN releases Building Culture and Gender Responsive Emergency Services in March. This fact sheet focuses on communities of color and their experiences with emergency medical services and mental health crises.

2021
Nothing About Us Without Us

CPEHN releases Nothing About Us Without UsTo better understand the strengths and limitations of area-based social indices, CPEHN conducted an analysis of California’s recent COVID-19 response strategies which relied on these tools to address COVID-19 inequities. CPEHN also analyzed quantitative data publicly available through the California Department of Public Health, and collected additional qualitative information through interviews with a number of CPEHN’s community partners, who helped racially and ethnically diverse Californians receive the COVID-19 vaccine. 

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 326 is Signed into Law!

CPEHN’s sponsored bill, AB 326 was signed into law. The bill removes the sunset date for the Consumer Participation Program (CPP), which allows the Director of the Department of Managed Health Care to award advocacy and witness compensation to organizations that represent the interests of health care consumers in California in exchange for providing substantial contributions on proceedings. This bill will effectively be extending the operation of CPP indefinitely.

The Right to Heal: Centering Mental Health Multi-Racial Equity in California

CPEHN, in conjunction with MHSOAC statewide and local partners, hosted the Right to Heal event, an opportunity for community partners to share findings from their first year of local listening sessions with policymakers and stakeholders. Over 300 people attended and the overwhelming majority of attendees were from community-based organizations.  

Medi-Cal Managed Care Mental Health Services: An Unfulfilled Promise for Communities of Color

CPEHN released Medi-Cal Managed Care Mental Health Services: An Unfulfilled Promise for Communities of Color. This report draws on quantitative data analysis, key informant interviews, and community field testing to better understand the access barriers communities of color face to access mental health services.  

How California’s Community-Based Organizations Filled the Gaps for Underserved Communities

CPEHN releases How California’s Community-Based Organizations Filled the Gaps for Underserved Communities. This report — created by the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, ChangeLab Solutions, and Prevention Institute, with contributions from 21 California CBOs — shows policymakers and community leaders how they can improve California’s efforts toward an equitable recovery from the social, economic, and health effects of the pandemic.  

Policy Options for Community-Defined Evidence Practices (CDEPS)

CPEHN releases Policy Options for Community-Defined Evidence Practices (CDEPS). This concept paper is an initial attempt to outline policy opportunities and approaches for greater valuation and acceptance of the behavioral health practices BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities have used for many years, and in some cases millennia, to support their behavioral health and wellbeing. 

COVID-19 Equity

CPEHN continues to advocate for COVID-19 equity. CPEHN represented communities of color on the Community Vaccine Advisory Committee and urged the state to direct vaccine doses commensurate with COVID-19 burden on communities and concentrate doses in low-income communities of color. CPEHN continues to also advocate for flexible ongoing funding to community-based organizations, clinics, and tribal organizations.  
 

Landscape of Opportunity (4th Edition)

CPEHN releases the fourth edition of the Landscape of Opportunity, and the first ever digital version. The report provides an overview of the current state of health disparities and challenges facing California’s communities of color. It serves as a resource for advocates and policymakers alike, highlighting the key areas where disparities persist that are ripe for future action to advance health equity.

Voices for Change: Revolutionizing Health Equity Conference

CPEHN hosts first virtual and multi-day conference with nearly 400 attendees and featured 15 sessions including plenaries, workshops, and office hours.

New Website and Logo!

CPEHN updates website with a new look and logo! New features include interactive reports and timeline.  

2020
Equity in the Age of Telehealth: Considerations for California Policymakers

CPEHN releases Equity in the Age of Telehealth: Considerations for California Policymakers. In our report and webinar, we detailed our findings and our policy recommendations on how elected officials and policy makers can ensure telehealth is equitable and accessible. 

COVID-19 Recommendations to Advance Racial and Health Equity

CPEHN joins Health Access, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, and Public Health Advocates in applauding the state’s new equity measure for California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. This measure came after we sent a letter to the administration in April on how communities of color, bearing the brunt of the pandemic, must be centered in the state’s response.  

Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis

CPEHN joins with Black Women for Wellness, California Black Women’s Health Project, Roots Community Health Center, and Public Health Advocates in sending a letter to Governor Newsom asking him to declare racism a public health crisis.  

Stakeholder Education, Advocacy and Outreach for Diverse Racial and Ethnic Communities

CPEHN was contracted by MHSOAC to deliver on some of the equity promises of the Mental Health Services Act. For three years, until 2024, CPEHN will serve as one of MHSOAC’s statewide advocacy organizations. In this role, we lead statewide advocacy efforts, engage local stakeholders from diverse racial and ethnic communities—including multicultural, Black, Native American, Asian and Pacific Islander and Latinx—and provide training, technical assistance, advocacy support and outreach.  

2019
California Reducing Disparities Project: Phase 2

CPEHN is awarded CRDP Phase 2 contract through the Office of Health Equity. In the second phase of the CRDP, we are working to develop the capacity of community organizations to promote innovative community-based mental health practices, programs and approaches.

2018
CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 1152 Signed into Law!

This bill requires each hospital to include a written homeless patient discharge planning policy and process within the hospital discharge policy, as specified. The bill also requires a hospital to document specified information before discharging a homeless patient.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 1423 Signed into Law!

This bill modifies the minimum qualifications that an interpreter is required to possess to provide oral interpretation services to an LEP beneficiary enrolled in either a managed care plan or a mental health plan.

2017
Having Our Say (HOS) Coalition Celebrates 10 Years

CPEHN’s Having Our Say (HOS) coalition celebrates 10 years of convening grassroots community organizations, health care clinics and providers, and advocates to fight for health equity and racial justice.

CPEHN Celebrates our 25th Anniversary

CPEHN celebrates 25 years of advancing health equity!

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 179 Signed into Law!

This bill requires the Governor, in appointing members, to use every effort to ensure that the commission has a diverse membership with expertise in transportation issues, taking into consideration factors including, but not limited to, socioeconomic background and professional experience, which may include experience working in, or representing, disadvantaged communities.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 470 Signed into Law!

This bill requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to publish the performance outcomes reports based on available data for specialty mental health services on the department’s Internet Web site, and to provide the performance outcomes reports to the Legislature.

CPEHN Defends Affordable Care Act

CPEHN establishes ACA Round Ups and ACA Defense Hub to keep people informed and up-to-date on ACA repeal efforts.

2016
CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 1139 Signed into Law!

This bill prohibits a student who meets the requirements for admission to a medical degree program at any public or private postsecondary educational institution from being denied admission to that program based on citizenship status or immigration status.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 1726 Signed into Law!

This bill requires the State Department of Public Health to use the additional separate collection categories and other tabulations for specified Asian groups and Pacific Islander groups, and to take additional actions, under certain circumstances.

2015
CPEHN Expands in Los Angeles

CPEHN opens a third office in Los Angeles expanding our community advocacy work.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 388 Signed into Law!

This bill provides that the Summary of Benefits and Coverage  (SBC) constitutes a vital document and would require a plan or insurer to comply with requirements applicable to those documents.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 137 Signed into Law!

This bill requires the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance to develop uniform provider directory standards.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 389 Signed into Law!

This bill requires a general acute care hospital and the department to make the hospital’s updated policy available annually to the public on their respective Internet Web sites.

2014
CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 505 Signed into Law!

This bill requires the department to require all managed care plans contracting with the department to provide Medi-Cal services, except as specified, to provide language assistance services, which includes oral interpretation and translation services, to limited-English-proficient Medi-Cal beneficiaries, as defined.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 912 Signed into Law!

This bill requires that extended foster care support continue for 6 months from the date of the declaration for a nonminor dependent who turns 21 years of age while the state of emergency is in effect.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 2102 Signed into Law!

This bill would additionally require that the annual Department of Housing and Community Development report include an evaluation of the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program.

2013
CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill AB 422 Signed into Law!

This bill requires the notices to include prescribed advisements about the availability of free or reduced-cost comprehensive health care coverage through Medi-Cal or the California Health Benefit Exchange, respectively.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 353 Signed into Law!

This bill requires a health care service plan, as specified, that advertises or markets products in the individual or small group health care service plan markets, or that allows others to market or advertise on its behalf in those markets, in a non-English language, as provided, and that does not meet certain requirements, to translate into that language specified documents.

CPEHN’s Sponsored Bill SB 488 Signed into Law!

This bill authorizes a code enforcement officer, upon successful completion of a course of study in the appropriate subject matter as determined by the local jurisdiction, to determine whether an infestation exists or whether there is a lack of adequate garbage and rubbish removal facilities

2012
CPEHN’s Co-Sponsored Bill AB 441 Signed into Law!

This law requires the California Transportation Commission include case studies of transportation projects that improve health and equity in the next revision of the state’s Regional Transportation Planning guidelines.

CPEHN Celebrates Our 20th Anniversary

CPEHN celebrates 20 years of advocating for health equity.

2011
CPEHN Expands in Sacramento

CPEHN opens a second office in Sacramento expanding our legislative presence.

2010
California Reducing Disparities Project: Phase 1
California Reducing Disparities Project: Phase 1

CPEHN begins work on developing a statewide strategic plan for reducing mental health disparities through the California Reducing Disparities Project, funded through the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63). The first phase of the CRDP focused on developing population-specific knowledge about mental health challenges in our communities and community-defined solutions.

2009
CPEHN Releases Landscape of Opportunity
CPEHN Releases Landscape of Opportunity

CPEHN releases seminal, data-rich report, Landscape of Opportunity: Cultivating Health Equity in California, which paints a picture of how our neighborhoods impact our health.

2007
Having Our Say Coalition Established
Having Our Say Coalition Established

The Having Our Say coalition was founded in 2007 to raise the voices of communities of color in the health reform debate and to advocate for access to quality health care for all.

2003
CPEHN’s Co-Sponsored Bill SB 853 Signed into Law!
CPEHN’s Co-Sponsored Bill SB 853 Signed into Law!

In 2003, we led a legislative effort on behalf of millions of Californians whose primary language is not English. Unable to communicate with their health care providers, these patients faced increased risk of misdiagnosis and misunderstanding their treatments. CPEHN co-sponsored groundbreaking legislation, SB 853 (Escutia), which mandates all health plans and insurers in California provide interpreters and translated documents to their members.

2002
CPEHN convinces Department of Managed Health Care to require HMOs to make grievance processes accessible to persons with limited English proficiency
2001
CPEHN wins demand for the Office of the Patient Advocate to include information on health plans’ language services in its HMO Report Card
1999
CPEHN persuades Medi-Cal Managed Care to release policy letters on cultural and linguistic requirements to all health plans
1998
CPEHN successfully advocates for the Healthy Families Program to require interpreters and translated documents and prohibit the use of children as interpreters
1996
CPEHN serves on the Medi-Cal Managed Care Cultural and Linguistic Standards Task Force
1992
CPEHN is Established
CPEHN is Established

In 1992, health advocates and community leaders from four ethnic communities came together to share common goals. At the time, health care reform efforts at the state and national levels provided a unique opportunity to improve the health of communities of color. Yet the violence in South Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict had exposed years of institutional racism and mistrust among ethnic groups.

We recognized the need to bridge the divisions that had grown between our communities and to unite our voices to advocate for a just, equitable, and healthy world. Ethnic health leaders from the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, California Black Health Network, California Rural Indian Health Board, and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California came together to create a forum to advocate for a common health policy agenda for communities of color: the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network.

Related