Our Networks

The right to have health care is perhaps the most fundamental right of all people. Health care should not only be equitable in its delivery, but also be a tool for ameliorating broader societal inequities and injustices.

We believe that we can achieve health equity through the radical reimagining of our health care system and an explicit pursuit of anti-racist policy and systems changes. Our networks bring together and mobilize our diverse community partners and communities of color to advocate for a health care system that treats everyone with respect and dignity. Together, we work to identify and challenge health inequities and propose policy solutions that encourage optimal health and well-being in all communities, regardless of their income, sex, race, ethnicity, primary language, LGBTQ+ status, disability or immigration status. We think of our networks as courageous activist spaces where our diverse community members are fully seen and their voices fully heard. On our own, our voices might not be strong enough to break through the noise. But, as a network, we are raising our collective voices and flexing our community power to ensure that our state and local decision-makers create and implement policies and budgets that see us and serve us.


Behavioral Health Equity Collaborative (BHEC)

The Behavioral Health Equity Collaborative’s mission is to advance mental health equity in California by bringing voices of diverse communities to state policymaking. The Collaborative brings together state and local organizations that represent people of color, immigrants, refugees, youth, and LGBTQ+ communities and it mobilizes them to collectively advocate for increased investments in equitable, quality mental health services.

CPEHN is the convener of BHEC. We coordinate the Collaborative’s efforts related to policy research and development, advocacy and capacity building.

View the BHEC flyer here!

Learn more here!


California Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (CA-OPEN)

California Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (CA-OPEN) is a network with a mission to transform our oral health care system and advance oral health equity in California. It brings together a diverse network of members—policymakers, providers, consumers, advocates and grassroots organizers—to influence oral health policy, raise community awareness and engagement, educate our elected officials, and align our messages about the importance of equity in oral health.

CPEHN is the backbone facilitator of the Network. We are responsible for operations, logistics and communication between the members.

Learn more here!


Having Our Say (HOS)

Having Our Say is a coalition of over 40 community-based nonprofit organizations in California that focuses on health equity. It advocates for policies and innovative practices that address health disparities and promote an intersectional and holistic approach to health in communities of color.

CPEHN is the Coalition’s network weaver. We lead the Coalition, facilitate meetings, coordinate joint efforts and oversee operations and communications.

View the HOS flyer here!

Learn more here!


Public Health Collaborative (PHC)

CPEHN’s public health collaborative was formed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when community organizations rapidly pivoted to fill the gaps between institutional responses and on-the-ground health and social needs. The collaborative recognizes that community non-profit organizations are a critical component of California’s public health infrastructure, as evidenced in a 2021 CPEHN report. However, the role of community organizations lies beyond providing safety nets for the most underserved communities, these organizations also act as public health’s civic muscle, and many of them have been working to address systemic determinants of health including institutionalized racism. In 2022, the collaborative continues to mobilize in order to shape the future of a public health system that can serve all Californians.

Learn more here!


Racism As a Public Health Crisis (RAPHC)

On July 14, 2020, the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and partners in a letter to urge that the Governor declare racism to be a statewide public health crisis. Such declaration would serve as an important first step in the state’s acknowledgment of its own racist history through the present day, and would establish specific commitments and measurable actions for beginning to undo the racism that prevents all Californians, especially Black, Indigenous and Persons of Color (BIPOC), from achieving optimal health and well-being.

View the RAPHC flyer here!

Learn more here!

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