Pierce County health department creates racism response team amid police brutality protests

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has formed a Racism and Resilience Action Response Team in response to the deaths of George Floyd and Manuel Ellis and the corresponding nationwide focus on issues of racism and police brutality.

“We felt the same sense of urgency for change as everyone else has,” said Sebrena Chambers, director of the agency’s Strengthening Families Division.

Dr. Anthony Chen is the health director for the department. In a June 5 news release announcing the team Chen said:

“We must end police killings now, and those same efforts will help us prevent our Black neighbors from being disproportionately victimized by violence, arrested, incarcerated, sickened by physical and mental illness, and even stricken by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are not happy to just be non-racist; we strive to become an anti-racist organization.”

The team is in the planning phase, with four main areas of focus: internal policy and systemic changes, communications to create a safe environment for staff, using data to explain why racism is a public health crisis, and engaging with the community.

There is currently no budget for the team, according to communications specialist Steve Metcalf. Once the team has a clearer sense of its tactics, Metcalf said, it will address whether the ideas can be implemented within existing programs or whether new programs and funding will be necessary.

According to Metcalf, the team is discussing how it will stay accountable to these goals.

“They will continue to meet for the foreseeable future until they finish their work,” Metcalf said.

There are currently 11 people on the team, which was formed on June 3 and will report to Chen and the Health Management Team on a regular basis. The members come from the Diversity and Inclusion Team; the Health Equity Team; Assessment, Planning, and Development; Communications; Office of the Director; Strengthening Families Division; and the Business Office. The team includes directors as well as staff members.

“We know it’s a small group right now. This isn’t the end-all. This is just the beginning to help do some initial planning,” Chambers said. “As we do this planning, the group is going to grow and change.”

Chambers said even though the team doesn’t have all the answers on how to address racism within the TPCHD or in Tacoma and Pierce County, the first step is creating a group that will allow for collaboration.

“We recognize we can’t do this alone,” Chambers said. “We’re going to include partners in our communities, our black communities, our communities of color, and from other sectors so we can make sure we honor the voices and honor the struggle.”

The team plans to work with community groups, businesses, hospitals, and other local partners. Chambers said these joint efforts will be crucial because of the connections between health and other sectors.

“With health, it’s not just getting sick,” she said. “Health relates to economics, education, housing, as well as the justice system.”

Chambers said this is not a new concern for the health department, which has been working on racial equity and public health for a long time. Rather, the current energy around addressing racial issues is creating momentum for the TPCHD to use existing research and resources to move forward with their work.

“Our city, our county, our country is calling for change,” Chambers said. “This is going to be an effort that’s inclusive. We’re just starting with our internal work because we recognize we have to make a change before we assist others in making a change.

This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 10:48 AM.