Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program

The Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program was co-produced with leaders from around the country. It is an immersive experience of in-person and virtual sessions for up to 25 current or emerging leaders with learned and lived experience who have a deep desire to effect change in their organizations, communities, or regions.

The Program:

• Focuses on the individual as a leader. Participants will learn to lead visibly as their authentic self. Personal goals will be identified and progress measured.
• Prioritizes the power of relationships.  The cohort will develop a shared vision. Curriculum will be delivered in a circular (person-centered) versus hierarchical approach to emphasize competencies aligned with the vision. Relationships will be cultivated with other leaders and with community, and will continue beyond the Program.
• Spurs collective action.  Participants will take action through experiential learning. They will develop transformative solutions resulting in collective change for their organization, community, or region.
• Content and approach is adaptable based on individual and cohort experiences, goals, and needs. Program requirements are directly aligned with work that already is or needs to occur, thus supportive of existing (or necessary) efforts.

Participants will learn and apply skills in a collaborative environment through:

• Competencies:  Participants will gain knowledge and experience in equity-grounded leadership competencies, or Principles of Change. This will include in-person or virtual sessions and self-paced learning tied to individual goals through multiple modalities.
• Coaching:  Participants will receive peer and individualized leadership support through coaches and advisors. Coaches will be matched based on shared interest, experiences, or skill sets. Coaching sessions will be tailored to participant goals.
• Collaboration: Participants will learn by doing through customized, meaningful collaborative projects, identified based on participants’ work in their communities. Projects will be supported by faculty advisors and will continue beyond the Fellow Program.

The EGL Fellow Program is led by a team of equity-grounded leaders. Each fellow has a team available to support them in the program.

Participants will gain knowledge and experience in equity-grounded leadership competencies, or Principles of Change.

An equity-grounded leader:

The Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program 2022-2023 cohort participants began this journey with the courageous inquiry of personal and professional biases, which impact how they view themselves and others. They explored how to collectively influence others to create communities rooted in resilience and healing.  We are grateful for this inaugural cohort, who collaboratively helped to shape and refine the fellow program to ensure leaders are empowered to mobilize themselves and others to create positive change. The 2022-2023 cohort completed the fellow program in January 2023, and are continuing to work together via the EGL alumni collaborative.

Interested in getting involved as a funder, advisory committee member, workgroup member, project advisor, or coach? Contact Holly Salazar, CBHL CEO to schedule a conversation.

Leaders who operationalize equity:

• Support grassroots leadership and emerging, community-based groups
• Invest in community and culturally rooted practices
• Share decision making power across sectors and with communities
• Change community factors to change health outcomes
• Take a collaborative approach to training, technical assistance, and resource allocation
• Attach funding to equity guidelines
• Examine practices and policies for implicit bias (racial, gender, socioeconomic, and others)
• Create action plans focused on equity and anti-racism
• Advance a broad regional health equity platform through all programs and policies
• Integrate and lead across silos
• Work further upstream to impact the most people
• Conduct ongoing outcomes and process evaluation
• Develop emerging leaders through mentorship and sponsorship

Specific skills and attributes of an equity-grounded leader include:

• Learning from both quantitative and qualitative data—continually educating oneself
• Seeking strengths and approaching work with cultural humility
• Mindfulness about who is at the table—and who is not
• Being aware of how personal experiences and lineage impacts views and biases
• Sharing leadership and work alongside community members
• Understanding and acknowledging the impact of community trauma
• Being introspective and willing to change
• Asking tough questions; calling out biases, racism and discrimination; and challenging the status quo
• Navigating conflict with humility
• Leading with love for the mission, the people they serve, the community, and their team

Equity-grounded leadership has positive impacts across organizations working within the broader behavioral health system, for individuals served, and for communities both served by and participating in the system. Leaders who serve from a foundation of equity can positively impact:

Organizations by

• Improving employee engagement and a sense of belonging
• Increasing respect and understanding between employees and individuals served
• Allowing for decisions grounded in fairness and equity
• Improving key performance indicators (e.g., financial, engagement, quality)

Individuals by

• Establishing greater confidence and trust in the behavioral health system
• Creating more culturally responsive care models
• Improving health outcomes through shared decision making about care plans
• Addressing issues of concern based on lived experience

Communities by

• Increasing community participation and engagement
• Establishing trust and creating opportunities for shared problem solving
• Creating pathways for economic, social, environmental, and political justice
• Reducing health disparities and improving outcomes

Interested in Sharing Your Experience and Perspective? The Fellow Program is developed based on the lived experience of leaders. We would love to hear from you! Contact Holly Salazar, CBHL CEO, for more information on how to contribute.