Martin Luther King, JR. County (WA) Profile

Team Profile Summary

In King County, there are racial inequities in well-being that are influenced by such factors as: institutionalized racism, income, access to living-wage jobs,  access to education and resource-rich schools, neighborhoods and access to safe, affordable housing, and criminal justice involvement. Racism and inequities in income, educational attainment, housing, and criminal justice involvement result in health disparities.

Team Profile Details

Problem Statement:

  1. Delivery of King County Services: A King County Place Matters Team functions as a small planning group and includes eleven representatives of Public Health – Seattle & King County and the King County Executive’s Office. Additionally, as an extension of the Place Matters Team, King County has formed an interdepartmental team to look at broader equity and social justice issues across the county.
  2. Policy Development and Decision Making: King County will ensure that promoting equity is intentionally considered in the development and implementation of key policies and programs and in making funding decisions. The county is developing and testing an equity impact review tool, and it will incorporate use of this tool in decision-making processes.
  3. Community Partnerships: A Community Engagement Planning Group representing more than 35 community-based organizations and public agencies, aims to incorporate community voices into decision-making and promote meaningful community involvement. The broad inclusion of multi-sector agencies and professionals ensures the inclusion of all the social determinant factors that fully represent the issues that impact health outcomes. A broad and ever-expanding team of community members and staff are being trained to facilitate community dialogs.

 

Team Objectives:

  1. Increase the capacity of King County departments to identify actions that will increase health and well-being and decrease inequities by developing an EIR tool. With this tool, new and existing King County programs, initiatives and policies can be assessed for their impact on equity.

  2. Give communities a role in the decision making within the county, by enhancing existing efforts to involve the community.  

  3. Work with local communities to partner with county staff and others to address their issues of concern.

For more information and to become involved, please contact:
Team Lead: Ngozi Oleru, Public Health – Seattle & King County
Email: ngozi.oleru@kingcounty.gov
Phone: 206-263-8476