Reducing health disparities: Building Equitable Partnerships Symposium

Building a more effective system for mental health and addictions services and related health care requires partnerships, but those collaborations need to be equitable. That need was the driving force behind the Building Equitable Partnerships (BEP) Symposium held at CAMH in November.

The more than 30 workshops, presentations and panel discussions covered a range of topics, all focused on building equitable partnerships: how to initiate partnerships, why we need them and how to overcome the challenges that are encountered, with the aim of improving the way we work together and ultimately improving the quality and accessibility of services. The event provided forum for dialogue amongst stakeholders in mental health and addictions services, and related health care.

The Building Equitable Partnerships Symposium at CAMH in November 2008 featured more than 30 workshops. In one, Nicole Ghanie-Opondo, East Mississauga Community Health Centre demonstrates “Body Mapping,” an artistic way of exploring race and gender issues as they pertain to health.

The symposium came was the result of the efforts of partner agencies CAAT, CAMH’s Provincial Services, Education & Training Services and Organizational Development, CMHA Toronto, MIAG and Sistering and mental health advocates and community participants.

“There’s recognition of the varying levels of power, and the imbalances that may result, when large organizations enter into partnerships with smaller community-based agencies or with diverse and marginalized communities,” said Mary Quartarone, CAMH Organizational Development Consultant. “With power differentials also come various forms of oppression.”

“The symposium was created for a space for exchange of knowledge and expertise, the deepening of relationships along the continuum of health and social services organizations, and for us to see the individuals we support and the work we do as inextricably linked,” explained Sistering Executive Director Angela Robertson.

Some of the key recommendations for building equitable partnerships are:

• integrate time for critical self reflective practice into the building of equitable partnerships

• recognize that partnerships are actually about relationships

• in the context of relationships we can create opportunities for genuine shared leadership

Read the full report of Symposium recommendations which were presented to a panel of LHIN representatives at the Symposium.

Symposium participant Erika Khandor of Street Health said her agency is involved in a range of partnerships and collaborations with other community organizations, hospitals and academic researchers, to provide services, conduct research and do advocacy on homelessness and housing issues.

“We are always interested in sharing our experiences of partnerships, and learning from the experiences of others,” she said.