Month: January 2022

5 Ways to Use SDoH and MH Data to Advance Your Advocacy

All that health disparities data gets overwhelming. Here are distinct ways to use and leverage the data to your advantage

What don’t the SDOH and MH impact?

This last few weeks has seen the usual litany of published research on how the social determinants of health and mental health (SDoH & MH) impact health and mental health outcomes. All denote significant care disparities across disease states and populations, including but not limited to the following embedded studies:

I’m a research nerd; my colleagues, mentees, and students are most likely breaking into big smiles about now. If there is relevant literature on a topic, I’ll find it. While I’m not a researcher, I will use any metrics and outcomes to craft sustainable solutions, and motivate others to do so. 

Data is Overwhelming, BUT

Many persons share their frustration with me about the abundance of SDoH & MH data. It can feel like the massive data speaks to a worsening state of affairs. However, the data is meaningful; you can’t fix what you don’t know! Remember, each piece of literature provides vital validation for necessary legislation, funding, and reimbursement to bridge those identified gaps in care. Here are 5 ways to use the data to advance your SDoH & MH advocacy:

  1. Stay current on relevant legislation: A flurry of federal and state legislation is on the horizon, all driven by dedicated research. My friends at Aligning for Health maintain an updated roster of SDoH legislation on their site that can be accessed here; current heavyweights include the Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2021 and Leveraging Integrated Networks to Communities (LINC) to Address Social Needs Act. I’d encourage those interested to sign up for weekly bi-weekly notifications on these, and other laws.
  2. Follow the Funding: Dollars are available to build services and programs that bridge health equity gaps.
  3. Join relevant advocacy efforts: Along with RISE Association and Aligning for Health mentioned above, Root Cause Coalition is a national group of organizations committed to reverse and end systematic wholistic health inequities. 
  4. Prioritize the data important to you!: That research churns fast and furiously; follow and sign up for notifications from sites and entities covering the SDoH & MH that matter to you and your organization. This may be research from JAMA or Lancet, Health Affairs, Brookings Institute, Hastings Center, or the CDC. This recent issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation hones in on current pandemic priorities; scroll down to a stellar graphic detailing the wholistic health landscape. The Satcher Institute has updated their Health Equity Tracker with SDoH and PDoH (political determinants of health) by state; they’ve also added behavioral health to the mix!
  5. Sign up for notifications from those, in the know: That inbox gets busy, so take charge by signing up for notifications from key players in the SDoH space. If you liked this blog post, click on the, Follow Ellen’s Interprofessional Insights button in the sidebar of this page to receive my bi-weekly blog and vital health equity information.

I look forward to your comments on this blog post, and other strategies you use to keep your finger on the pulse of wholistic health equity priorities. 

#SDoH #SDoMH #Healthequity #funding #interprofessionalimpact #accesstocare #bridgethosegaps  

Trauma-Informed Leadership: The Antidote for Collective Occupational Trauma

Workforce sustainability, retention, and quality of care are among the adverse side effects of the current interprofessional emergency

The healthcare workforce is amid a unique epidemic, coping with the ravages of collective occupational trauma. Physicians and nurses have been heavily impacted, but also an endless list of behavioral health professionals (behavioral analysts, counselors, social workers, psychologists), case managers, community health workers, medical assistants, nutritionists, pharmacists, phlebotomists, public health workers, rehabilitation professionals, respiratory therapists, not to mention those professionals employed in other sectors (e.g., school and occupational health nurses). Workforce sustainability, retention, and quality of care are among the adverse side effects of this interprofessional emergency.


An Emotional Plea

A recent article by the Hastings Center posed an emotional plea; “the pandemic has laid bare the significant shortcomings of a health system rooted in an unsustainable financial model that exploits the physical and emotional labor of its nurses”. A Time Magazine cover story, was equally riveting with a focus on physician suicide that brought me tears; the respected workforce is concerned for its ability to “emotionally, physically, and mentally face the tsunami of patients” who need care. Data out of Canada reveals prevalence of physician burnout, upwards of 68%. Succinctly stated, the healthcare workforce is under attack with unparalleled rates of mental health, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The daily deluge of data is overwhelming with the severity of workforce trauma evident; the recent report out of the CDC focused on public health workers and was my breaking point: high incidence of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation all detailed. The research is validating and valued, though yields a chilling reality: organizations and employers must implement trauma-informed leadership (TIL) models to bolster their staff, before they have none left.

Collective Occupational Trauma in High Gear

We are past the point of no return, 80% of healthcare professionals are ready to exit the industry. Practitioner burnout from vicarious trauma is a long-standing dynamic that has only intensified amid the pandemic. Earlier this year, I published a blog post, 10 Ways to Tackle Collective Occupational Trauma and Restore Resilience. I remain alarmed about the ongoing pandemic pressures and their impact on the workforce. A fierce dynamic is in motion, the Cycle of Collective  Occupational Trauma (the graphic viewable on the original blog post, click the embedded URL above). Intense levels of collective induced stress are experienced by the population and passed to involved practitioners as collective infused trauma. In addition, these personnel are exposed to a wide range of all-encompassing professional and personal stressors. Collective occupational trauma results, and ultimately leads to PTSD if not addressed: acute and chronic sleep disruptions (e.g., nightmares, insomnia), diet challenges (e.g., gastrointestinal upset), physical health issues (e.g., headaches, back or joint pain, psychophysiologic disorders), and behavioral health symptoms (e.g., brain fog, motivation, depression, anxiety, substance use, suicidal ideation and action). Academic, occupational, and social activities of daily living become impaired and imperiled.

Trauma-Informed Leadership as Antidote for Collective Occupational Trauma

I’m confident most readers of this blog know the value and success of Trauma-informed care (TIC). For those less familiar, five principles are intentionally woven into each interaction, bolstering intervention with individuals who have experienced or perceived trauma, whether single event or ongoing experiences: safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment. The intervention can be implemented in any setting with patients, their support systems, as well as those persons rendering their care.

TIC also serves as an antidote to mitigate collective occupational trauma, and can be aligned through Trauma-informed leadership (TIL). This unique approach expands on Servant, Transformational, and other leadership models that encourage managers “step-up and in” to support staff. TIL shifts the long-held “process and roll” culture of healthcare organizations. Instead, a new atmosphere is created where leadership and staff relationships are nurtured with actionable efforts: partnering toward meaningful, reciprocal interactions that empower (staff) resilience. TIL strategies include, but are not limited to these 10 tactics:

  • Encouraging staff to “Take 10”, whether:
    • 10 seconds to breathe
    • 10 minutes for fresh air, grounding, or use of the Calm App
    • 10 hours, or a mental health day to restore resilience
    • 10 days, yup, it’s vacation time
    • 10 weeks or 10 months means a whole different conversation, and potentially a job change
  • Providing attention to staff health, mental health, and well-being:
    • Monitor for signs and levels of stress: from agitation, sadness, frustration, to more profound forgetfulness, chronic illness exacerbation, depression, or anxiety.
    • Decrease behavioral health stigma through discussion & referrals for intervention, as needed
    • Support and model self-care
  • Engaging in 2-way communication:
    • Don’t just tell staff what to do, but also why
  • Staying visible and accessible to staff
  • Recognizing not only staff limits and vulnerability, but acknowledging those as the leader
  • Building team camaraderie vs. opposing fronts of leadership and staff, or among staff
  • Providing encouragement when, and where possible
  • Establishing and addressing the root cause of retention issues
  • For virtual roles, ensuring visual interactions where leaders “see” staff several times during the week; cameras and webcams on!
  • Recognizing culture shifts are not achieved by a “one and done” approach; stay consistent for the long-term win.

Let these times inspire your opportunity to rebuild, fortify, and sustain the workforce. TIL is a solid means to accomplish this endeavor. Feel free to reach out to me with questions at efssupervision@me.com.

This blog post originally appeared on PACEsConnection

Workforce Trauma, Shortages, and Retention are Interprofessional Challenges: Resolution Tactics

Disregard for the health, mental health, and well-being of all members of the workforce is a grave concern. What tactics can be implemented?

The full scope of professionals must be recognized for their sacrifices and dedication to patient wellness; anything less is unacceptable.

 One year ago, I wrote how the pandemic, and other societal narratives prompted a new dimension of collective occupational trauma; an already worn workforce was forced to wrestle with constant and intense levels of suffering. As we enter 2022, and year 3 of COVID’s wrath, this trauma remains unrelenting. Pervasive burnout, retention issues, and staff shortages are ravaging disciplines and settings, cumulative costs into the billions. These realities put quality patient care at severe risk.

     Global data emphasizes the impact of chronic and recurrent COVID-waves for front-line physicians and nurses; no doubt these disciplines have endured, and continue to take a powerful hit; >80% ready to leave the industry. The ‘Great Resignation’ is decimating healthcare, the sector experiencing the largest job transition rates and among the highest number of job openings. Concern exists whether there will be enough practitioners to render care. However, what of other disciplines? Disregard for the health, mental health, and well-being of all members of the workforce is a grave concern.

The Entire Workforce Mandates Attention

     The health and behavioral health workforce is vast and comprises many professional disciplines: behavioral health professionals (behavioral analysts, counselors, social workers, psychologists), case managers, community health workers, medical assistants, nutritionists, pharmacists, phlebotomists, psychiatrists, public health workers, rehabilitation professionals, and respiratory therapists, etc. Valued personnel are also employed by other sectors (e.g., schools, businesses, prisons), such as teachers, occupational health, and school nurses, to name a few. Each of these groups have suffered more than their share of deaths, illness, and long-haul syndrome disability; the mental and emotional toll of their work yielding intense emotional trauma across:

Despite these graphic realities, too many personnel are excluded from industry/employer recognition for their contributions to the pandemic, whether awards or merit raises. Even media focus on these individuals is limited. A recent article discussing, hazard pay, focused on nurses and doctors alone; why are others not deserving?

     A vicious cycle unfolds where stressed, underappreciated team members experience a higher incidence of negative mood, emotional exhaustion, and thus, increased medical errors. More than 250,000 medical errors and 100,000 deaths annually were attributed to workforce frustration pre-pandemic; poor team member communication and fragmented care ensued with a ripple effect of order entry mistakes, medication, and treatment missteps, among other occurrences. Considering all the disciplines to interact with patients, at what point does the risk to patient care become too great?

Professional Advocacy is a Mandate

     There must be greater advocacy and action to acknowledge the vital interprofessional contributions rendered by entire workforce. Professional associations, their leadership, and those in positions to do so, must assert influence to promote the value of their requisite members. Language promoting self-care and professional advocacy has started to appear in standards of practice and ethical codes. However, these efforts must continue to amplify. Many colleagues actively use their social media presence to write articles, blogs, and other messaging to lead this charge; more must join the discussion and advocate for action through employers, and the industry overall. Media attention to this cause must be swift, fierce, and consistent.

There must be collective accountability across the professional landscape to acknowledge, and reconcile this issue, spanning academia, credentialing and regulatory entities, professional associations, and of course, employers. Workforce sustainability directly impacts quality health and behavioral healthcare, ultimately saving lives and dollars. Reaching this goal takes the expertise and contribution of each interprofessional team member.

How this goal is accomplished varies across each setting and far from a cookie-cutter approach, spanning:

  • tangible acknowledgements and recognition (e.g., free staff meals, merit raises or other benefit enhancements, staff appreciation awards, weekly formal and informal “shout-outs” of workforce contributions)
  • investment in staff professional development, as in payment for professional association dues, credentialing, continuing education
  • implementation of on-site mental health programming
  • scheduling teamwork celebrations
  • flexible scheduling as possible
  • plan departmental/organizational townhall meetings with actionable items and follow-up on deliverables
  • ensure staff mentoring and support programs
  • have informal staff-check ins
  • effective communication by leadership with staff (include the why of each action)
  • provide a culture where all persons, and their input are valued and respected
  • deliver and demonstrate consistent verbal appreciation
  • ensure professional regulations, credentialing entities, and associations highlight professional self-care and advocacy in all standards, and hold requisite workforce members and employers accountable to uphold the language
  • set a tone of mutual respect in academia and education programs through collaborative programs, events, and classroom activities (e.g., co-teaching across disciplines and programs) that empower interprofessional learning
  • implementation of Trauma-informed Leadership models and strategies (PS: my last blog post will jump-start this action)
  • Have other ideas? Add them below in the comments section

The full scope of professionals must be recognized for their sacrifices and dedication to patient wellness; anything less is unacceptable.

This blog post originally appeared on PACEsConnection

Bio: Ellen Fink-Samnick is an award-winning industry subject matter expert on interprofessional ethics, wholistic health equity, trauma-informed leadership, and supervision. She is an esteemed professional speaker, author, and knowledge developer with academic appointments at George Mason University and the University of Buffalo. Ellen is a clinical supervision trainer for NASW of Virginia, and serves in national leadership and consultant roles. She is also a Doctoral in Behavioral Health Candidate at Cummings Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health Studies. Further information is available on her LinkedIn Bio and website

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