Episode 2. Structural Competency: A Framework to Analyze and Address Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities from an Enabling Services Lens

Health center efforts to advance health equity and address health disparities must include an analysis of the structural factors—social, economic, and political systems—that impact the health and quality of life of their patients and communities. Approaches related to cultural competency and social determinants of health are touted as effective ways to explain and address health disparities. Yet they are limited and often do not include an analysis of the root causes of poverty and inequities, which are largely due to policies, systems, and social hierarchies of structural racism, power, and privilege. 

In this episode, listeners will be introduced to the Structural Competency framework and related key concepts, including defining and discussing structural racism, naturalizing inequality, and structural violence and vulnerability. Listeners will develop a broader understanding of structures and have a lens and shared language to use in order to be better advocate for their patients and communities. Listeners will be able to apply the framework to identify individual, clinic, community, research and policy‐level initiatives relevant to health center programs and enabling services. The Structural Competency framework aims to strengthen the capacity of all health center and PCA staff—administrators, clinicians, and outreach workers—to identify, analyze, and address patient health and illness not solely as the outcome of individual actions or cultural factors, but rather as the product of social, political, and economic structures. Health center and PCA staff are trained in structural competency can (1) improve the work experience; (2) improve patient health outcomes; and (3) empower other staff and community partners to advocate for systemic change. 

Season 1, Episode 2: Structural Competency

Guest: Sonia Lee from Health Outreach Partners

Click the link for additional resources on Structural Competency from Health Outreach Partners.

Learning Objectives: 

• Discuss the Structural Competency framework and define the key concepts of structural violence, structural racism, structural vulnerability, and naturalizing inequality. 

• Conceptualize how to deliver care such as outreach and enabling services and advocate for communities using a structural competency lens. 

• Identify and discuss structural interventions pertinent to participants’ health centers and PCAs.