Health Equity | Vermont Department of Health
Source: http://healthvermont.gov/about/our-vision-mission-values/health-equity
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:09
Health Equity | Vermont Department of Health
Skip to main content
MENU
x
CLOSE
Translations for you
Health Equity
Our Vision, Mission & Values
Accreditation
Health Equity
Health Equity Advisory Commission
Health in All Policies
Indigenous Communities and Health
Our History
Health Equity — what does it mean?
Health Equity exists when all people have a fair and just opportunity to be healthy, especially those who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage, historical injustice, and other avoidable systemic inequalities that are often associated with social categories of race, gender, ethnicity, social position, sexual orientation and disability.
Health is shaped by where we live, learn, work and play. Some people in Vermont have more opportunities than others to enjoy good health and a high quality of life. Vermonters who identify as white and heterosexual, who are non-disabled, live in urban or suburban areas, or are middle or upper class generally have better health compared to other Vermonters. These are health inequities and together with our partners we are committed to addressing them.
Health Equity is centered in our
strategic plan
and a cornerstone of our
State Health Assessment and State Health Improvement Plan
. Learn more about the Health Equity Capacity Building Program's funding opportunity in our work to reduce health disparities through community partnerships and capacity-building support.
Health Equity Newsletter
Our monthly health equity newsletter will let you know about Vermont news and events. We'll share resources to keep you informed on national news driving health equity practices. See the
latest newsletter
.
Sign up for the Health Equity Newsletter!
Our Work
Important Links
Health Equity Data
Stories of Resilience & Innovation
Read about the impact.
Read about the impact.
Community Engagement is Health Equity!
Get the Community Engagement Guide
Get the Community Engagement Guide
Health Equity Grant Evaluation Report
Documents and assesses the impacts, successes and challenges of the Office of Health Equity Integration's work funded by the CDC Health Disparities grant.
What is health equity?
According to Healthy People 2020, health equity is defined as
"the attainment of the highest level of health for all people. Achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally with focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and health care disparities."
Not everyone in Vermont has equal access to the conditions that favor health. Some people live in areas where there aren’t many doctors or dentists and have to travel greater distances for care. Some live in areas where it’s hard to access healthy food or where it’s not safe to take a walk. Some face prejudice or discrimination because of the color of their skin, their gender, sexuality, gender identity, age, country of origin, socioeconomic status, geography, or for having a disability. These conditions or characteristics can affect a person's ability to lead a healthy life – and can result in health disparities, or unequal health outcomes – based on their group membership.
By viewing public health through a health equity lens, we are more likely to reach the people and communities most in need of our support.
Community engagement - health equity capacity building program
We work with communities across the state on the health issues that matter to them. We know that community members bring unique knowledge and abilities to support health. This is an important part of the work of our 12 local health offices.
We must also do more to build relationships with communities that experience the greatest inequities. This is a goal in our
State Health Improvement Plan
.
Read
Advancing Health Equity in Vermont: Community Success Stories
Community Organizations Receiving Funding for Health Equity Capacity Building Grants
Funding has been made available for community-based organizations that are working to address health disparities in Vermont. Through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Vermont Department of Health has established a Health Equity Capacity Building Program that, in partnership with the Vermont Community Foundation, provides financial and technical support opportunities for community organizations to build their program capacity.
“The COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on health inequities across the country as well as here in Vermont,” said Deputy Health Commissioner Kelly Dougherty. “We learned many lessons and forged important, new partnerships to support under-resourced communities. These grants and the expertise of the Vermont Community Foundation create an unprecedented opportunity to provide communities with significant resources to address health equity.”
The Health Department has identified reducing health disparities and promoting health equity as fundamental priorities, and
the state of Vermont has declared racism to be a public health emergency
. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, community-based organizations have been key to effectively reaching populations who are at higher risk as well as those who have been historically underserved. The Health Equity Capacity Building program incorporates lessons learned from efforts to protect and promote the health of Vermonters who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage, historical injustice, and systemic racism.
The Department of Health is awarding the Health Equity Capacity Building grants — expected to be in amounts of at least $25,000, with an average of $150,000. The Vermont Community Foundation is supporting the program as a facilitator of the application and technical assistance process.
In addition, through this process, the Vermont Community Foundation will provide opportunities for technical assistance to organizations for building their capacity and infrastructure to meet the requirements to receive federal funds. Those applications were accepted on a rolling basis starting on June 1, 2022. The application process is now closed.
Find out what grantees are working on
For more information, please visit
vermontcf.org/health-equity
.
Health Equity Integration community equity grantees summary
Abenaki Helping Abenaki
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Nulhegan and Elnu tribes of the Abenaki Nation's continue to work together on various projects to help their citizens recover from the damages caused by COVID, and to improve physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Aging in Hartland
Project Reach: Windsor County
Project Description: Aging in Hartland connect residents aged 60 plus (about one third of our population) to resources to help them continue to find meaning, connection, and support services as they age in their own homes in a community they love. Our served population is seniors living in a rural area, some of whom have disabilities, insecure housing, and/or poverty.
All Brains Belong VT
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Expand access to health service and community connection for Vermonters with Disabilities. Neurodivergent people with disabilities have higher rates of COVID complications, death, and barriers to care. All Brains Belong seeks to serve more clients, add a resource coordinator, and provide community-wide training
Bi-State Primary Care Association
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Bi-State Primary Care Association (Bi-State) supports the FQHCs and other safety-net providers with training and technical assistance. FQHCs have expressed the desire for training and resources to support the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) work. Through this funding opportunity, Bi-State will increase and enhance JEDI training and resources to FQHCs.
Come Alive Outside
Project Reach: Rutland County
Project Description: Come Alive Outside aims to increase inclusion, access, and equity outdoors for underserved populations who face the highest health inequities. The organization seeks to support capacity to enhance community outreach and customized outdoor wellness programs with priority populations.
Conscious Homestead
Fiscal Sponsor: Community Resilience Organizations
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: Conscious Homestead is a BIPOC-led community care network across unceded Abenaki lands in Vermont. Together, the organization practices being givers and/or receivers of care. They center Indigenous wisdom and provide healing offerings from their hearts to one another in racial affinity.
Greater Falls Connections
Fiscal Sponsor: Health Care Rehabilitation Services
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: Greater Falls Connections and Friends for Change continue to expand their trauma-transformed initiatives to empower historically marginalized families in culturally relevant healing, restoring dignity, and centering their vision of community and belonging.
Inner Space
Fiscal Sponsor: United Way of Northwestern Vermont
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: Inner Space is a health serving organization for people who have experienced systemic oppression and all those furthest from justice. The organization takes an interdisciplinary team approach to client treatment by bringing allopathic, ancestral, and communal medicine together under one roof.
Janet S Munt Family Room
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: A Parent Child Center located in the Old North End (ONE) of Burlington primarily supporting under-served populations. The organization’s serves to provide a space that builds healthy, connected communities by supporting families and young children ages prenatal to 5 years old.
Maquam Bay of Missisquoi
Project Reach: Franklin County
Project Description: The Maquam Bay of Missisquoi, Inc. currently provides programming through an onsite food pantry, domestic violence programs, and COVID-focused programming. The organization continues to enhance health and wellness programming necessary for enhancing community health and wellness including training and technical assistance for office technology and creating culturally appropriate promotional materials.
Open Door Clinic
Project Reach: Addison County
Project Description: Open Door Clinic continues to be highly involved in managing local outbreaks on farms and orchards through educating, testing, and enhancing language access through the arc of their illnesses. Funding under this grant agreement will continue to support those initiatives and expand their model of care by expanding access to health and communication services.
Orleans County Restorative Justice Center
Fiscal Sponsor: Northeast Kingdom Learning Services
Project Reach: Orleans County
Project Description: Orleans County Restorative Justice Center will build capacity in regional organizations and agencies, to further understand and include justice involved families/ individuals in health planning, delivery, and outreach in Orleans-N. Essex counties. The organization strives to combine practical work with navigation and advocacy.
Out in the Open
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: Out in the Open continues to expand their Health Equity & Access for Rural TLGBQ+ (HEART) Program. HEART is a peer health advocacy program aimed at improving health outcomes, including COVID and COVID recovery, for rural transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Vermonters.
Outright Vermont
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Outright will continue to connect LGBTQ+ youth across Vermont to joyful, affirming, accessible support by: launching a new online learning platform; developing a 3-year strategic plan; and adding development, education, and administrative staff.
Pride Center of Vermont
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Pride Center of Vermont (PCVT) seeks to address the health needs of Vermont’s LGBTQ+ Communities by building strong a network of Healthcare Providers and empowering LGBTQ+ Queer to peer health skill sharing.
Social Tinkering
Project Reach: Rutland County, Statewide
Project Description: Social Tinkering will continue to engage in strategic planning and the hiring of a grant writer to bring our Rutland County Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) framework to a statewide level.
Sunrise Family Resource Center
Project Reach: Bennington County
Project Description: Sunrise Family Resource Center continues to support families in achieving transportation independence. Addressing systematic and socioeconomic barrier to transportation access will empower families to fully participate in their lives and community, while generating a multi-generational impact.
SUSU CommUNITY Farm
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: SUSU CommUNITY Farm stives to build a network upon the stolen Abenaki land, known as Vermont, where Brown, Black and nonhuman kin can coexist in peace, love and rest. The organization continues to teach, nourish, grow healthy foods, heal in commUNITY, and care for each other. Through this partnership, the organization will enhance their nonprofit management, operating, and financial management systems.
The Root Social Justice Center
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: The Root Social Justice Center will enhance a healing and wellness series while developing health-related resources and supports to meet the self-identified needs of the BIPOC community, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+, in and around Brattleboro, VT.
United Way of Lamoille County
Project Reach: Lamoille County
Project Description: United Way of Lamoille County continues to enhance their services through The Lamoille County Mobile Rural Resource Navigator initiative. The project optimizes the use of local resources to reduce barriers to healthcare, employment, and community involvement.
United Way of Windham County
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: Windham County has a population of 80 newly arrived Afghan refugees, which will swell to 100 by the end of 2022, and a growing population of asylum seekers that are fleeing systemic violence and oppression. Dental care remains one of the most prevalent unmet health needs – particularly amongst BIPOC Vermonters, to include refugee and asylum-seekers. By addressing preventative and therapeutic dental services for this population in Windham County, with focused attention on the social determinants of health, United Way of Windham County is renewing the social contract for health of all neighbors.
Vermont CARES
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Vermont CARES is a 35-year-old AIDS Service Organization. The organization provides life-saving harm reduction services, education and resources to Vermonters affected by HIV, Hepatitis C and substance use by increasing access to care, reducing social stigmas, and building relationships. The funded project will support the organization’s financial management systems, building up a foundation needed to improve financial stability and future.
Vermont Cultural Brokering Program
Fiscal Sponsor: Spectrum Youth and Family Services
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Since 2014 The VT Cultural Brokering Program has been training and employing refugee and immigrant community members as Cultural Brokers who conduct outreach, screenings, interventions, and referrals for members of specific communities. The overarching aim of the Cultural Broker program is to provide “…integrated and early intervention services to Vermont’s refugee and immigrant communities to improve health equity amongst those communities.”
Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: The VT Developmental Disabilities Council will continue to lead the Inclusive Healthcare Partnership Project in partnership with Green Mountain Self-Advocates. The project aims to improve health literacy among adults with developmental disabilities and increasing provider confidence in delivering healthcare to this population.
Vermont Health Equity Initiative
Fiscal Sponsor: VT Professionals of Color Network
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: VT Health Equity Initiative strives to identify, bring clarity to, and address mental health disparities. The organization will achieve this by elevating local stories, measuring and sharing critical data, unifying institutions, community organizations, and local leaders under a common goal to improve BIPOC mental health.
Vermont Language Justice Project
Fiscal Sponsor: Chittenden Community Television
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Vermont Language Justice Project expands language justice in Vermont through partnerships, technical assistance and the regular production and distribution of essential public health information in audio/video formats 15 languages for English Language Learners in Vermont.
Vermont Racial Justice Alliance
Fiscal Sponsor: Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: VT Racial Justice Alliance continues to enhance health equity through the eradication of systemic racism in the health system and social determinants of health. The organization expands programs and services to marginalized communities where otherwise historically ineffective or nonexistent and creates new, equitable systems that provide access to opportunity.
Vermont Psychiatric Survivors, Inc.
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: VT Psychiatric Survivors is a statewide mutual support and civil rights advocacy organization run by and for psychiatric survivors. The organization will work with consultants to facilitate development of a strategic plan, build capacity for grant writing, build sustainable programming for staff, and educate health providers on bias and health equity.
Winooski Parents & Students Project
Fiscal Sponsor: The Peace and Justice Center
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: The Winooski Parents & Students Project (WPS) is an initiative of a community-based project led by immigrants and refugees who serve their own communities by promoting civic engagement, advocacy in educational policy, socio-economic and systematic reform. Marginalized, underserved, underrepresented, and low-income community members with various ethnic backgrounds gain leadership skills through community organizing, capacity building programs, empowerment/educational trainings, leadership and management positions while making changes in their local and socio-economic systems in Winooski, Vermont.
Winooski Valley Park District
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: Winooski Valley Park District continues to enhance Vermont Indigenous Community Wellness through biocultural revival and restoration at the Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center. The project will enhance program outreach and the first phase of a wellness trail at the Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center in Burlington.
Cultural humility
We create opportunities for staff and partners to critically analyze beliefs and systems so that we can provide services that are respectful, trauma-informed, and culturally- and linguistically-appropriate. Our Office of Health Equity provides training and technical assistance to support this work throughout the department.
Culturally and linguistically appropriate care
One way to advance health equity is to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services. We integrate the
National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Healthcare (CLAS Standards)
in our work across the Department.
Reflect and respect diversity
To successfully create opportunities for health it is important for our workforce to reflect the diversity of our communities and for our workplace culture to value everyone’s different life experiences. This culture of mutual respect and acceptance increases job satisfaction as well as programmatic success.
We promote affirmative hiring and incorporate strategies for affirmative recruitment in our hiring guide.
Plan, track and evaluate
In 2017 we made the choice to incorporate health equity into our
State Health Assessment
and
State Health Improvement Plan
. These plans guide the health priorities of the department and our partners across the state. We aimed to
focus on equity
throughout the process of developing these documents, including in the questions we asked, partners and individuals who participated in the development process, and data we examined.
We look at health equity in our health tracking plans and tools:
Healthy Vermonters 2030
State Health Improvement Plan
Vermont Social Vulnerability Index (link is external)
We also track determinants of health and equity in the
Determinants of Health and Equity Scorecard.
Language access, interpretation and translation
We aim for information from the Health Department to be accessible to everyone living in Vermont. Sometimes this means we translate documents or write using plain language. Other times it means thinking about who is delivering information, the format the communication takes, or where a meeting takes place.
Print and video information in English and a number of other languages spoken in Vermont are available on our website –
Translated Information
Monitor health disparities
We collect and analyze data on the diversity of Vermonters. This includes data on gender identity, race, sexual identity, and income. This way we know what we are doing well and where we have room for improvement.
We also work with our staff and partners to collect data about social conditions, such as access to transportation, housing conditions, and employment since we know these contribute to health. Some of the ways we monitor this data includes:
Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Adult Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
Disability data pages: HealthVermont.gov
Monitoring Health Disparities and Inequities
We collect and analyze data on the diversity of Vermonters. This includes data on gender identity, race, sexual identity, and income. This way we know what we are doing well and where we have room for improvement.
We also work with our staff and partners to collect data about social conditions, such as access to transportation, housing conditions, and employment since we know these contribute to health. Some of the ways we monitor this data includes:
Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Adult Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
Disability data pages: HealthVermont.gov
Current Efforts within VDH (partial list):
STRETCH
(Strategies to Repair Equity and Transform Community Health) Initiative
Community Engagement Guide
Equity Assessment tools (in development)
Affirmative recruitment and hiring practices
Vermont Social Vulnerability Index
Internal trainings/workshops (e.g. Disability Allyship, Power-sharing)
Language access plan
Learn More
Trainings
Roots of Health Inequity
Tools and Resources
Health Equity Glossary
: Developed by the Health Department this includes both a glossary of terms and resources to learn more.
Health Equity FAQs
: FAQs about health equity work at the Health Department
Health Equity Guide
, Human Impact Partners
A New Way to Talk About the Social Determinants of Health
, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Guidelines for Achieving Health and Health Equity (NACCHO)
American Public Health Association
Dr. Camara Jones TED Talk
Vermont-specific Resources
Episodes from VPR’s award-winning podcast, Brave Little State
Topics:
Health Equity
|
Health Impact Assessment
|
Healthy Communities
|
Minority Health
|
Quality Improvement
Last Updated:
February 27, 2026
Skip to main content
MENU
x
CLOSE
Translations for you
Health Equity
Our Vision, Mission & Values
Accreditation
Health Equity
Health Equity Advisory Commission
Health in All Policies
Indigenous Communities and Health
Our History
Health Equity — what does it mean?
Health Equity exists when all people have a fair and just opportunity to be healthy, especially those who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage, historical injustice, and other avoidable systemic inequalities that are often associated with social categories of race, gender, ethnicity, social position, sexual orientation and disability.
Health is shaped by where we live, learn, work and play. Some people in Vermont have more opportunities than others to enjoy good health and a high quality of life. Vermonters who identify as white and heterosexual, who are non-disabled, live in urban or suburban areas, or are middle or upper class generally have better health compared to other Vermonters. These are health inequities and together with our partners we are committed to addressing them.
Health Equity is centered in our
strategic plan
and a cornerstone of our
State Health Assessment and State Health Improvement Plan
. Learn more about the Health Equity Capacity Building Program's funding opportunity in our work to reduce health disparities through community partnerships and capacity-building support.
Health Equity Newsletter
Our monthly health equity newsletter will let you know about Vermont news and events. We'll share resources to keep you informed on national news driving health equity practices. See the
latest newsletter
.
Sign up for the Health Equity Newsletter!
Our Work
Important Links
Health Equity Data
Stories of Resilience & Innovation
Read about the impact.
Read about the impact.
Community Engagement is Health Equity!
Get the Community Engagement Guide
Get the Community Engagement Guide
Health Equity Grant Evaluation Report
Documents and assesses the impacts, successes and challenges of the Office of Health Equity Integration's work funded by the CDC Health Disparities grant.
What is health equity?
According to Healthy People 2020, health equity is defined as
"the attainment of the highest level of health for all people. Achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally with focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and health care disparities."
Not everyone in Vermont has equal access to the conditions that favor health. Some people live in areas where there aren’t many doctors or dentists and have to travel greater distances for care. Some live in areas where it’s hard to access healthy food or where it’s not safe to take a walk. Some face prejudice or discrimination because of the color of their skin, their gender, sexuality, gender identity, age, country of origin, socioeconomic status, geography, or for having a disability. These conditions or characteristics can affect a person's ability to lead a healthy life – and can result in health disparities, or unequal health outcomes – based on their group membership.
By viewing public health through a health equity lens, we are more likely to reach the people and communities most in need of our support.
Community engagement - health equity capacity building program
We work with communities across the state on the health issues that matter to them. We know that community members bring unique knowledge and abilities to support health. This is an important part of the work of our 12 local health offices.
We must also do more to build relationships with communities that experience the greatest inequities. This is a goal in our
State Health Improvement Plan
.
Read
Advancing Health Equity in Vermont: Community Success Stories
Community Organizations Receiving Funding for Health Equity Capacity Building Grants
Funding has been made available for community-based organizations that are working to address health disparities in Vermont. Through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Vermont Department of Health has established a Health Equity Capacity Building Program that, in partnership with the Vermont Community Foundation, provides financial and technical support opportunities for community organizations to build their program capacity.
“The COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on health inequities across the country as well as here in Vermont,” said Deputy Health Commissioner Kelly Dougherty. “We learned many lessons and forged important, new partnerships to support under-resourced communities. These grants and the expertise of the Vermont Community Foundation create an unprecedented opportunity to provide communities with significant resources to address health equity.”
The Health Department has identified reducing health disparities and promoting health equity as fundamental priorities, and
the state of Vermont has declared racism to be a public health emergency
. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, community-based organizations have been key to effectively reaching populations who are at higher risk as well as those who have been historically underserved. The Health Equity Capacity Building program incorporates lessons learned from efforts to protect and promote the health of Vermonters who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage, historical injustice, and systemic racism.
The Department of Health is awarding the Health Equity Capacity Building grants — expected to be in amounts of at least $25,000, with an average of $150,000. The Vermont Community Foundation is supporting the program as a facilitator of the application and technical assistance process.
In addition, through this process, the Vermont Community Foundation will provide opportunities for technical assistance to organizations for building their capacity and infrastructure to meet the requirements to receive federal funds. Those applications were accepted on a rolling basis starting on June 1, 2022. The application process is now closed.
Find out what grantees are working on
For more information, please visit
vermontcf.org/health-equity
.
Health Equity Integration community equity grantees summary
Abenaki Helping Abenaki
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Nulhegan and Elnu tribes of the Abenaki Nation's continue to work together on various projects to help their citizens recover from the damages caused by COVID, and to improve physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Aging in Hartland
Project Reach: Windsor County
Project Description: Aging in Hartland connect residents aged 60 plus (about one third of our population) to resources to help them continue to find meaning, connection, and support services as they age in their own homes in a community they love. Our served population is seniors living in a rural area, some of whom have disabilities, insecure housing, and/or poverty.
All Brains Belong VT
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Expand access to health service and community connection for Vermonters with Disabilities. Neurodivergent people with disabilities have higher rates of COVID complications, death, and barriers to care. All Brains Belong seeks to serve more clients, add a resource coordinator, and provide community-wide training
Bi-State Primary Care Association
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Bi-State Primary Care Association (Bi-State) supports the FQHCs and other safety-net providers with training and technical assistance. FQHCs have expressed the desire for training and resources to support the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) work. Through this funding opportunity, Bi-State will increase and enhance JEDI training and resources to FQHCs.
Come Alive Outside
Project Reach: Rutland County
Project Description: Come Alive Outside aims to increase inclusion, access, and equity outdoors for underserved populations who face the highest health inequities. The organization seeks to support capacity to enhance community outreach and customized outdoor wellness programs with priority populations.
Conscious Homestead
Fiscal Sponsor: Community Resilience Organizations
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: Conscious Homestead is a BIPOC-led community care network across unceded Abenaki lands in Vermont. Together, the organization practices being givers and/or receivers of care. They center Indigenous wisdom and provide healing offerings from their hearts to one another in racial affinity.
Greater Falls Connections
Fiscal Sponsor: Health Care Rehabilitation Services
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: Greater Falls Connections and Friends for Change continue to expand their trauma-transformed initiatives to empower historically marginalized families in culturally relevant healing, restoring dignity, and centering their vision of community and belonging.
Inner Space
Fiscal Sponsor: United Way of Northwestern Vermont
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: Inner Space is a health serving organization for people who have experienced systemic oppression and all those furthest from justice. The organization takes an interdisciplinary team approach to client treatment by bringing allopathic, ancestral, and communal medicine together under one roof.
Janet S Munt Family Room
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: A Parent Child Center located in the Old North End (ONE) of Burlington primarily supporting under-served populations. The organization’s serves to provide a space that builds healthy, connected communities by supporting families and young children ages prenatal to 5 years old.
Maquam Bay of Missisquoi
Project Reach: Franklin County
Project Description: The Maquam Bay of Missisquoi, Inc. currently provides programming through an onsite food pantry, domestic violence programs, and COVID-focused programming. The organization continues to enhance health and wellness programming necessary for enhancing community health and wellness including training and technical assistance for office technology and creating culturally appropriate promotional materials.
Open Door Clinic
Project Reach: Addison County
Project Description: Open Door Clinic continues to be highly involved in managing local outbreaks on farms and orchards through educating, testing, and enhancing language access through the arc of their illnesses. Funding under this grant agreement will continue to support those initiatives and expand their model of care by expanding access to health and communication services.
Orleans County Restorative Justice Center
Fiscal Sponsor: Northeast Kingdom Learning Services
Project Reach: Orleans County
Project Description: Orleans County Restorative Justice Center will build capacity in regional organizations and agencies, to further understand and include justice involved families/ individuals in health planning, delivery, and outreach in Orleans-N. Essex counties. The organization strives to combine practical work with navigation and advocacy.
Out in the Open
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: Out in the Open continues to expand their Health Equity & Access for Rural TLGBQ+ (HEART) Program. HEART is a peer health advocacy program aimed at improving health outcomes, including COVID and COVID recovery, for rural transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Vermonters.
Outright Vermont
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Outright will continue to connect LGBTQ+ youth across Vermont to joyful, affirming, accessible support by: launching a new online learning platform; developing a 3-year strategic plan; and adding development, education, and administrative staff.
Pride Center of Vermont
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Pride Center of Vermont (PCVT) seeks to address the health needs of Vermont’s LGBTQ+ Communities by building strong a network of Healthcare Providers and empowering LGBTQ+ Queer to peer health skill sharing.
Social Tinkering
Project Reach: Rutland County, Statewide
Project Description: Social Tinkering will continue to engage in strategic planning and the hiring of a grant writer to bring our Rutland County Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) framework to a statewide level.
Sunrise Family Resource Center
Project Reach: Bennington County
Project Description: Sunrise Family Resource Center continues to support families in achieving transportation independence. Addressing systematic and socioeconomic barrier to transportation access will empower families to fully participate in their lives and community, while generating a multi-generational impact.
SUSU CommUNITY Farm
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: SUSU CommUNITY Farm stives to build a network upon the stolen Abenaki land, known as Vermont, where Brown, Black and nonhuman kin can coexist in peace, love and rest. The organization continues to teach, nourish, grow healthy foods, heal in commUNITY, and care for each other. Through this partnership, the organization will enhance their nonprofit management, operating, and financial management systems.
The Root Social Justice Center
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: The Root Social Justice Center will enhance a healing and wellness series while developing health-related resources and supports to meet the self-identified needs of the BIPOC community, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+, in and around Brattleboro, VT.
United Way of Lamoille County
Project Reach: Lamoille County
Project Description: United Way of Lamoille County continues to enhance their services through The Lamoille County Mobile Rural Resource Navigator initiative. The project optimizes the use of local resources to reduce barriers to healthcare, employment, and community involvement.
United Way of Windham County
Project Reach: Windham County
Project Description: Windham County has a population of 80 newly arrived Afghan refugees, which will swell to 100 by the end of 2022, and a growing population of asylum seekers that are fleeing systemic violence and oppression. Dental care remains one of the most prevalent unmet health needs – particularly amongst BIPOC Vermonters, to include refugee and asylum-seekers. By addressing preventative and therapeutic dental services for this population in Windham County, with focused attention on the social determinants of health, United Way of Windham County is renewing the social contract for health of all neighbors.
Vermont CARES
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Vermont CARES is a 35-year-old AIDS Service Organization. The organization provides life-saving harm reduction services, education and resources to Vermonters affected by HIV, Hepatitis C and substance use by increasing access to care, reducing social stigmas, and building relationships. The funded project will support the organization’s financial management systems, building up a foundation needed to improve financial stability and future.
Vermont Cultural Brokering Program
Fiscal Sponsor: Spectrum Youth and Family Services
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Since 2014 The VT Cultural Brokering Program has been training and employing refugee and immigrant community members as Cultural Brokers who conduct outreach, screenings, interventions, and referrals for members of specific communities. The overarching aim of the Cultural Broker program is to provide “…integrated and early intervention services to Vermont’s refugee and immigrant communities to improve health equity amongst those communities.”
Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: The VT Developmental Disabilities Council will continue to lead the Inclusive Healthcare Partnership Project in partnership with Green Mountain Self-Advocates. The project aims to improve health literacy among adults with developmental disabilities and increasing provider confidence in delivering healthcare to this population.
Vermont Health Equity Initiative
Fiscal Sponsor: VT Professionals of Color Network
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: VT Health Equity Initiative strives to identify, bring clarity to, and address mental health disparities. The organization will achieve this by elevating local stories, measuring and sharing critical data, unifying institutions, community organizations, and local leaders under a common goal to improve BIPOC mental health.
Vermont Language Justice Project
Fiscal Sponsor: Chittenden Community Television
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: Vermont Language Justice Project expands language justice in Vermont through partnerships, technical assistance and the regular production and distribution of essential public health information in audio/video formats 15 languages for English Language Learners in Vermont.
Vermont Racial Justice Alliance
Fiscal Sponsor: Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: VT Racial Justice Alliance continues to enhance health equity through the eradication of systemic racism in the health system and social determinants of health. The organization expands programs and services to marginalized communities where otherwise historically ineffective or nonexistent and creates new, equitable systems that provide access to opportunity.
Vermont Psychiatric Survivors, Inc.
Project Reach: Statewide
Project Description: VT Psychiatric Survivors is a statewide mutual support and civil rights advocacy organization run by and for psychiatric survivors. The organization will work with consultants to facilitate development of a strategic plan, build capacity for grant writing, build sustainable programming for staff, and educate health providers on bias and health equity.
Winooski Parents & Students Project
Fiscal Sponsor: The Peace and Justice Center
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: The Winooski Parents & Students Project (WPS) is an initiative of a community-based project led by immigrants and refugees who serve their own communities by promoting civic engagement, advocacy in educational policy, socio-economic and systematic reform. Marginalized, underserved, underrepresented, and low-income community members with various ethnic backgrounds gain leadership skills through community organizing, capacity building programs, empowerment/educational trainings, leadership and management positions while making changes in their local and socio-economic systems in Winooski, Vermont.
Winooski Valley Park District
Project Reach: Chittenden County
Project Description: Winooski Valley Park District continues to enhance Vermont Indigenous Community Wellness through biocultural revival and restoration at the Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center. The project will enhance program outreach and the first phase of a wellness trail at the Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center in Burlington.
Cultural humility
We create opportunities for staff and partners to critically analyze beliefs and systems so that we can provide services that are respectful, trauma-informed, and culturally- and linguistically-appropriate. Our Office of Health Equity provides training and technical assistance to support this work throughout the department.
Culturally and linguistically appropriate care
One way to advance health equity is to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services. We integrate the
National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Healthcare (CLAS Standards)
in our work across the Department.
Reflect and respect diversity
To successfully create opportunities for health it is important for our workforce to reflect the diversity of our communities and for our workplace culture to value everyone’s different life experiences. This culture of mutual respect and acceptance increases job satisfaction as well as programmatic success.
We promote affirmative hiring and incorporate strategies for affirmative recruitment in our hiring guide.
Plan, track and evaluate
In 2017 we made the choice to incorporate health equity into our
State Health Assessment
and
State Health Improvement Plan
. These plans guide the health priorities of the department and our partners across the state. We aimed to
focus on equity
throughout the process of developing these documents, including in the questions we asked, partners and individuals who participated in the development process, and data we examined.
We look at health equity in our health tracking plans and tools:
Healthy Vermonters 2030
State Health Improvement Plan
Vermont Social Vulnerability Index (link is external)
We also track determinants of health and equity in the
Determinants of Health and Equity Scorecard.
Language access, interpretation and translation
We aim for information from the Health Department to be accessible to everyone living in Vermont. Sometimes this means we translate documents or write using plain language. Other times it means thinking about who is delivering information, the format the communication takes, or where a meeting takes place.
Print and video information in English and a number of other languages spoken in Vermont are available on our website –
Translated Information
Monitor health disparities
We collect and analyze data on the diversity of Vermonters. This includes data on gender identity, race, sexual identity, and income. This way we know what we are doing well and where we have room for improvement.
We also work with our staff and partners to collect data about social conditions, such as access to transportation, housing conditions, and employment since we know these contribute to health. Some of the ways we monitor this data includes:
Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Adult Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
Disability data pages: HealthVermont.gov
Monitoring Health Disparities and Inequities
We collect and analyze data on the diversity of Vermonters. This includes data on gender identity, race, sexual identity, and income. This way we know what we are doing well and where we have room for improvement.
We also work with our staff and partners to collect data about social conditions, such as access to transportation, housing conditions, and employment since we know these contribute to health. Some of the ways we monitor this data includes:
Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Adult Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
Disability data pages: HealthVermont.gov
Current Efforts within VDH (partial list):
STRETCH
(Strategies to Repair Equity and Transform Community Health) Initiative
Community Engagement Guide
Equity Assessment tools (in development)
Affirmative recruitment and hiring practices
Vermont Social Vulnerability Index
Internal trainings/workshops (e.g. Disability Allyship, Power-sharing)
Language access plan
Learn More
Trainings
Roots of Health Inequity
Tools and Resources
Health Equity Glossary
: Developed by the Health Department this includes both a glossary of terms and resources to learn more.
Health Equity FAQs
: FAQs about health equity work at the Health Department
Health Equity Guide
, Human Impact Partners
A New Way to Talk About the Social Determinants of Health
, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Guidelines for Achieving Health and Health Equity (NACCHO)
American Public Health Association
Dr. Camara Jones TED Talk
Vermont-specific Resources
Episodes from VPR’s award-winning podcast, Brave Little State
Topics:
Health Equity
|
Health Impact Assessment
|
Healthy Communities
|
Minority Health
|
Quality Improvement
Last Updated:
February 27, 2026