Guide to Equity Terminology – Promoting Behavioral Health Equity through the Words We Use
Guide to Equity Terminology: Promoting Behavioral Health Equity through the Words We Use
by Cori Cafaro, M.Sc., M.A., Office of Behavioral Health Equity Intern
In the field of behavioral health, words are often our primary tools. We don’t have hammers and saws, thermometers and stethoscopes, or brushes and palettes. Words are powerful tools and using them with intention is central to our craft.
“I’ll never forget, years ago, when I was asked to give a talk about tribes and behavioral health indicators, I presented the data showing higher rates of suicide, alcohol use, earlier ages of initiating substance use, etc. I thought I had done a good job of documenting ‘need’. However, a tribal leader came up to me saying I had painted such a negative view of their community, I had said nothing about the richness and the survival strengths of their tribe.”
This quote from Larke Huang, Director of the Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE), underscores how our words have the capacity to uplift communities or to marginalize them.
