Description

Session Description

This workshop will begin by discussing the advancements in technologies that public health professionals to serve their communities more effectively, specifically, how the advancements in healthcare-related technologies assist us in reaching a larger number of populations in need of our services. The presenters will briefly provide an overview of those advancements and how technologies are increasingly more accessible to service providers that work to support individuals with a wide array of challenges such as mental health and substance use disorders, child welfare issues, legal aid, and the management of chronic medical conditions. Technology can be leveraged to generate meaningful data and illuminate systemic inequities that can lead to policy change. While certain barriers to access and training do exist, technology is a unifier. It allows even smaller community-based organizations to produce data that shows impact in the same way that a larger entity would. In a time when our workforce are navigating fewer resources, using these technologies could support grant opportunities and efficiencies in practice. Collecting and displaying transparent aggregate data about populations served allows organizations and communities to address health equity. Lastly, this workshop will highlight roles and opportunities in leading technology companies in the healthcare space that employ mental and behavioral health professionals in community engagement roles, account management, executive leadership, direct care, and more.

Session Takeaways

Takeaways for:

• The Individual - Emerging technologies can remove systemic barriers that often for marginalized populations, therefore unlocking  the possibilities for efficient direct interventions and resource allocation
  
  
• The Community - For-profit technology companies represent market opportunities for organizations to be compensated for their role in connecting communities.
  
  
• The System - Access to technology means access to data. This data can shine a flashlight on systemic inequities