ED’s Corner: Culturally Responsive Claims and Risk Management Services

By Clairmonte Cappelle, Executive Director

A few editions ago, I shared the Trust’s Pathway to Change, our roadmap to delivering to school district members and their staff culturally-responsive claims and risk management solutions in alignment with PSESD’s END of Success for Each Child and Eliminate the Opportunity Gap by Leading with Racial Equity.  Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed to us in a stark manner, the structural racial inequities that permeates all aspects of our culture, including education, and the call to action for creative solutions to avert a potentially widening opportunity gap.

Here at the Trust, we remain committed to our approach to creating the best possible experience for school districts and their staff.  That means being intentional about centering our services and solutions around school districts and their staff to meet workplace safety and claims needs and being accountable for our work.  Towards, this end, we capture voluntarily submitted heritage information from injured staff at the time of claim reporting to inform delivery of culturally responsive claims services.  We have reached out to school districts for workforce language proficiency knowledge to inform the translation of workplace health and safety resources so that staff understand and are understood for the purpose of creating a safer workplace for all staff.  In cases where we have partnered with vendors for service delivery, we only do so with vendors who commit to providing services that are in alignment with our culturally responsive approach. 

Shortly, Trust staff will begin exploring in depth how we can go further in our commitment to delivering services in a culturally responsive manner.  We would like to hear from you on how we are doing and what more we can do to eliminate gaps in our culturally responsive approach to service delivery.  Please feel free to reach out to any Client Relations Team Representative.  Also, please provide feedback when you receive our annual survey.

As we begin the school year under a pandemic, our commitment to you remains steadfast.  We value the partnership we have with our school district members and look forward to making your experience with us the best possible.