New Monographs Provide Better Understanding Of Cultural Competence
“Leaders should be able to take this monograph and understand where they are in their efforts to be a culturally competent service organization and identify areas of change,” Mario Hernandez, PhD, Principal Investigator
Two new monographs produced by the Research and Training Center (RTC) for Children’s Mental Health will help service organizations evaluate if they are providing culturally competent services that truly benefit minority children and youth with serious mental health issues and their families. Racial and ethnic minorities are a growing segment of the U.S. population and currently are either underserved and/or inappropriately served in the mental health system.
Both monographs are produced by the Center’s Study 5: “Accessibility of Mental Health Services: Identifying and Measuring Organizational Factors Associated with Reducing Mental Health Disparities.” One of six integrated research projects of the Center, Study 5 investigates how the concept of cultural competence can be operationalized and implemented within systems of care to improve access to services and supports and reduce mental health disparities.
With a focus on direct service, "Examining the Research Base: Supporting Cultural Competent Children’s Mental Health Services", edited by Mario Hernandez, Teresa Nesman, Mareasa Isaacs, Linda Callejas and Debra Mowery, reviews research literature related to child and family mental health among African Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, Latinos, and Native Americans and identifies strategies for providing culturally competent mental health services. Background information for each of the populations is also provided, including population characteristics and community context factors that influence the development, implementation, and operationalization of cultural competence in terms of access, availability, and utilization of mental health services. Recommendations for practice and research are provided for each racial/ethnic group in individual chapters, as well as a definition of organizational cultural competence developed from research literature findings.
“ In order for organizations and communities to truly provide culturally competent services, their services must be appropriate to the cultural contexts of the lives of the children and families they serve,” said Dr. Mario Hernandez. “Improving access and availability is key to reducing the health disparities for racially/ethnically diverse populations and improving mental health outcomes.”
A second monograph provides a process that organizations can go through to check the way they operate at an organizational level. "Organizational Cultural Competence: A Review of Assessment Protocols," edited by Maya Harper, Mario Hernandez, Teresa Nesman, Debra Mowery, Janice Worthington and Mareasa Isaacs, focuses on eight most common features (domains) in an organization providing culturally competent services. They are:
- Organizational Values
- Policies/Procedures/Governance
- Planning/Monitoring/Evaluation
- Communication
- Human Resource Development
- Community & Consumer Participation
- Facilitation of a Broad Service Array
- Organizational Resources
“ Leaders should be able to take this monograph and understand where they are in their efforts to be a culturally competent service organization and identify areas of change,” added Dr. Hernandez. “This new knowledge can assist in addressing a key issue related to health disparities identified by the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and the Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health.”