You don't have to be bilingual to be culturally and linguistic competent. Learn how to provide mental health and substance abuse services to non-English speaking consumers.

1. Carlos F. Martinez, MHA, M.Ed.

2.  What is Cultural Competence?
 What is Linguistic Competence?
 What is Title VI?

3.  CulturalCompetence is a set of
congruent behaviors, attitudes, and
policies that come together in a
system, agency, or among
professionals that enable them to work
effectively in cross-cultural situations.
CULTURAL COMPETENCE IS AN ONGOING PROCESS

4.  Cultural competence begins with an
honest desire not to allow biases to keep
us from treating individuals with respect.
 It requires an honest assessment of our
positive and negative assumptions about
others.
 It requires us to avoid negative
stereotypes and prejudices.

5.  Cultural Competence = Quality of Care
 Cultural Competence = Disparity Reduction
 Cultural Competence = Risk Management
 Cultural Competence = Parity (within MH
system)
 Cultural Competence = Linguistic
Competence
 Cultural Competence = A Social
Responsibility

6. Asians
Latinos/Hispanics
ETIC Approach Blacks
Whites
etc.
Vietnam individual
Mexican individual
African A. individual
EMIC Approach Haitian individual
Anglo individual
6

7.  Cultural Efficiency
 Cultural Competence
 Cultural Pre-Competence
 Cultural Blindness
 Cultural Incapacity
 Cultural Destructiveness
By Georgetown University’s Child Development Center
(Cross, Bazaron, Dennis & Isaacs, 1989)

8. The capacity of an organization and its
personnel to communicate effectively and to
convey information in a manner that is
easily understood by diverse audiences;
including persons of limited English
proficiency, those who have low literacy
skills or are not literate, individuals with
disabilities, and those who are deaf or hard
of hearing.

9.  Linguistic competence requires
organizational and provider capacity to
respond effectively to the health and mental
health literacy needs of populations served.
 Organizations must have policies, structures,
practices, procedures and dedicated
resources to support the capacity.

10. Linguistically competent agencies have:
 Bilingual/bicultural or
multilingual/multicultural staff
 Cultural brokers
 Foreign language interpretation services
including distance technologies
 Sign language interpretation services
 TTY and other assistive technology devices
 Print materials in easy to read, low literacy,
picture and symbol formats

11.  Materials in alternative formats (e.g.,
audiotape, Braille, enlarged print)
 Legally binding documents (e.g., consent
forms, confidentiality and consumer rights
statements, release of information,
applications)
 Health education materials
 Public awareness materials and campaigns
 Information in the media in languages other
than English (e.g., television, radio, Internet,
newspapers, periodicals)
 Signage

12.  TitleVI is part of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, and its implementing
regulations mandate that no person
shall be subject to discrimination on
the basis of race, color, or national
origin under any program or activity
that receives federal financial
assistance.

13.  Title VI applies to any organization or
individual that receives federal financial
assistance, either directly or indirectly, through
a grant, contract or subcontract.
 Includes DHHS, all county social services,
health departments, area mental health
agencies, and other local agencies that
receive federal money.
 Examples: hospitals, nursing homes, home
health agencies, HMOs, health service
providers and human services agencies.

14.  When interpretation is needed and
is reasonable, it should be provided
in a timely manner.
 To be meaningfully effective,
language assistance should be
timely.
 Language assistance should be
provided at a time and place that
avoids the effective denial of the
service.

15.  Explain to the LEP individual (through
your interpreter) that they have a right
to a “free of charge” interpreter.
 Explain the complications of interpreting
and if they refuse, they have a right to
use their own.
 Be sure to document this action for
liability and compliance purposes.
 Never allow a child to interpret.

16.  Loss of federal funds
 Loss of future federal and state funding
 Subject to legal actions from the
NCDHHS, legal services organizations,
and private individuals
 Possible “Informed Consent” issues
which could lead to medical malpractice
charges
Source: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/ocs/title6.htm

17. Best Practices…
:
NOT Recommended
•Bilingual/Bicultural Practices
Professionals •Use of interpreters
•Frontline bilingual support •Use of family members
staff /children to interpret
•Double-sided bilingual •Only English language
forms (Releases, consumer’s forms prepared for
rights, confidentiality, consumer’s signature
consent for services) •Voice mail with only English
•Bilingual materials in lobby options
•Building signage •Unresolved prejudices
•Special aid to illiterate •Inaccurate diagnoses and
clients treatment due to lack of
•Negotiate alternative cultural knowledge
cultural treatments

18. THANK YOU
GRACIAS