The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71224

Ann Ueda¹, Harold J. Phillips², and Jeremy Holman¹. (1) Boston AIDS Consortium, 140 Clarendon St, Boston, MA 02116, 617-867-0144, aueda@bacboston.org, (2) Phillips Solutions, 64 Pleasant Street, Charlestown, MA 02112

During the 21st century, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts that “minorities” of non-Caucasian racial and ethnic groups will eventually constitute the majority of the United States population. This is a significant demographic change that will result in an increased need for health care and public health services by these same groups. Additionally, current research shows the existence of health disparities among and unequal access to health care by people of color; if unaddressed, these issues may only worsen and eventually impact the overall health status of the U.S. Thus, now is the time for the health care workers and public health professionals to develop the skills that are necessary to providing competent, sensitive, and respectful care and services to people of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This presentation will describe the process and content of a cultural and linguistic competency (CALC) training module that was developed in Massachusetts for HIV/AIDS providers who see, treat, or otherwise serve people of color. The CALC module incorporates several recommendations developed and issued by the U.S. Office of Minority Health for improving cultural and linguistic competency in health care, including the convening of a community advisory group to help guide the content development of local trainings. Lessons learned, challenges, innovative training ideas, and unresolved issues will be shared from the Massachusetts experience, and the presentation will end with a set of recommendations for others who wish to develop their own CALC trainings or replicate the Massachusetts training module.

Learning Objectives:

• 3. Become familiar with the 2001 national recommendations for building cultural and linguistic competency in health care, prepared by the US Office of Minority Health.
  6. Identify competency issues that are important to reducing health disparities, providing quality care, and increasing access to health care services for culturally and linguistically different populations.
  9. Learn how and why the involvement of a community advisory group can be critical to designing effective cultural and linguistic competency trainings.
  12. Apply lessons learned from a statewide initiative to design a more effective cultural and linguistic competency training in Massachusetts that emphasizes implementation and use of new skills.

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Training

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I am employed at the Boston AIDS Consortium and the project I will be discussing is funded by the U.S. Office of Minority Health/DHHS.