Lessons learned from a virtual learning community for leaders in behavioral health systems on the implementation of the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care

To address the challenges of integrating culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) into behavioral health systems, the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health at Georgetown University and the Health Determinants and Disparities Practice at SRA International, Inc. created a virtual Learning Community in May 2014 to build organizational capacity to reduce behavioral health disparities. The Learning Community is designed to help leaders in behavioral health systems implement the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (the Standards), developed by the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate disparities.

Since the focus is on supporting system-level rather than provider-level CLAS implementation, the Learning Community consists of 22 organizational leaders, across 15 states, representing state, local, and agency levels. These leaders develop in depth knowledge of the Standards, creating a highly skilled and knowledgeable network of individuals who identify viable implementation strategies.

The Learning Community uses synchronous and asynchronous communication approaches. Members are convened bimonthly via interactive, web-based learning sessions and maintain online communication between sessions. The instructional methods employed during their assembly include team teaching, self-assessments, readings, and discussions.

This presentation will describe the lessons learned using communication-based approaches to build CLAS knowledge and systems change capacity among the Learning Community leaders as well as the challenges and opportunities identified using complementary communication approaches with members who have differing communication needs (i.e., deaf and hard of hearing).