Cultural & Linguistic Competency (CLC)
[mpc_textblock content_width=”100″]Implementation of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (CLAS Standards) and CLC PlansBroward Behavioral Health Coalition, as part of the OCP3 system of care initiative, requires all its network providers to comply with the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (CLAS Standards). The CLAS Standards are utilized as the benchmark for evaluation because they are aligned with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (HHS, 2010) and the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity (National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities, 2011), which aim to promote health equity by providing clear plans and strategies to guide efforts to improve cultural and linguistic competence.
The CLC assessment tool (see report attached below) was created using the CLAS Standards as benchmarks. This tool can serve as a guide for agencies to improve their CLC plans and better serve their target populations.
The tool includes the 4 themes that the CLAS Standards focus on: 1) Introduction: Principal Standard; 2) Governance, Leadership, and Workforce; 3) Communication and Language Assistance; and 4) Engagement, Continuous Improvement, and Accountability. Researchers decided to add two additional themes: 5) Family Involvement and 6) Service Delivery: Intake, Treatment, and Discharge. The family involvement theme centers around taking an individual approach to service delivery, and values the importance of the family during treatment and discharge. The CLC plan should include several statements on how the agency values the individual and their familial preferences. Lastly, the service delivery theme centers on how the cultural and spiritual preferences of the individual are recognized during intake, service, and discharge. These two themes are an integral part of culturally appropriate practices to care that go beyond linguistically appropriate practices that is covered in CLAS standards 1-15.
BBHC will require providers to submit their CLC plans annually for program improvement.
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USF CLC HUB Library
http://cfs.cbcs.usf.edu/projects-research/detail.cfm?id=488
Implementing the CLAS Standards- Think Cultural Health
https://www.thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/
CLAS Standards Blue Print
https://www.thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov/assets/pdfs/EnhancedCLASStandard…[/mpc_textblock]