BRIDGING THE CULTURAL GAP IN AFRICAN AMERICAN & LATINO COMMUNITIES PRESENTED BY EDWINA BROWNING-HAYES ANGELICA GARCIA

 Beliefs  Values  Feelings  Learn  Do  Spend Time  Memories  Smells/Taste  Images/Stories  Problem Solve  Interpret information  Plan for future WHAT IS CULTURE?

WHAT IS CULTURAL COMPETENCE?  Acknowledge and accept culture differences exist and have and impact on service delivery  Believe that diversity within the culture is as valuable as diversity between cultures  Respect the unique defined needs of various populations  Know that the concepts of “family” and “community” are different for various cultures and even for subgroups within cultures Source: SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI)

CULTURAL COMPETENCE DIFFERS  Cultural Knowledge  Cultural Awareness  Cultural Sensitivity

“NORMS” TO BE AWARE OF  Touch In many cultures, you must explain what will be done and why before touching. Always be polite and have a friendly encounter Show respect  Eye Contact In many cultures, a person may avoid eye contact with healthcare professionals and people of authority as a sign of respect. In other cultures, it is impolite to make eye contact, especially with someone you do not know well For many, eye contact is believed to be related to bad spirits, and illness may be attributed to an “evil eye” or “mal ojo” -Know when to avoid eye contact -Do not expect sustained eye contact

CULTURAL COMPETENCE *****Interactive Activity***** African American/Americans of African Descent and Hispanic/Latino Culture Compared

BARRIERS TO ACCESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES  Services not offered in native language  No health insurance or limited coverage  Difficult to navigate the mental health system  Lack of knowledge of where to get services  Transportation  Not sure what type of help to ask for

STIGMATIZING

STIGMA LANGUAGE MATTERS *****Interactive Activity***** Disrespectful Language vs Respectful Language

STIGMA – RULES OF THUMB  Do not focus on disability  Do not portray successful persons with disabilities as super humans  Do not sensationalize disability  Do not use generic labels  Do not use psychiatric diagnoses as metaphors for other situations  Do put people first  Do emphasize abilities Source: Adapted from SAMHSA, Center for Mental Health Services and “Removing Bias in Language – Disabilities.

CONCLUSION In many ways, it is impossible to conclude this conversation. The issues of intra- and inter-group relationships are complex, emotional in nature and require ongoing commitment to dialogue and education

REFERENCES Conklin, W., (2008). Latinos and Blacks: What Unites and Divides Us? Retrieved from: SAMHSA, Center for Mental Health Services (n.d.). Retrieved from: History of Juneteenth (n.d.). Retrieved from: The Significiance of Cinco de Mayo (n.d.). Retrieved from: