What are Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services?

Find More information here: Recovery Day Policy Forum

September is National Recovery Month
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) invites you to attend theirBSAS Recovery Day Policy Forum

September 26, 2013
Gardner Auditorium—State House
1:30pm — 3:30pm

National CLAS Standards
Culturally & Linguistically Appropriate Services

The 10th annual BSAS Recovery Day Policy Forum will focus on policies
and practices relating to national CLAS standards:
Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services.

(Find more information here: NationalCLASStandardsFactSheet)

A panel discussion will explore how the
standards are being used to advance health equity, improve quality, and
help eliminate health care disparities.

Moderator: Julia Ojeda Recovery Support Services Coor., BSAS
Welcome: Hilary Jacobs Director, DPH BSAS
Keynote Speaker: Rodrigo Monterrey Statewide CLAS Coordinator, DPH
Presenter: Erica Piedade Director of Quality Assurance & Licensing,
DPH BSAS

Panelists:
Rita Nieves,
Bureau Director
Boston Public Health Commission – Bureau of Substance Abuse Services
Sue Schlotterbeck
Director of Culture and Language Services,
Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center
Billy Parks
Volunteer Coordinator, Everyday Miracles
Recovery Support Center

Many Faces of Mental Health: Sharing Our Stories

Upcoming Event: Many Faces of Mental Health: Sharing Our Stories

Presented by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health

Saturday, September 28, 2013

8:30 am- 4:30 pm

Kroc Center

650 Dudley Street, Boston, MA

We are excited to share that the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health is hosting a free community dialogue and conference on September 28^th regarding mental health in our communities. The goals of this event are

• to educate our community about mental health,
• to discuss the stigma associated with mental illness and
• to discuss cultural competency in the field.

For our partners working with immigrants and refugees around mental health/health disparities issues, this forum would be a chance to network, collaborate and bring cultural competency and effective practice for specific populations to the forefront of the mental health conversation.

At the event, participants will have the opportunity to focus on their field of interest with six tracks being available:

1. Children and Families,
2. Young Adults,
3. Adults,
4. Aging and Elderly Population,
5. Caretakers,
6. Veterans and Their Families.

To Register: 

Click or copy/paste the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ManyFacesRegistration

or Click here for a printable registration form

Fax completed form to: 617-626-8330

or mail completed form to: Lisa Colozzo, 25 Staniford Street, Boston, MA

For questions, special accommodations including ASL interpreters, please email COStaffDev@massmail.state.ma.us call 617-626-8335

Click here for a full description and agenda

Click here for a printable flyer

It Takes a Village: Takeaways from Powerful DPH Conference Dec 2012

It Takes a Village:

Addressing Trauma & Resiliency in Multicultural Communities

Please enjoy this post, reblogged from Mass.Gov Conversations on Public Health Blog, written by Alison T. Brill, MPH, Community Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. We here at SIRMHN were especially invigorated by the discussions about being “Culturally Responsive” as opposed to Culturally Competent in serving the behavioral health needs of immigrant communities in MA. We met new friends and learned about some amazing work being done across the state. We will be using this information to update our referrals resources on this blog and build new relationships. If you are curious about this and future conferences, please contact: ContactItTakesaVillage@gmail.com.

On December 6th, 2012, in Lowell, MA, over 200 people gathered to learn, discuss and share ideas at the conference, “It Takes a Village: Trauma-Informed Responses to Suicide in Multicultural Communities.” Convened by the MA Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Program, this first of its kind event was organized to explore different approaches around and address a critical gap in mental health and suicide prevention services among communities of color.

A large focus of the day was on healing and resilience in communities of color. This conference provided an opportunity for attendees to improve collaborations and strengthen trauma-informed practices and connections among providers, the community, and stakeholders to prevent suicidal behavior and to better facilitate healing and resiliency in Latino, African-American, and Asian communities.

Speakers addressed how to expand the cross-cultural understanding of suicide among immigrants, painted a picture of what trauma looks like in various communities, and underscored the importance of cultural responsiveness when working with communities that are different from one’s own. Going beyond cultural competency, the concept of “cultural humility” was raised as a challenge for participants to work towards. Cultural humility is not an examination of the client’s belief system, but rather having health care and service providers give careful consideration to their assumptions and beliefs that are embedded in their own understandings and goals of their interactions with their clients.

This gathering was a starting point for conversation around these important issues. For more information about related events, please email ContactItTakesaVillage@gmail.com.

“This conference provided an insightful lens into the connection between trauma, suicide, and the role of culture. I’m inspired by the work and dedicated people I met, and can directly apply what I’ve learned.” – Conference participant