MOTA Resources

Videos Available to Members

CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN HEALTH CARE (2005, 50 min.)

To assist with developing culturally competent care, this program provides practical and effective methods of recognizing and dealing with the special needs of different cultures. 50 min. Guide included.

• Cultural considerations affecting health care
• How to be a client advocate
• Promote effective cross-cultural communication

UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL DIVERSITY SERIES (3 separate videos available)

This discussion-based video series was produced by the National Center for Neurogenic Communication Disorders at the University of Arizona through grant #DC01409 from the National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders.

• A MODEL (1 hour)
• THE PERSPECTIVES OF MINORITY PROFEESIONALS (1 hour)
• THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE IN BUILDING THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIPS (1 hour)
  

Suggested Reading for the Culturally Competent Therapist

• Bonder, B., Martin, L.& Miracle, A (2002). Culture in Clinical Care. Thorofare, N.J.: Slack
• Paniagua, F., (1998). Assessing & Treating Culturally Diverse Client. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage
• Hurney, C., (2000). What Language Does Your Patient Hurt In? St. Paul, MN. : EMC Paradigm
• Spector, R., (2004). Cultural Diversity in Health & Illness Upper Saddle River, NJ. : Pearson Prentice Hall
• Lustig, M. & Koester, J. (2006). Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures. Boston: Pearson Education
• Wells, S. & Black, R. (2000). Cultural Competency for Health Professionals. Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association

AOTA’s Statement on Health Disparities

It is widely recognized that disparities in health status and the availability of health and social services exist in the United States. The Trans-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Work Group on Health Disparities defined the term health disparities as “differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States” (NIH, 2000). As noted by the NIH Work Group, experts assert that “[health] disparities are believed to be the result of the complex interaction among biological factors, the environment, and specific health behaviors” (NIH, 2000, p. 2). Occupational therapy is well positioned to intervene with individuals and communities to limit the effects of health disparities on participation in meaningful occupations because of practitioners’ knowledge and skills in evaluating and intervening with persons who face physical, social, emotional, or cultural challenges to participation. Further, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) supports advocacy to increase access to health services for persons in need, and efforts to lessen or eliminate health disparities are consistent with the Core Values and the Code of Ethics for the profession of occupational therapy (AOTA, 1993, 2005).

References

American Occupational Therapy Association. (1993). Core values and attitudes of occupational therapy practice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47, 1085–1086.
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2005). Occupational therapy code of ethics
(2005). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 59, 639–642.
National Institutes of Health. (1999). NIH strategic plan to reduce and eliminate health
disparities, fiscal years 2000–2006. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human
Services. Retrieved June 22, 2006, from http://www.nih.gov/about/hd/strategicplan.pdf

Author
Brent Braveman, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA for
The Representative Assembly Coordinating Council (RACC)
Janet Raisor, OTR, Chairperson
Brent Braveman, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Linda Fazio, PhD, OTR/L, LPC, FAOTA
Wendy C. Hildenbrand, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA
Penelope Moyers, EdD, OTR, FAOTA
S. Maggie Reitz, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Susanne Smith Roley, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA
Carol H. Gwin, OT/L, Staff Liaison
Adopted by the Representative Assembly 2006C360

Characteristic of the Culturally Competent Therapist
(Wells, 1994; Wells & Black, 2000)

1. Has a willingness to learn about another’s culture;
2. Acknowledges & values cultural diversity;
3. Has specific & extensive knowledge of the language, values & customs of a particular culture;
4. Understands the interaction of culture, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disabling condition, & sexual orientation on behaviors & needs;
5. Understands that socioeconomic & political factors greatly affect the psychosocial, political & economic development of culturally diverse groups;
6. Understands the effect of institutional & individual racism on the therapist-client relationships & interactions;
7. Understands professional values & codes of conduct as they relate to cultural interaction;
8. Understands health-related values, perspective, &” behavioral patterns of diverse populations;
9. Has the ability to decrease the degree of disparity among the cultures in clinical interaction;
10. Has the ability to avoid applying a cookbook approach to all persons associated with a population or diverse group;
11. Has the ability to generate, modify, & adapt a variety of intervention strategies to accommodate the particular culture of the client;
12. Has the ability to use, send & interpret a variety of communication-verbal & nonverbal- skills to facilitate the therapist-client interaction;
13. Is creative & resourceful in identifying & using cultural value systems on the behalf of the client; and
14. Helps the clients to understand, maintain, or resolve their own sociocultural identification.

WEB BASED RESOURCES:

Cultural Competence Health Practitioner Assessment (CCHPA)
The Cultural Competence Health Practitioner Assessment (CCHPA) was developed at the request of the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS). The CCHPA is intended to support the BPHC, and its funded programs, to enhance the delivery of high quality services to culturally and linguistically diverse individuals and underserved communities. It is also intended to promote cultural and linguistic competence as essential approaches for practitioners in the elimination of health disparities among racial and ethnic groups.

http://www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/features/CCHPA.html

Transforming the Face of Health Professions Through Cultural and Linguistic Competence Education: The Role of the HRSA Centers of Excellence

This curriculum development project was managed by Magna Systems, Inc., pursuant to Contract number 230-03-0009 with Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Health Careers Diversity and Development.

Government Project Officer: Jacqueline Rodrigue, M.S.W., LCDR, USPHS

Recognizing the significant role that the Centers of Excellence can play in ensuring that cultural and linguistic competency is not an adjunct to health care, but is a core component of quality health care. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services is working with the Centers of Excellence (COE) program to reduce disparity in the health care system by increasing the number of underrepresented minorities working in the health field. HRSA and the COEs also are working together to foster the teaching of cultural and linguistic competency content in the educational curricula among HRSA grant recipients. This curriculum guide, “Transforming the Face of Health Professions Through Cultural & Linguistic Competence Education: The Role of the HRSA Centers of Excellence,” is one result of the efforts of HRSA and the COEs. The publication of this guide is a significant achievement brought about by the efforts of a large number of dedicated individuals who have worked over many months to develop a cohesive and valuable curriculum guide.

http://www.hrsa.gov/culturalcompetence/curriculumguide/

Culture Matters Workbook

Teachers and students in classrooms from 8th grade to college can benefit from the cross-cultural training workbook, Culture Matters, specifically developed by the Peace Corps to help new Volunteers acquire the knowledge and skills to work successfully and respectfully in other cultures.