What a CHP Grant Can Do – To improve culturally-informed care
By:
NWHF Staff
| Posted on: September 16th, 2010
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Categories:
Disparities •
Education •
Grantee Reports •
Policies & Laws •
Public Health
Kenneth Hardy, Ph.D.
What can a CHP grant do for your community? Here’s another example: Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, recently hosted a public event focusing on a difficult subject for many: the role of racism and the lack of culturally-informed care on the health of urban-area residents.
The symposium brought together funders, faith leaders, students, community members, service providers, and consumers of mental health services, and explored solutions to improving services and ultimately changing health outcomes.
Dr. Kenneth Hardy, Drexel University professor, and executive director of the Eikenberg Center for Family Relationships in New York, discussed the poor state of mental health in urban communities, and the impact of racism and classism on the lives of people of color, sexual minorities and on immigrants and refugees.
According to Sharon Gary-Smith, Cascadia’s Director of Special Projects, “Dr. Hardy challenged mental health and social services providers to stop claiming that color doesn’t matter in service delivery, when the outcomes in urban communities paint a different, bleaker picture.”
She also reports that Dr. Hardy “exposed the common expectations within white agencies that clients of color should be appreciative of any services received, even when providers lacked cultural competence, and did little to build a relationship with their clients.”
Given this unbalanced system, Dr. Hardy asked if anyone was surprised at the level of disappointment and rage that many clients of color display toward social services providers when asked to accept a white practitioner who has little or no experience with them.
He also challenged and encouraged all attendees, particularly service providers, to view historical contributors to poor urban conditions through the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, and culture; and to expand their learning beyond white knowledge or skin privilege in order to develop an empathetic, compassionate heart for ‘others.’
Dr. Maggie Bennington-Davis, Cascadia’s chief medical officer, said “Engaging Dr. Hardy has helped Cascadia to increase our understanding that race and racism burdens the lives of all people of color – both within our workforce and within our clientele. He has helped us recognize our institutional bias and our need to make structural changes that widen the circle of power and opportunity.”
Sharon Gary-Smith sees more work ahead.
“If white providers and administrators are willing to review their unexamined prejudices and biases and recognize that few people of color are on their boards, in leadership ranks, and making decisions about health and wellness, and then vow to take actions to change the paradigm, I believe that we will all gain.”
She also says these leaders must become allies for change and interrupt the silence that emerges whenever issues of race are introduced into healthcare conversations.
One question now is how to make that happen.
Please comment if you have thoughts or suggestions.
Our community’s health is at stake.
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