Minutes of the 3rd Annual Conference of the New Jersey Statewide Network for Cultural Competence
“Improving the Quality of Care & Services for Diverse Communities: New Directions of New Jersey and the Nation”
September 12, 2014 Crowne Plaza, Monroe Township
The 3rd Annual Conference of the NJSNCC was held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Monroe Township on September 12, 2014, and was attended by 200 registered participants. There were three (3) major sponsors: Korn Ferry (Platinum Level), Amerigroup (Silver Level), and PerformCare (Bronze Level). There were also 8 exhibitors from managed care organizations and non-profits.
The opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Robert Like, MD, MS, chair of the NJSNCC, and Professor and Director of the Center for Healthy Families and Cultural Diversity, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/Rutgers University. Dr. Like welcomed the more than 200 attendees and thanked the sponsors, partners, presenters and the NJSNCC Leadership Team and Planning Committee for their hard work, generosity, and support of the conference. He noted that the NJ Department of Health, Division of Family Health, had provided a grant to help support the conference. Dr. Like then briefly reviewed the mission and history of the NJSNCC. He noted that the meeting attendees included individuals and organizations from many different arenas including non- profit, governmental, clinical care, academic, and the private sector, both in New Jersey and from other states. Health care, behavioral health, public health, social work, law, health education, interpretation, autism and other developmental disabilities, immigration, and other service delivery systems were represented. He stated that often we are siloed from one another but today we will be able to network, share ideas and experiences, and think more holistically about the increasingly diverse populations we all serve. In particular, we will also hear the voices of families and consumers as well as professionals working in these areas, and learn about best and promising practices relating to the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Dr. Like concluded by providing an eco-systemic definition of cultural competence and urged participants to learn more about the Office of Minority Health’s National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities, including the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity.
Ms. Diana Autin from SPAN also welcomed the conference attendees and then introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Tanya Pagan Raggio- Ashley. Ms. Autin also quoted a portion of the Welcome Letter from the Commissioner of the Department of Health, Ms. Mary O’Dowd.
Dr. Pagan Raggio-Ashley is a senior medical officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Region II in New York City. Her keynote address touched on the ‘Intersection of Healthcare Reform and the CLAS Standards: Implications for Access and Services for Diverse Populations’. She provided a national perspective about these issues in light of the ACA, identified some of the important work taking place in Region II and New Jersey, and shared some personal and professional experiences as a pediatrician and the implications for improving the quality of care provided to our diverse communities. A variety of relevant resources (print and web- based) were also discussed.
The morning plenary panel focused on: “Addressing the Health and Behavioral Health Needs of Immigrant Families and Communities “, and was moderated by Dr. Robert C. Like, MD, MS. There were four (4) panelists:
Nicholas Montalto from Diversity Dynamics, LLC, discussed “The Impact of Immigration on the Health and Human Service System in New Jersey”. Dr. Montalto used a powerpoint presentation to review demographic trends for various immigrant groups here in New Jersey.
Mercedes Rosa of SPAN talked about “Improving Medical Homes for Immigrant Children with Special Health Care Needs served by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): A New Model of Care & Parent Empowerment.”
Deepa Srinivasavarada is a parent with a child with autism who spoke about “Bringing Early Screening to Immigrant Children & Making it Matter”. She shared her experiences as a new immigrant to the United States and the difficulties she encountered while locating services for her son who has autism. It was particularly difficult understanding the health care system and navigating through this without much knowledge or help. Ms. Srinivasavarada is currently a SPAN Family Resource Specialist and helps support other parents and professionals at the County level.
Michael Hannon was the fourth presenter. Dr. Hannon is currently employed by the Montclair State University as a professor. Dr. Hannon talked about “Bridging the Personal and Professional: Fathers of Color Discuss the Meaning of Raising Children with Autism”. Dr. Hannon shared his experiences in bringing up a child with autism, especially as a father of color, whose perspectives are often not obtained or understood. His powerful presentation brought home the question of: how do service professionals engage and support fathers of color of children with autism in ways that are culturally
competent. His inspiring discussion about what fathers report to be the rewards of fathering children with autism and the most helpful ways to support them and their families helped to raise awareness about this important subject.
The afternoon was devoted to a series of workshops. There were five (5) Workshop Tracks, with two (2) workshop sessions per Track. This made up a total of 10 workshops, covering a 3-hour period, with a break in-between workshops. Session I workshops were from 1:00 – 2:30, and Session II workshops were from 2:45-4:15 p.m. CE credits were offered for all workshops, with a total of 3.0 CEs for 2 workshops attended. The CEUs for social workers were offered through the Family Services Association of South Jersey. Participants requesting CEUs were required to complete a pre-& post- test, and a workshop evaluation. Participants were also required to sign-in and sign-out of workshops attended.
Each workshop was moderated, with the moderator providing instructions for CEU completion and introduction of workshop presenters.
Listed below is a description of each workshop. Each workshop is prefaced by a comment from the moderators, and the powerpoint presentation for that workshop follows, where presentations were provided by the speakers. Permissions were given by presenters for posting online.
Improving Language Access and Communication
Workshop A1 – Legal Requirements & Strategies for Ensuring Language Access. This was presented by Diana Autin, Executive Co-Director of SPAN, and moderated by Malia Corde, also from SPAN.
Workshop A2 – Best Practices in Working with Interpreters. This session was presented by Sophia Rossovsky, Executive Director of City Access N.Y., and moderated by Yvette Murry from YRM Consulting Group, LLC.
Culturally Competent Mental Health Assessment, Counseling and Treatment
Workshop B1 – The New DSM V – Implications for Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder in Diverse Populations. This was presented by Dr. Gerard Costa, Director for the Center for Autism & Early Childhood Mental Health at Montclair State University. Dr. Nancy Scotto Rosato from the Department of Health moderated this session. “There is diversity among children with autism that stems from differences in the structure, function and processing of the brain and the neurosensory system that directly impacts behavior. A child with autism responds very differently in a social situation than a child without autism and whether that response is interpreted as abnormal is culturally based and a health care professional must put it in context and understand the child before initiating an appropriate intervention”. – N. Scotto-Rosato.
Workshop B2 – Culturally Competent Service Delivery for Individuals and Families Coping with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This session was presented by Amy Norton from Children’s Specialized Hospital and Dr. Caroline Coffield from the Rutgers Boggs Center for Developmental Disabilities. The session was moderated by Maritza Farnum-Williams. “I must say that the B2 workshop left me with new views, but with great hope for what is to come in providing screening tools and training to parents and others, which effectively removes most of the ethnic/racial/language disparities in diagnosing those on the autism spectrum, and it is all being done with cultural competence at the forefront! I believe many more children with IDs beyond autism will benefit from these tools. Then taking the game right to the community, providing the knowledge/training/informing directly to those most vested, parents, so they can lead the discussion and train other parents and service providers regarding the importance and the timeliness of screening. Though the battle is never done, the future is bright”. – M. Farnum-Williams.
Improving Access to Early Autism Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment for Young Children from Underserved Communities
Culturally Competent Care/Service Delivery for Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families
Workshop C1 – Becoming a Culturally Competent Medical Home: A Model for Providing Patient and Family-Centered Care to Children with Seizure Disorders. This workshop was presented by Helen Dao, President & CEO of Dao Consulting Services, Inc. It was moderated by Zenaida Steinhauer from the Department of Health. “The concept of a family-centered medical home is a great model for getting the best health care and the best coordination of care, and provides an ongoing and sustainable method of communication with the individual’s health care providers. Cultural brokers can be other parents in the community, a minister, or a faith-based organization, that can help the family in identifying resources that are culturally appropriate to their needs. Community engagement and partnerships between parents and families of children and youth are crucial in addressing specific gaps in quality of care. By educating the primary and other health care providers about the diverse cultural needs of families of children and youth with epilepsy, a good Comprehensive Health Care Plan can be developed and implemented with more meaningful and successful results. The model can certainly be replicated for conditions other than those with epilepsy or seizure disorders”.- Z. Steinhauer
C2 – Strengthening Immigrant Children’s Mental Health: Together, We can ! Juntos, Podemos!
Presentation by Diana Autin, SPAN Co-executive Director, moderated by Shellyann Dacres.
Culturally Competent Care and Service Delivery for Older Immigrants and their Families
Workshop D1 – Neighbors and Strangers: Rising to the Challenge of Serving Immigrant Seniors. This workshop was presented by a panel consisting of: Christian Gonzalez-Rivera, Evelyn Laureano, and Mohini Mishra. The workshop was moderated by Nicholas Montalto, President of Diversity Dynamics.
Workshop D2 – Culturally Competent Care of Seniors and their Families: Addressing Behavioral Health and Psychosocial Challenges. This workshop was presented by both Dale Ofei-Ayisi and Aruna Rao, and moderated by Shakira Linzey from Mid Jersey CARES Regional Early Intervention Collaborative/Central Jersey Family Health Consortium.
Innovative Cultural Competency/Diversity Training Programs
Workshop E1 – Addressing Cultural Diversity in Healthcare: Awareness and Strategies for Effective Communication. The two workshops in Track E were both presented by Lourdes Tango of Lourdes Tango Consulting. Workshop E1 was moderated by Dr. Robert Like, of the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and current Chair of the NJSNCC. “Lourdes Tango brought her significant expertise and experience in leading group trainings and executive coaching sessions about cultural competency and diversity and inclusion issues with hospitals, health care organizations, clinicians, and other service providers. Her workshop attracted a large number of attendees and. was a very dynamic and interactive session that explored key cultural concepts and perspectives relating to our interactions with patients/clients and with each other. The need to develop professional and personal awareness about the impact of cultural values on behaviors, healthcare practices, and beliefs was emphasized. The “cultural dimensions framework” she provided was a helpful way for the participants to obtain a greater understanding of different cultures. It is important to avoid stereotyping and overgeneralization and to take a “deeper dive” into these issues (i.e., more of the “why” approach, and not just a “do’s and don’ts” of the culture). We learned how cultural orientations can influence communication, expectations, conflict resolution, decision making, identity, leadership, relationships, the use of time and status within and across groups. We also need to improve how we communicate with individuals from different cultures, especially those with limited English proficiency. Participants agreed that there’s a great need for more education and training about these important subjects. Two take-home messages: Every encounter is a cross-cultural one. Developing cultural competency is a lifelong journey and not a final destination”.- Robert C. Like, MD, MS
Workshop E2 – Unconscious Bias and Micro-Inequities. Collaboration, Effectiveness, Innovation – The Power of Inclusion and Diversity. This session was moderated by Stephanie Rodriguez from Amerigroup. “Lessons learned: Listening and getting to know those you serve and work with is essential to doing effective work. Diversity is all the ways we are different AND alike. People have different dimensions and each of these have different aspects. Diversity brings different perspectives. Inclusion refers to a sense of belonging and feeling respected and valued. Assumptions that we’ve learned to make (from others, the
media, personal experience, etc.) can turn into beliefs that turn into actions. Check your assumptions both in your professional and personal lives to avoid perpetuating inequities. Bias is for the most part unconscious and has an impact on how you work with others. Only considering the 10% of a person that is visible is neglecting the 90% that is not and makes for missed opportunities for employers, employees and clients. Micro-inequities can lead to disengagement. Having inclusive dialogue about observed micro-inequities can be conducive to reengagement”.- S. Rodriguez
There are no presentations posted for Workshops E1 & E2.