Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for Hispanics

A Showcase of Innovative Programs, Policies and Strategies Addressing Transcultural Mental Health Issues

Presented at:World Federation for Mental Health’s

Transcultural Mental Health in a Changing World:Building a Global Response

Minneapolis, MinnesotaWednesday, October 31, 2007

Presented by:

Henry Acosta, MA, MSW, LSWExecutive Director, National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health,

and Deputy Director, New Jersey Mental Health Institute, Inc.

Listing of Professional Reports Related to Disparities in Access to and the Provision of Quality Mental Health Care

for Racial and Ethnic Minorities

• U.S. Surgeon General’s first ever report on mental health, Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, 1999http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html

• U.S Surgeon General supplemental report, Mental Health: Culture, Race Ethnicity, 2001http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cre/default.asp

• Institute of Medicine Report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, 2002http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=4475

• President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America, 2003http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/reports/FinalReport/toc.html

Brief Reference of Federal Laws, Standards, and Initiatives Aimed at Eliminating Disparities in Access to and the

Provision of Quality Health and/or Mental Health ServicesTitle VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

For more information, please visit http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/cor/coord/titlevi.htm

Healthy People 2010 For more information, please visit http://www.healthypeople.gov

Revised National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health Care – U.S. Office of Minority Health For more information, please visit

http://www.omhrc.gov/clas/finalcultural1a.htm

National Network for the Elimination of Disparities in Behavioral Health - United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration – http://www.samhsa.gov

Funding for Doctoral Level Professionals from Underserved Populations – NIMH – http://www.nimh.gov

Health Career Opportunities Program – Health Resources Services Administration - http://www.hrsa.gov

Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for Hispanics

Background History and Rationale for Program:

Goal: Create Model Mental Health Program for Hispanics

Initial Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for Hispanics Project Activities:

• Comprehensive Literature Review and Analysis of Hispanic Mental Health Issues

• Interviews with Mental Health and Hispanic Community-based Agency Administrators

• Interviews with Mental Health Direct Service Providers• Focus Groups with Hispanics of Cuban, Dominican, Mexican and Puerto Rican Background

Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for Hispanics

Additional Activities:

• Community Presentations/Participation at Churches, Schools, Health Fairs, etc.

• Public Education Awareness Activities– Print– Television– Radio– Community Outreach

• NAMI Family-to-Family Program • Directory of Multicultural Agencies• Model Mental Health for Hispanics Training Video • Summit on Improving Mental Health Services for Hispanics• Statewide Conferences on Delivering Culturally Competent Mental Health

Services• State and National Policy Development and Advocacy Efforts

Brief Listing of Accomplishments to Date – Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for Hispanics

• Time for Action Policy Report

• Mental Health Issues and Platform Report for the National Hispanic-Latino American Agenda Summit

• State of New Jersey Department of Human Services– Mini-grants - Office of Multicultural Services– Funding for Bilingual and Bicultural Clinicians– Regional Cultural Competence Training Centers– Loan Forgiveness

• New Jersey’s Law regarding Mandatory Training in Cultural Competence by all Licensed Physicians - Pending Amendments

• Pending Law in New Jersey concerning Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) concerning Education on Cultural Competence

• Improved Data Collection on Health and Mental Health Workforce

• Improved Representation of Racial and Ethnic Minorities on State Licensing Boards, Commissions, Councils and Advisory Groups

Additional Accomplishments:

The impact of the Changing Minds… program grew to benefit many states, including, but not limited to, the following examples of programs and activities:• delivered technical assistance or training to state leaderships of

NAMI, NMHA, ASHP, LBHI, NLBHA, NAPRHSW, LSWO, NLPA...

• developed a Model Mental Health Program for Hispanics utilized and/or adopted by provider agencies in MI, CA, KS, OR, ID, NY PA, NJ...

• conducted mental health, multi-cultural competency training for administrators and providers in CA, PA, FL, AZ, MN, IL, NY, NJ, TX...

• conducted multi-media anti-stigma and depression awareness campaigns in NY, NJ, PA... (posters & brochures made available nationally)

• Provided technical assistance to multiple providers and administrations in CA, TX, NJ NY, PA...

Provided culturally competent resources… • conducted and published comprehensive literature review of Hispanic mental

health issues.• developed patient education materials, disease fact sheets, etc. for depression,

schizophrenia, anxiety and others.• created and distributed a state multi-cultural resource directory (electronic

database, web site and hard copy for public and professional usage).• created and distributed nationwide bilingual newsletter.• created and distributed mental health cultural competency manual for agency

administrators and direct service providers; facilitated or supported use in states including New Jersey, California, Texas and Oregon…

Developed best practice programs… • conducted analysis of access barriers and best practice solutions, creating a

model of best practices for mental health services delivery to Hispanic-Latino Americans.

• developed and implemented plans to drive tens of thousands of patients into treatment.

• established NJ NAMI Spanish Family-to-Family caregivers program; provide guidance and technical assistance on how to successfully establish this program in other states.

• established scholarship funds to increase Hispanic mental health professionals.

Additional Accomplishments (continued)

Delivered effective training… • conducted training workshops for thousands of clinicians.• developed training for health agency administrators.• created and distributed a mental health service delivery training

videos.• hosted a Hispanic mental health summit; presented and trained at

national/international conferences.• provided technical assistance to support both professionals and

consumers.

Institutionalized systems for access and eliminating disparities… • implemented several award winning, multi-million dollar, multi-

media, public education campaigns, which generated more greater than 30 million anti-stigma/anti-discrimination media impressions.

• developed a Hispanic-Latino mental health personnel attraction/retention plan.

• created multiple public recommendations reports and positions. • participated and led numerous government boards and task forces.• trained and advised state executives, agency leadership and private

health care organizations.

Additional Accomplishments (continued)

Next StepsNational Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health - The NRCHMHspecifically aims to reduce disparities and to increase treatment quality and the availability of mental health services for Hispanics throughout the nation by implementing an array of strategies. They are:

1. Developing culturally competent resources and tools for behavioral health administrators, direct service providers and other stakeholders.

2. Creating and fostering the development and institutionalization of best practice programs.

3. Conceptualizing and implementing high-quality trainings on culturally competent mental health service delivery and on policy development and advocacy.

4. Supporting the planning, development and implementation of policies and systems of care at the local, state and national levels.

5. Developing comprehensive and user-friendly resources and tools such as bilingual website and newsletter for disseminating information in English and Spanish on an array of mental health topics, research studies, available resources, and important field related events.

6. Heightening awareness, acceptance and understanding of mental illness among the nation’s Hispanic population.

Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for Hispanics

A Showcase of Innovative Programs, Policies and Strategies Addressing Transcultural Mental Health Issues

For further information, please contact:

Henry Acosta, MA, MSW, LSW

Executive Director, National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health,

and Deputy Director New Jersey Mental Health Institute, Inc.

(609) 838-5488, ext. 205

hacosta@nrchmh.org.

http://www.nrchmh.org