Behavioral health organizations have difficulty implementing cultural diversity and inclusion plans. Business magazines report daily on how to create this type of environment. Hire more persons of color. Be more inclusive putting people in leadership from different cultures, sexual orientation/gender, or intersectionality. But the more the print media makes suggestions, the less likely things change.
On this Indigenous Peoples’ day of 2021, I thought it would be beneficial to back away from the pressure of cultural diversity and explore the converse principle. Instead of looking at cultural awareness of different cultures, what would it be like to work for a culturally unified organization? At Praxes, we currently work with a Native American tribe. The tribe’s council is setting up a behavioral health clinic to provide services for tribal members. Praxes is helping them become CARF accredited and Medicaid providers in their state. One task in our project was to write a cultural competency plan for them.
Developing mental health services for Native Americans is a large undertaking. They have a higher percentage of unemployment, incarceration, poverty, violence, historical trauma, substance use, and other mental health problems than any other cultural group. Yet for them to achieve their mental health requires a blend of traditional mental health approaches coupled with the customs, legends, and traditions of their tribe.
Doing a cultural plan for the tribe is about diversity and unity simultaneously. Because everyone, although they have differences, will be from the same culture, heritage, and ancestry. So their plan, as a homogenous group, does away with the differences between people and focuses on their similarities. So that the plan includes the following areas:
1. Hiring people who understand the culture and needs of the tribe.
2. Having leadership who belong and participate in the tribal community.
3. Treating everyone with respect and understanding of the tribe’s customs and traditions.
4. Working with community organizations and partners.
5. Participating in or supporting cultural events.
6. Training staff to understand the culture.
7. Helping clients connect to their tribal values, land, and family.
If you review these principles, they work well for the employees, clients, and community of the tribe and their council. But if you extrapolate these principles to diverse populations, you will see they also apply. Because an organization cannot be culturally diverse unless it is culturally united in its values.
Praxes provides program development and accreditation as part of its consulting services. For more information, please contact us.
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PRAXES is a nationwide behavioral health software, consulting, and training company. No one in the behavioral health industry has a better reputation, and if you give us the chance, we’ll show you why! At PRAXES, our services improve the efficiency and structure of behavioral health agencies serving children and families nationwide. PRAXES brings over 45 years of administrative and clinical expertise. With more than 100 client companies nationwide, we offer the expertise to advance the quality of behavioral health services. We accomplish these goals through our new clinical decision software, our training of best practices, and helping companies meet regulatory standards. At PRAXES, we believe in being creative and fostering new ways to serve children and their families. Our vision is to empower the families our agencies serve with skills that not only improve their functioning, but help them to thrive in their everyday lives. When you give us the chance, you’ll be connected directly to our friendly staff, so you can expect immediate attention to your inquiry. So, don’t wait, call now!
Dan Thorne has unique perspectives on the field of mental health. As a clinician, he has had over 40 years of experience working with clients in the Southern California area. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine, he worked with children in the Orange County Juvenile Hall. Here he honed his earliest techniques on at-risk children. After that, he obtained his Master’s degree in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton.
In the 1990’s, Dan turned his attention to the clinical and administrative side of behavioral health organizations. For three years, he was the Assistant Administrator of Starting Point, a chemical dependency facility in Costa Mesa, CA. In 2001, he took an opportunity to be the Director of Harbor View Community Services Center in Long Beach. When he arrived, the Center had only 80 clients and 13 staff. When he left, there were over 400 clients and 75 staff. Dan created several programs through their contract with the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health and Child and Family Services. Under his guidance, Harbor View became one of the leading providers of children’s services in Los Angeles County.
While improving the results of the client’s parents at the Center, Dan reflected on his experiences as a parent. His children themselves had special needs such as mental and intellectual challenges, and Dan knew the toll it takes on the parent. In order to help the child, the parent has to be healthy. From this concept, he created his parenting program. After years of refining it, teaching it to his staff at the Center, and then taking the results and comments from these efforts, he became the developer of the current PRAXES program. It is a culmination of Dan’s personal trials and tribulations as a parent along with empirical results and research of over 40 parenting programs.
Our vision at PRAXES is to advance the strength of parents and caregivers of children with special needs (mental health, intellectual, or physical) through education, support, and empowerment. Thus, they can live healthy and functional lives while caring for the child.
Apogee is a clinical decision software designed to help behavioral health practitioners with their treatment and patient engagement. It provides evidence-based and research-based components. Not only do they consist of elements from such practices as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Functional Behavior Analysis, but also the Intensive Models for Parents, Youth, and Children.
PRAXES has over 30 years of accreditation experience. We know what it takes to get your organization accredited. Whether it’s Joint Commission, CARF, or COA, our team can provide an evaluation of your current status and review the standards which need improvements. We will assist you with the policies, documentation, and training required to be accredited.
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