Culturally and linguistically centered health care services may significantly eliminate mental and physical health disparities, according to a new paper published in July issue of the Journal of Family Strengths. The report, authored by Dr. Octavio Martinez, associate vice president and executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, indicates a critical need to improve primary health care settings to better serve racial and ethnic minority populations and individuals with limited English proficiency.

Key takeaway points:

• Ethnic and minority populations face many increasing challenges around mental illness and substance use, such as lower access to services and evidence-based treatments, higher burdens of morbidity, and a multitude of social determinant stressors.
• Culturally and linguistically centered integrated healthcare will help improve quality of services and outcomes, enhance the patient experience of care, decrease cost and increase engagement.
• A culturally and linguistically centered integrated healthcare approach includes the core principles of respect for the whole person across their lifespan; includes prevention and early intervention methodologies; and is strengths-based, trauma informed, and recovery focused.

“Eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity would help to ensure we achieve a healthcare system that is person-, family-, and community-centered,” Martinez stated in the report. “Such a healthcare system is a worthy goal from which we would all benefit.”

Go to this website to read the report.