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Mission | Background | Advisory Commission | News |
Cultural Competency |
Overview New Jersey is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse states in the nation. More than 37.2 percent of the state’s population is Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American or Alaskan Native. More than 20% of New Jersey residents are foreign born. Also, nearley 2.5 million speak a language other than English at home. The public health community is also working to better understand the social and cultural gap between practitioners and the communities they seek to serve, and to find effective ways to bridge that gap. The result in both cases can be better patient care, more effective public health interventions and, ultimately, better health in our communities.DHSS Initiatives Asthma -- The Asthma Awareness and Education Program has worked with the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s initiative, Learning Partnership to Decrease Disparities in Pediatric Asthma, to create a guidance document on developing asthma materials that are appropriate to specific populations. "Developing Culturally and Linguistically Competent Health Education Materials: A Focus on Asthma," provides the framework and tools necessary for organizations (e.g., state government, community-based organizations) to help develop appropriate materials that can increase awareness and compliance in the target populations. Cancer -- The Cancer Education and Early Detection (CEED) Program funds comprehensive breast, cervical, prostate and colorectal cancer education, outreach, and screening activities. The program targets ethnic/racial minorities and those who are uninsured or underinsured and have limited income. The goal is to increase cancer awareness and decrease cancer deaths by emphasizing that “Early Detection is the Best Protection.” Caregiving –- The Division of Aging and Community Services created CaregiverNJ, a web site for those in the community who care for senior citizens and adults with disabilities. The site is available in Spanish and features extensive caregiving resources, educational tools, and a searchable database by topic/county for help with housing, senior centers, finance, tax preparation, legal, medical, hospice, and transportation. Diabetes -- The Department’s Diabetes Initiative funds community- and faith-based organizations to identify in minority communities those who are diabetic and may not know it or who are not receiving health care services. Funded agencies provide educational information on how to prevent and control diabetes in the language spoken by the client. Linkages are provided to culturally appropriate and easily accessible services in their communities. Nutrition -- The Division of Aging and Community Services created the Mission Nutrition Program to increase the number of ethnic elders in the statewide nutrition program. The Latino Nutrition Coalition collaborates in developing recipes that will appeal to Spanish-speaking older adults. The program is also developing a resource directory of best practices that can be used to expand and improve services to diverse populations. Resources/Links Below are links to cultural competency and language resources on the web. ADRC New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services New Jersey Hospital Association New Jersey Judiciary NJ Statewide Network for Cultural Competence Racial Equity Tools Six Hours of Cultural Competency Continuing Education Now Available Online at No Cost University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey National Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Ethnomed Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development Health Resources and Services Administration:
Intercultural Cancer Council Management Sciences for Health. The Provider's Guide to Quality and Culture Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University New Jersey's First Statewide Health Literacy Summit Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
Books and Reports The Health of the Newest New Jerseyans: A Resource Guide [pdf 4.2mb] Cultural Competence for the Health Workforce Culturally Appropriate Health Care by Culturally Competent Health Professionals Curriculum for Culturally Responsive Health Care Like RC, Barrett TJ, Moon J. "Educating Physicians to Provide Culturally Competent, Patient-Centered Care," Perspectives: A View of Family Medicine in New Jersey 2008; 7(2):10-20 |
