Working with diverse families: building culturally competent systems of health care delivery.
In the face of increasing heterogeneity among American families, it is imperative health care systems and professionals be culturally sensitive and competent. As we enter a new era of parent-professional collaboration, where services are family centered, community based and coordinated, grasping the richness, and complexity, of working with a pluralistic clientele is essential. Self-awareness regarding one's personal heritage, and the desire to know how clients view and accept Western health practices, are the beginnings of cultural competence. This article examines various strategies professionals can use to assure that such competent programs are a norm.
May
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National Fathers' Network, Merrywood School, Bellevue, WA 98008.
D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005190:Family; D006291:Health Policy