Page 212 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

190 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion

(Standards 4 to 7), and organizational supports for cultural competence (Standards 8 to
14). The standards can also be divided into mandates (Standards 4, 5, 6, and 7) for all
recipients of federal funds, guidelines (Standards 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13) rec-
ommended for adoption by federal, state, and national accrediting agencies, and recom-
mendations (Standard 14). All these efforts have the ultimate goal of creating cultural
competence, which can translate into better services for the diverse groups in this coun-
try. Exhibit 10.2 lists all the CLAS standards.

EXHIBIT 10.2. CLAS Standards.

STANDARD 1
Health care organizations should ensure that patients/consumers receive from all staff
members effective, understandable, and respectful care that is provided in a manner
compatible with their cultural health beliefs and practices and preferred language.

STANDARD 2
Health care organizations should implement strategies to recruit, retain, and promote
at all levels of the organization a diverse staff and leadership that are representative of
the demographic characteristics of the service area.
STANDARD 3
Health care organizations should ensure that staff at all levels and across all disciplines
receive ongoing education and training in culturally and linguistically appropriate ser-
vice delivery.

STANDARD 4
Health care organizations must offer and provide language assistance services, includ-
ing bilingual staff and interpreter services, at no cost to each patient/consumer with
limited English proficiency at all points of contact, in a timely manner during all hours

of operation.
STANDARD 5
Health care organizations must provide to patients/consumers in their preferred lan-
guage both verbal offers and written notices informing them of their right to receive
language assistance services.
STANDARD 6
Health care organizations must assure the competence of language assistance pro-
vided to limited English proficient patients/consumers by interpreters and bilingual

staff. Family and friends should not be used to provide interpretation services (except
on request by the patient/consumer).

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