Culturally Appropriate Services in the ADAMH System of Care

The ADAMH system of care continues to be at the forefront of addressing the behavioral health care needs of our community's diverse population. In the past few years, there has been a vast influx of Latino and Somali immigrants and refugees moving to Franklin County. An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 Latino persons and more than 30,000 Somalis are currently living in our community. These emerging populations create challenges and opportunities for our network of providers that are responsible for addressing the complex behavioral health needs of these and other diverse communities.

Since taking over the leadership of cultural competency at ADAMH, I have taken time to visit our provider organizations who serve Latino, Somali, African American and other diverse populations. Our system of care is utilizing a variety of methods to ensure that the needs of culturally diverse citizens are addressed appropriately. Many Somali residents in Franklin County have experienced civil war, famine, and other traumatic events prior to resettlement here. Services and outreach to members of this community are difficult due to stigma and lack of knowledge of western behavioral health care practices. For example, members of the Somali community conceptualize mental health as spiritually or metaphysically situated (i.e., evil spirits, curse, etc.), thus relying heavily on religious and spiritual sources (i.e., Imam, Qur'an) for healing. It is our goal to recognize the role of culturally traditional approaches to health care and strategically introduce culturally appropriate behavioral health services that seek to improve the overall outcome for those in need of care through outreach, education, access, and service.

During the next few months, there will be a number of new and exciting initiatives introduced within the ADAMH system to progress our cultural competency development. We will be offering basic conversational Spanish, and eventually Somali, language classes for case managers, clinicians, and front-line staff so they can communicate and relate more effectively with those who have limited English proficiency. We will also continue to offer system training that address the barriers and challenges serving Somali and Latino residents. As we move forward, we will continue to address the needs of diverse populations and keep you informed about those activities.

We expect to establish a regular series of articles and updates each quarter regarding cultural competency issues from the perspective of ADAMH, service providers, consumers, key staff, state offices, and cultural outreach organizations.

Kevin Dixon
Vice President, Cultural Competency

Download our Culture Counts Report (2002).

Cultural Competency Links



The ADAMH Board and our system of providers are committed to providing culturally competenet and culturally appropriate treatment and prevention services.