Initiative on Health
Disparities and Cultural
Competency
The Initiative on Health Disparities and Cultural Competency will focus on developing a multidimensional, systemic approach to eliminating health disparities and promoting cultural competency throughout the behavioral health system.
Specific goals may include:
• Increasing the system’s awareness of national behavioral health disparities through various forms of information dissemination. Information disseminated will include causes of disparities and potential strategies for elimination.
• Enhancing the capacity of the behavioral health system to identify local disparities through increased capacity to conduct outcome evaluations and a deliberate data management approach.
• Providing recommendations for the development of new programs for populations that are identified as underserved.
• Assessing the level of cultural competency within the Philadelphia behavioral health system.
• Developing a strategy for enhancing aspects of cultural competency
identified as needing additional support within the Department of Behavioral
Health and Mental Retardation Services and provider agencies.
