Track 1-3a
Community

Strategies for Community Advocacy on Linguistic and Cultural Needs: Lessons from Chicago

Raising the consciousness and persuading health organizations to address linguistic and cultural needs is still a formidable task and one that requires a multi-pronged approach. The approach must include at minimum: grassroots information gathering, analysis and dissemination; education and outreach about the needs of diverse populations; coalition building; legislative and administrative advocacy; and media relations. Community and policy organizations representing or serving immigrants and other minorities have a unique role to play in this process because they are often the first to hear about client concerns and therefore understand the nuances of the set of barriers that effect access to quality health care services. They have a responsibility to harness and build the leadership skills of local leadership while refining and brokering information and relationships that will further cultural and linguistic competency in health services delivery and other arenas that ultimately effect the quality of life of minority communities.

Wendy L. Siegel, MA
Partner, Chief Policy and Research Officer,
Millennia Consulting,L.L.C.
28 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60604-2214
Phone: 312-922-9920
Fax: 312-922-0955
millennia@igc.apc.org

Wendy Siegel has 20 years of experience in public policy, organizational development, and management. She is currently a partner and Chief Policy and Research Officer for Millennia Consulting, L.L.C. Millennia provides research, planning, evaluation and training services to non-profit, philanthropic, governmental bodies and private companies. Representative clients include the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the Archdiocese of Chicago, Business and Professional People in the Public Interest, Heartland Alliance, Center for Applied Linguistics, the Illinois Departments of Human Services and Public Health and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
  Prior to joining Millennia, Ms. Siegel was Director of the Chicago Institute on Urban Poverty/Heartland Alliance, she designed programs and conducted policy research projects in housing, transportation, economic development, employment, health immigration, and welfare. In particular, the organization's strong focus on immigrants and refugees prompted her to found the Immigrant and Refugee Health Task Force which in turn spawned the City Colleges of Chicago Medical Interpreter Program and the Health Care Interpreting Services. She has also authored numerous policy and technical assistance pieces on cultural and linguistic competence issues.
  Ms. Siegel has also managed a multifaceted program for the University of Illinois at Chicago, which promoted industrial retention through the development of international markets. She has founded a statewide retiree organization, managed electoral campaigns and has extensive experiences working with a wide variety of non-profit and community based organizations.
  Ms. Siegel holds and MA in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a BA from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.  NEXT >

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