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Adopting Standards for Cultural and Linguistic
Services:
The California Experience
The California Department of Mental Health (DMH) has adopted
standards and regulations for services that are culturally and linguistically
appropriate. The process for adoption of these standards included broad-based
input from community, county, and Department of Mental Health Representatives
as well as advocates for mental health services but, most importantly,
there was significant representation of mental health consumers and family
members. These representatives constituted the DMH Cultural Competence
Task Force, which met for the first on November 5, 1996, to begin drafting
the cultural competence standards that were eventually adopted by the
Department. The most crucial factor leading to the successful adoption
of these standards and regulations was the inclusion of mental health
consumers and family members in every level of discussion-from drafting
documents to the adoption of final policy and regulations.
This experience suggests that consumers and family members can
be valuable allies and supporters in the development of policies and other
public requirements adopted by regulatory agencies responsible for oversight
of providers and organizations delivering care to individuals under the
federal Medicaid program. The mental health consumers and family representatives
proved to be much more sensitive and knowledgeable about community issues
than industry and State representatives expected. These representatives
felt welcomed into a bureaucracy that generally did not allow for this
type of participation and convinced us that this participation was so
important that they are now included as participants in review teams evaluating
counties for compliance with cultural competence and other requirements.
J. Ruben Lozano, PharMD
Deputy Director, Program Compliance Division
California Department of Mental Health
1600 9th Street, Room 250
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 654-3576
FAX: (916) 654-6394 FAX
rlozano@dmh.cahwnet.gov
Dr. Lozano joined the Department of Mental Health
(DMH) in 1981 and has served as a Pharmaceutical Consultant and Clinical
Pharmacist with various units of the Department. In that role he has been
involved with the development of all policies and procedures regarding
drug treatment of persons who are mentally ill and are receiving treatment
in the California public mental health system. For the past four years,
Dr. Lozano has served as Deputy Director for Program Compliance. In this
role, Dr. Lozano has responsibility for the Fiscal Audits, PASARR, Licensing
and Certification, and Medi-Cal Oversight units. A clinical team in the
Medi-Cal Oversight unit reviews second level Inpatient TAR Appeals and
recommendations are made to Dr. Lozano, in his capacity as Hearing Officer,
for the final disposition of each case. Other responsibilities have included
such leadership roles as the Assistant Deputy Director, Division of State
Hospitals, which oversees the operation of 4 state hospitals and a prison
Psychiatric Program; Acting Deputy Director for the Division of Administration;
and Human Rights Officer for the Department.
During his tenure, Dr. Lozano has been appointed to serve as Chair
of several committees including the Cultural Competence Task Force, the
DMH TAR Appeals Workgroup, the DMH Psychopharmacology Advisory Committee
and the Clinical Services Task Force. NEXT >
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