Primary Care Behavioral Health

Curriculum

Workshop 6: Families and Culture in Primary Care, Advice on Implementation

Faculty: Alexander Blount, EdD, Warren Ferguson, MD and Carlos Cappas, PsyD

Underserved Populations, Culture and Primary Care (3 hours)

• Impact of culture on health practices and health beliefs
• Particular health problems of underserved populations
• Looking for a way to improve cultural “fit” when problems arise
• Promoting cultural curiosity and appreciation
• Using interpreters
• Examples from the Worcester Rainbow: multiple Latino groups, Vietnamese, Albanian, Ghanaian

Goal: Able to adapt the approach to specific patients based on knowledge of cultural factors.

Working with Families in Primary Care (2 hours)

• The family’s role in health
• The importance of a family perspective in addressing problems in health behavior
• Opportunities in regular care (pediatric and adult) to engage family members
• Critical points in care where family involvement is necessary
• Steps in conducting a medical family meeting

Goal: Able to effectively and sensitively conduct a family medical meeting.

Summary (1 hour)

• Questions about implementation and