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Benefits,
Values, and Guiding Principles of Multicultural Health
 Benefits
The
benefits of increasing the capacity of public health professionals
to understand and apply these models and frameworks to the research
and practice of public health in a multicultural environment
are numerous and include, at a minimum, the following:
- Effective
design, delivery, and evaluation of programs, services, and
supports tailored to the priority needs, beliefs, values, and
behaviors of culturally and linguistically diverse populations
- Improved
ability to identify and address the root causes of public health
issues facing multicultural communities
- Better strategic
positioning of systems, organizations, and programs to meet
the priority
needs and opportunities of communities
and populations
- Improved
impact on the allocation or investment of limited resources
- Ability
to maintain and grow program volume and financial support
- Increased
satisfaction among multiple internal and external stakeholders
and clients
- Ability
to meet public health competency and accreditation requirements
- Compliance
with Federal statutes, state and local laws, and policies
- Compliance
and consistency with IOM and important multicultural health
recommendation
- Increased
ability to recruit, retain, and satisfy diverse researchers,
leaders, and other members of
the public
health workforce who more closely reflect the populations served or studie
- Attract
new partnerships and additional sources of funding
- Value
and embrace the increasing diversity in U.S. societ
- Make
a difference in reducing and eliminating health disparities
- Improved
health for all
Values and
Guiding Principles
APHA defines
key values, beliefs, and principles in its code
of ethics for the practice of public
health. Public health systems and organizations must identify and
infuse the principles and values of cultural and linguistic competence
as they relate to this code. It will serve as a foundation
for the practice of public health in a multicultural environment.
Examples of
this infusion include the following:
| APHA
Principle |
Revised
Principle |
|
Public health policies, programs, and priorities should
be developed and evaluated through processes that ensure
an opportunity for input from community members.
|
Public health policies, programs,
and priorities should be developed and evaluated through processes
that ensure meaningful participation from culturally and linguistically
diverse community members at all phases. |
| Public health institutions
should ensure the professional competence of their employees. |
Public health institutions
should ensure the professional competence of their employees,
including cultural and linguistic competence. |
| Public health programs
and policies should incorporate a variety of approaches that
anticipate and respect diverse values, beliefs, and cultures
in the community. |
Public health programs and
policies should incorporate a variety of approaches that anticipate,
respect, and effectively address diverse values, beliefs, languages,
and cultures within communities. |
The principles
and practices of cultural and linguistic competence have to be
integral to any model adopted by public health leadership
to be both equitable and effective.
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