OLYMPIA -- A Web-based introduction to cultural competence is available to mental-health service providers and agency directors, underscoring the need for mental health professionals to interact effectively with people of different cultures.

The new online training is available at http://www.spokane.wsu.edu/researchoutreach/WIMIRT/cc/logon.aspx. It was created by the Washington Institute for Mental Health Research and Training of eastern Washington (WIMHRT East) and sponsored by the state's Mental Health Transformation Project.

"As stewards of mental health care, it is absolutely crucial that we approach all interactions with consumers, family members, and other providers in a culturally respectful fashion," says John Roll, Director of WIMHRT East.

Cultural competency, according to the National Center for Cultural Competence, often encompasses four elements: awareness of one's own cultural view; openness toward cultural differences; knowledge of other cultural practices and worldviews; and cross-cultural communication skills.

The material in the online cultural competency course is intended to:

• Expand cultural knowledge and the dynamics of cultural differences.
• Facilitate the adaptation of services to meet culturally unique needs.
• Offer useful information and tools to better assess and increase organizational cultural competence.

Roll said WIMHRT East would update the online training several times a month, keeping it current.

The course is offered to professionals and the public at no cost. Continuing education units (CEUs) are presently under review for approval. For those interested, CEUs will be available following successful completion of the course for a nominal $10 processing fee.

BACKGROUND: The Mental Health Transformation Project is a five-year project funded by a grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support mental health infrastructure and service delivery improvement activities. A preventive approach has been identified as one of the critical components to that effort.

The grant is a direct result of the move toward recovery-oriented, consumer- and family-driven mental health priorities identified by the President's New Freedom Commission.

COMING UP:  Mental Health Transformation Project to sponsor Prevention Summit in MayThe Prevention Summit is set for Tues., May 13, at the Doubletree Inn in Tukwila, WA. For mental health advocates, key partners, policy makers, community representatives, and interested citizens, the Prevention Summit will continue the effort to guide Washington State toward a system that promotes mental health, intervenes early, and addresses the devastating impacts of mental illness. Visit http://mhtransformation.wa.gov/MHTG/prevsummit.shtml for more information.

FOR ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND, CONTACT: David Brenna, Senior Policy Advisor, MHTG project, 360-902-8456

Jim Stevenson, Communications Director, HRSA, DSHS, 360-902-7604 (Pager: 360-971-4067).