MUSC Culturally Sensitive Care Program

Program Background:

The Medical University of South Carolina embarked on a university-wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan in 2015.  One of the major initiatives of this Plan was around Education and Training.  While extensive efforts have been made in this area, feedback from the Fall 2017 MUSC College of Health Professions Diversity and Inclusion Survey and Focus Groups indicated that a need remains for more in-depth and comprehensive content that would be accessible to faculty, staff, and students available to both the University and MUSC Health.  Additional feedback included that employees and students saw a need for more in-person offerings, discussion-based/interactive components, certification options, and content that would be easily integrated into traditional and online course settings.  The MUSC Culturally Sensitive Care Lecture series for the Fall 2018 was developed to address those needs.

Fall 2020 Culturally Sensitive Care Program:

Sessions will include topics related to mental health and well-being such as health disparities, racial/ethnic factors, social determinants of health, trauma-informed care, substance abuse, and disability awareness. Vulnerable and underserved populations will also be discussed including individuals with Limited English Proficiency, LGBTQ needs, children in the foster care system, veterans, prisoners, low income, and rural communities. Sessions will incorporate expert lectures and panels, discussion groups, and clinical/community-based case scenarios.

We are pleased to feature Finalists of the 2020 MUSC Septima P. Clark Poetry Contest for children and youth to share their poems as a part of this Workshop during the final session on Friday, Oct. 9 at 4 pm EST.

Workshop Details

Click here for Workshop Schedule

Click here for Workshop Registration

Click here for Workshop Resources and Learning Objectives

Contact Dr. Cristina Reyes Smith for more information: smithcris@musc.edu

MUSC Culturally Sensitive Care: Interprofessional Approaches to Promote Mental Health and Well-Being

Friday, Oct. 2 and Friday, Oct. 9, 2020, 1:00 to 5:00 pm EST

All sessions will take place via Zoom.  Please register to obtain the link.

Workshop Agenda (Tentative and subject to change)

Guest speakers to be announced by Wednesday, Sept. 30 

MUSC Employees and Students are invited to attend the upcoming virtual workshop series "MUSC Culturally Sensitive Care: Interprofessional Approaches to Address Mental Health and Well-Being" on Friday, Oct. 2 and Oct. 9 from 1 to 5 pm EST.  Sessions are open to MUSC Faculty, Students, and Staff.  Participants can attend as many sessions as desired.  However, advanced registration is required.   

Day 1--Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, 1:00 to 5:00 pm:

1:00 pm to 1:50 pm Session I-Welcome and Overview of the USDHHS National CLAS Standards

• Confirmed Speaker: Renee Linyard-Gary, MBA, CHW, Director of Health at Trident United Way (Charleston, SC)

2:00 to 2:50 pm Session II-Interprofessional Approaches to Addressing Mental Health and Wellness

• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Katie Hinson, Director of the MUSC Arts in Healing Program (Charleston, SC)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: R.J. Lambert, PhD, Assistant Professor in the MUSC Center for Academic Excellence/Writing Center (Charleston, SC)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Matthew Maynard, MS, OTR/L, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Primary Care Home Health Occupational Therapy (Asheville, NC)

3:00 to 3:50 pm Session III-CLAS Language Access and Limited English Proficiency

• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Martha L. Gomez, LMSW, CHW, MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center Project Therapist VOCA-HOPE (Charleston, SC)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Claudia Salazar, BA, MUSC College of Medicine Dean’s Office Group on Diversity Affairs, Program Coordinator II (Charleston, SC)

• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Latecia Abraham-Hilaire, MHA, DHA, Assistant Professor in the MUSC Academic Affairs Public Information and Community Outreach Program (Charleston, SC)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Mandie Sammons, DSc, OTR/L, ATC, MUSC College of Health Professions Division of Occupational Therapy, Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (Charleston, SC)

Day 2--Friday, Oct. 9, 1:00 to 5:00 pm:

1:00 pm to 1:50 pm Session V-Telehealth Access for Underserved Communities

• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: James Barry, PsyD, LAADC, Telecounseling Services (Palm Springs, CA)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Ragan Dubose-Morris, PhD, Telehealth Education Manager for the MUSC Center for Telehealth (Charleston, SC)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: James T McElligott, MD, Medical Director of MUSC Center for Telehealth (Charleston, SC)

2:00 to 2:50 pm Session VI-Addressing Mental Health Needs of the LGBTQ Community

• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Amy Bandy-Taylor, MUSC Applications Architect and Safe Zone Advisory Council Member (Johns Island, SC)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Kristen Lowe, MS, OTR/L, Lifestyle Innovations (Florence, SC)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Gage Quarles, Emergency Medical Technician at Summerville Medical Center (Summerville, SC)

3:00 to 3:50 pm Session VII-Trauma-Informed Care and Vulnerable Populations

• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Pamela Tolero, OTD, OTR/L, CPAM, Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University (Tucson, AZ)
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Mollie Wharton Dadin, LISW-CP, MUSC Foster Care Support Clinic Therapist (Charleston, SC)

4:00 to 4:50 pm Session VIII-Building Capacity for Innovation and Leadership, Wrap-Up, Debriefing, and Next Steps

• Featuring Poem Readings from Finalists of the 2020 MUSC Septima P. Clark Poetry Contest for local children and youth
• Confirmed Speaker/Panelist: Moses Ikiugu, PhD, OTR/L, United States Delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT)/Professor at the University of South Dakota (Vermillion, SD)
• Closing Remarks: Dante Pelzer, PhD, MUSC Assistant Director of Student Diversity in the MUSC Office of Student Programs and Student Diversity (Charleston, SC)

This virtual program will educate attendees in culturally sensitive approaches and discuss the framework of the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) Office of Minority Health. Sessions will focus on topics related to mental health and well-being such as health disparities, racial/ethnic factors, social determinants of health, trauma-informed care, substance abuse, and disability awareness. Vulnerable and under-served populations will also be discussed including individuals with Limited English Proficiency, LGBTQ needs, children in the foster care system, veterans, prisoners, low income, and rural communities.  Finalists of the MUSC Septima P. Clark Poetry Contest for children and youth will also share their poems as a part of this Workshop during the final session on Friday, Oct. 9 at 4 pm EST.

Click here for Workshop Resources and Learning Objectives

By the end of the Workshop sessions, participants will:

• Identify the role of various health professionals in mental health and well-being in a variety of settings
• Describe strategies and resources for culturally sensitive care in addressing mental health and well-being needs for a variety of populations
• Discuss case scenarios from past, present, and future practice related to mental health and well-being

Sessions will include topics related to mental health and well-being such as health disparities, racial/ethnic factors, social determinants of health, trauma-informed care, substance abuse, and disability awareness. Vulnerable and underserved populations will also be discussed including individuals with Limited English Proficiency, LGBTQ needs, children in the foster care system, veterans, prisoners, low income, and rural communities. Sessions will incorporate expert lectures and panels, discussion groups, and clinical/community-based case scenarios.

• Healthy People 2030: Mental Health and Mental Disorders

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Leading Health Indicators 2030: Advancing Health, Equity, and Well-Being (2020)

• South Carolina Department of Mental Health

• Tri-County Health Improvement Plan

• US DHHS National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards