British Columbia
Umbrella Multicultural Health Co-op (New Westminster)
What does the CHW do?
Cross Cultural Health Brokers are bilingual/bicultural health workers who bridge language and cultural barriers. They work with patients and participants from their communities to access medical services, social services, and health promotion activities while supporting the relationship between patients and family doctors.
Who is the target population?
Anyone who self-identifies as having cultural or language barriers accessing health services.
What difference does it make?
We believe bridging the cultural and language gap together provides a higher quality of health care.
What challenges/risks does the target population face?
Our patients are anyone who self-identifies as having cultural or language barriers accessing health services.
WHAT MAKES OUR WORK REWARDING?
We believe bridging the cultural and language gap together provides a higher quality of health care.
Our Voice:
“I feel the work we do is so important. We are filling a huge gap for newcomers, that I felt when I first arrived to Canada. Even though I’m a physician in my home country and speak English, adjusting to my new life here was filled with uncertainty, including how to access health care. I feel solidarity with our patients, and understand on a personal level when I see the relief in their face when we bridge our health service to their language and culture.”
– Cross Cultural Health Broker
What is the CHW called?Cross-Cultural Health Promoter
Where does the CHW work?REACH Community Health Centre Multicultural Family Centre
Province: BC
What does the CHW do?
We work with culturally diverse communities to develop and implement culturally responsive health promotion programs and services, addressing the social determinants of health by alleviating access barriers and building community capacity.
What difference does it make?
- Reduces the stress and poor health outcomes resulting from inability to navigate complex health and social service systems.
- Provides a culturally safe contact point for various cultural communities to network with one another, making social connections and accessing information and services
What are some successes?
- Improved access to programs and services
- Empowerment of culturally diverse community members to participate in the health care system at multiple levels
What challenges/risks does the target population face?
- Language and cultural barriers to accessing health, mental health, and other community services
- Lack of knowledge about the health system and health promotion and prevention
- High risk for chronic disease
What are supports that would help to address the challenges/risks?
- Recognition of cultural brokers/promoters as an integral part of the health care system, with consistent, reliable funding to support their work as regular staff members of the organization
What makes our work rewarding?
- Working towards equitable access to health and other community services, resulting in improved health status of our communities.
Narrative
"Eduardo, 79 years of age, came to Canada as a refugee many years ago. As a result of his traumatic experiences and the serious injuries he sustained during the political strife in his country of origin, he has numerous complex health conditions, which are complicated by impaired eyesight, memory loss, substance abuse, and an inability to communicate in English.
He is very independent and flatly refuses to consider residential care. He has established a relationship of trust with our Cross-Cultural Health Promoter (CCHP), who accompanies him to his frequent medical appointments and hospital visits, providing him with information about his health conditions, medical procedures, and follow-up expectations, all in his first language.
The CCHP also acts as a bridge between Eduardo and his numerous health care providers, providing enhanced cultural and language interpretation as well as personal clarification at the appointments to ensure effective communication. At a recent appointment, a medical interpreter had been arranged by the hospital, so the CCHP left the room to wait for Eduardo. A few minutes later, the interpreter asked the CCHP to come back in as she was not able to understand the patient.
After the interview, she commented that, as an official interpreter, she was limited in her interaction with patients, and felt she would be much more helpful to the patient if she could expand her role to provide enhanced interpretation as did the CCHP. This illustrates the value of the role of the Community Health Worker in the health care system. ”
What is the CHW called?
Support Workers (language or culture specific)
Who is the target population?
Pregnant women who are facing challenging life circumstances, including low income women, refugees, Aboriginal women, youth and others. In addition to providing services in English, Support Workers have specific designated language and cultural populations such as Spanish, Chinese, South Asian, Arabic, Aboriginal and Youth. We strive to support all languages and cultures, translators are available if needed.
What does the CHW do?
Support workers act as a bridge between pregnant women and the health care system. They works together with dietitians, nurses and other health care professionals and community agencies to support pregnant women and new parents by focusing on ameliorating social determinants of health such as food security, health literacy, housing, social connection and others.
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?
Support workers help women improve their nutritional intake to support healthy pregnancies, reduce substance use, support healthy infant feeding practices, increase access to community resources, and increase community connection. This leads to better birth outcomes for clients, and better health and social outcomes for families.
WHAT ARE SOME SUCCESSES?
Healthiest Babies Possible (Vancouver Coastal Health) has operated with CHW’s working side by side with the community and health professionals since 1976. In 2005 a specific youth component, the Youth Parenting and Parenting Program, which provides the additional support of a maternity clinic for youth in Vancouver.
Healthiest Babies Possible and the Youth Parenting and Parenting Program serve over 900 women and babies per year. Medical outcomes for our clients and their babies (such as rates of preterm labour, low or high birth weight baby, and exclusively breastfeeding) are consistently better than the provincial average, even though we serve clients with more challenges than the average population.
WHAT CHALLENGES/RISKS DOES THE TARGET POPULATION FACE?
In addition to all the other challenges that Indigenous women, refugees, immigrants and other marginalized women face, Vancouver has the highest housing expenses in Canada. This means that some families are spending up to 80% of household income on housing, which is far greater than the 30% maximum recommended by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The high cost of housing leaves families and individuals with little money to purchase other essentials, such as food. As such, food insecurity is rampant among our participants. Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy can have negative and lasting health impacts on both the mother and baby.
