Healthy communities require collaboration between health care providers and the community, recognizing diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds. Ongoing intercultural development, self-reflection and understanding cultural contexts are essential.
Archuleta County’s rich culture, especially Hispanic and Latino communities, benefits from this approach.
Cultural humility sees each patient as unique, shaped by experiences like heritage, migration, socioeconomic status and family. Active listening, valuing cultural knowledge and collaborative relationships honor traditions. This builds trust, reduces disparities and improves care quality for Latino individuals with mental health challenges. Addressing mental health stigma in the Hispanic and Latino community encourages open discussion and seeking help.
Psychiatrist Dr. Jose Canaca, a board-certified psychiatrist and associate professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM), will visit Pagosa Springs this April for mental health literacy and cultural competency training for health care providers.
Canaca has extensive experience working in rural communities in Latin America and New Mexico, serving vulnerable populations like Native Americans, Hispanic/Latino communities and immigrants. He leads cultural psychiatry lectures at UNM and has collaborated with COMISCA.
The training will take place on Monday, April 7, at 5 p.m., and two hours of CME credits will be offered to health care professional attendees who maintain CME along with dinner. Space is limited. If you are a health care professional and interested in attending, please RSVP to fsfearchuleta@gmail.com by Thursday, April 3, to confirm your spot.
To learn more about the efforts of Healthy Archuleta, please visit our website at www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org.
