Becoming a Cultural Broker

The goal of a cultural broker is to bridge the gap between mental health service providers and the community they serve.  Think of them as translators - not of languages - but of values, beliefs, social context, cultural heritage, generational experiences, etc... and of the mental health system. 

Cultural brokers are catalysts for change in a system of care. 

The role of a cultural broker is to: 

• ensure that there is a deliberate effort by mental health providers to better understand the populations they serve in order to improve services and supports resulting in better outcomes for youths and their families*

  AND
  

• increase awareness and understanding among youths and families of how the children's mental health system works.

Examples of Different Ways of Interpreting the "Same" Thing:

• Being "on time" for some people, depending on their country of origin (and how long they've lived in the United States) means arriving 30 mins. late for a meeting yet in other cultures being 30 min. early is considered "on time."  Think about what judgements and perceptions are formed when we believe someone isn't "on time."   How does that influence our response to that person? 
• Agreements in some cultures rely on a general understanding and underlying intent of the partner and less on explicit written contracts - it is a matter of trust.  How might an individual be perceived if they wouldn't commit to or participate in making a daily check list which was meant to help them stay more organized and therefore reduce stress?  And vice versa?
• One's "word" by some is seen as "one's bond" - if you say it then it will be so.  But, in other social or cultural contexts one's word holds less meaning and it's the action that is most trusted.  Knowing this ahead of time will help set reasonable expectations and build trust and understanding of one another.

In each of these examples, an individual who was trained to be a cultural broker could help others recognize (or avoid) these types of misinterpretations and provide culturally competent guidance to problem solving.

More About the Cultural Broker Dialogue Series Pilot

This unique program is currently running as a pilot.   The pilot's main objective is to build relationships between individuals working with youth and their families in the mental health sector and those individuals working with youth and families in community-based and nontraditional settings.

The Cultural Broker Dialogue Series is a highly participatory and interactive dialogue which taps into the wealth of cultural and clinical expertise in the Rochester-Monroe County community. Through interactive and educational sessions, cultural brokering will aid in building an environment of mutual understanding and respect where community members and service providers can work collectively to help youths and their families succeed.

*Families - are defined by System of Care as anyone who is the primary caregiver of a youth.