Email UpdatesIn a joint agency effort, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is prioritizing inclusivity in its public communications to ensure that individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) and those with disabilities can better access their services. As part of this initiative, HHS divisions have begun releasing language access plans.
Twenty-five divisions have released comprehensive language access plans. Among them is the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH), which focuses on promoting health equity through policies, programs, and practices. The HHS OMH’s language access plan (LAP) concentrates on the following elements:
- Assessment and needs capacity.
- Interpretation language assistance services.
- Written translations.
- Policies, procedures, and practices.
- Notification of the availability of language assistance at no cost.
- Staff training.
- Assessment and accountability.
- Consultations with partners.
- Digital information.
- Grant assurance and compliance with recipients of OMH funding.
AHRQ Director, Robert Otto Valdez, PhD, MHSA, commented that “As patient populations become increasingly diverse, it is essential that healthcare organizations of all types and sizes commit to developing language access plans to communicate effectively across our nation’s diversity and health literacy levels to ensure delivery of high-quality patient-centered care.”
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Institutes of Health, Health Resources & Services Administration, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have each published their own LAP. For more information on health equity, refer to the Academy’s topic brief on Health Equity and Behavioral Health Integration. More resources on health equity as it pertains to language can be found in the Academy’s Literature Collection.