National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy Preparing a Diverse Community Emergency Response Plans for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Communities Language Access Webinar V: September 9, 2009
About MPI Independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, think tank dedicated to the study of the movement of people worldwide MPI Program Areas: U.S. Immigration Policy National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy Borders, Security and Migration Labor Markets Initiative Migration & Development Transatlantic Task Force on Immigration and Integration
About Our Speakers Marsha Tamura is the Citizen Corps Volunteer Coordinator and part of the Homeland Security branch of the State of Hawaii Civil Defense Agency. She recently received her Graduate Certificate from the University of Hawaii Manoa Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance program. [Email: MTamura@scd.hawaii.gov] Gerald Ohta covers nondiscrimination in services and employment, ADA, language access, refugee health, and distance learning for the Hawaii State Department of Health. He is Vice-Chair and state agency representative on the State Language Access Advisory Council. He is also active in the community in public health at the national and state association levels and has worked in preparedness as coordinator for the CDC Public Health Training Network and Health Alert Network. [Email: Gerald.Ohta@doh.hawaii.gov] Barbara Yamashita, Chief of the Community Health Division, Hawaii State Department of Health, has had a diverse career in both government and the private not for profit sector, spanning over a period of 25 years. Yamashita holds a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Hawaii and has completed several certificated courses on leadership and management. [Email: Barbara.Yamashita@doh.hawaii.gov]
Emergency Preparedness Planning for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Populations in Hawaii
The 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) estimates that about 24% of Hawaii s population of 1.2 million speak a language other than English at home.
INCIDENCE OF OTHER LANGUAGE SPEAKERS IN HAWAII'S MASS MARKET AUDIENCE No = 70% Yes = 30% What language is that? Ilocano 36% Japanese 19% Hawaiian 14% Tagalog 11% Spanish 11% Korean 3% Samoan 3% Chinese 2% (n=389)
During the wake of 9/11 it became clear that one of the major problems that LEP Communities face during a disaster or emergency situation is the communication barrier between LEP groups and first responders and care providers.
Project Implementation Project Title: Development of Language Identification and Emergency Cards (LIEC) Time Frame: August 2007 June 2008 Partnerships established between the Hawaii State Civil Defense Citizen Corps, Department of Health, and the Interagency Council on Immigrant Services. Developed emergency preparedness messages and included identification of the user s primary language spoken.
Traditionally, professionals in Public Health have developed personal emergency health cards that contain personal health information that emergency medical service responders need to know about the individual if they find them unconscious or incoherent.
The traditional public health emergency health cards usually contained information listing medications being taken, allergies and sensitivities, medical conditions, and important contact people that the emergency responder may call in the event of an emergency.
The opportunity for us is to work with agencies who serve LEP populations to assure inclusion of emergency preparedness messages and the importance of being prepared as part of any intervention. The partnership between those who work on preparedness issues and those who work with LEP populations becomes critical.
Language Identification and Emergency Cards (LIEC)
Project Implementation Formatted and designed the English version of the LIEC cards. Determined the languages that the LIEC cards would be translated into by using State LEP population data.
Language Identification and Emergency Cards (LIEC) Translation Languages Cantonese Cebuano Chu'ukese Ilokano Japanese Korean Kosraean Mandarin Marshallese Pohnpean Samoan Spanish Tagalog Tongan Vietnamese Yapese
Lessons Learned Clear purpose and utility of the product The goal of the LIEC is to reduce barriers for LEP populations to access, utilize and understand preparedness, disaster and recovery messages, services and resources. The goal of the LIEC is to reduce barriers for LEP populations to access, utilize and understand preparedness, disaster and recovery messages, services and resources. The goal of the LIEC is to reduce barriers for LEP populations to access, utilize and understand preparedness, disaster and recovery messages, services and resources.
Lessons Learned Target Audience clearly defined Level of education Age Gender When did they migrate, where did they migrate from? Must have buy-in from the community
Lessons Learned (cont.) Use trusted resources for translators Past experience and training in doing translations. Proficiency in both English and the language being translated. Experience with doing back translations.
Punctuation mark placements are different for Mandarin and Cantonese Punctuation marks are at the bottom of the space. Punctuation marks are in the middle of the space.
Lessons Learned (cont) Field Test, Field Test, and Field Test! Community groups, associations, etc Universities and colleges Individuals Translations are not the end Use existing resources in the community
Aloha
About Our Speaker Herman Schaffer is Director of Community Outreach for the New York City (NYC) Office of Emergency Management (OEM), where he coordinates OEM s outreach efforts to increase awareness around individual and community disaster preparedness. Schaffer started working for OEM in June of 2005 in the External Affairs Division. He is the Chairman of the NYC Citizen Corps Council and runs the NYC Community Emergency Response Team volunteer program. Herman Schaffer Director of Community Outreach New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) HSchaffer@OEM.NYC.GOV Prior to joining OEM, he was a he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia where he worked to develop rural communities ability to address issues around Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Education (WASHA). Schaffer also spent several years as a Case Manager with Safe Horizons September 11th Recovery Efforts.
About Our Speakers Uma Ahluwalia is currently the Director of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of Health and Human Services. With more than 1300 employees, the department is one of the largest agencies in Montgomery County and includes Aging and Disability Services; Behavioral Health and Crisis Services; Children, Youth and Family Services; and Public Health Services. The current budget for DHHS is $239.4 million. Ahluwalia came to Montgomery County from the Child and Family Services Agency in the District of Columbia, where she served as Principal Deputy Director and most recently as Interim Director. During the last position, she had oversight of direct services to children including the District s 24-hour hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect, investigations, inhome and foster care cases and adoptions. Betty Lam joined the Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) in the summer of 2004 as the Chief of the Office of Community Affairs. In that capacity, Lam is responsible for developing and implementing outreach strategies targeting communities that are underserved, leads the department-wide effort on language access, Head Start, Community Action Agency and minority health programs. Prior to the current post, Lam was appointed as the Community Liaison for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2002, and was later detailed to the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services on special assignments around LEP compliance.
Language Access and Emergency Preparedness: The H1N1 Challenge Montgomery County, Maryland September 9, 2009
Montgomery County Today Fast growth of foreign born population Foreign Born Population Growth in Montgomery County 18.6% 26.7% 29.3% Population size nearly doubled since 1990 1990 140,000 2006 270,000 Year 1990 Year 2000 Year 2006 Source: American Community Survey 2006, U.S. Census Bureau 35
Montgomery County Today LEP Population More than Doubled since 1990 LEP Population Growth in Montgomery County 105,000 135,000 60,000 1990 2000 2006 Source: American Community Survey 2006, U.S. Census Bureau 36
Language Diversity in MoCo Source: American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau 2000 37
County s top 12 languages English Spanish Chinese Hindi Korean French Vietnamese Amharic Farsi Russian Tagalog Portuguese
Montgomery County, MD APC The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services serves a diverse semisuburban population adjacent to the nation s capital and is in close proximity to the NIH and other national health resources. Our focus includes public health emergency awareness and education, systems to dispense medicines and supplies, and vulnerable populations such as young children and senior residents.
Ecological Behavioral Health Model Philosophy
Identifying Gatekeepers (i.e., community health nurses, home health aides, Latino, Asian and African-American Health Promoters, public/private agencies) Montgomery County Emergency Preparedness and Response Vulnerable Populations Committee County Offices of: PH Emergency Preparedness Homeland Security Community Affairs Senior Health Promotion Aging and Disability Police Volunteer Center Health Promoter Programs Community groups, advocacy groups, hospitals, assisted living facilities, group homes, nursing homes, and faith communities
Who are Our Community Partners? Faith Communities Businesses Home Health Care Pharmacists Child Care Universities Outreach workers and community advocates School Systems Physicians Nurses Schools of Public Health Hospitals Ethnically based community non profits Volunteers Many others..
Stay At Home Toolkit Basic 101 on all different aspects of influenza including prevention and care giving Available at: www.montgomerycountymd. gov/pandemicflu Adapted by many localities and in multiple languages
Latino Health Promoter Curriculum Purpose: To train promotores de salud in Public Health Emergency Preparedness 3-Day training Includes Plan to Be Safe tools
Proposed Timeline for School Based Flu Vaccine Administration Notification of Seasonal School Based Flu Plan to all schools Websites-MCPS/County/MCPTA Parent Letter Consent form for Seasonal Flu Vaccine 9/01/09 Each school notifies parent of vaccination date 9/09-10/09 Connect Ed Principal Newsletter Start seasonal flu vaccination Dose #1 9/23/09 Start seasonal flu vaccine Dose #2 10/24/09 Notification and vaccination dates for H1N1 TBD
Goals for School Based Flu Vaccine Administration Seasonal Vaccine Vaccinate 32,000 students(50% of enrollment) in 131 elementary schools including Pre K-Head Start Primary vaccine: Flu Mist Second dose Flu Mist for 10-30% of students 10% IM Vaccine Complete Dose #1Sept-Oct;Dose 2 Oct-Nov H1N1 Vaccine When, what schools and who get it depends upon availability
Other Activities Parent letter and Informed Consent form have been developed in English and six other languages The Informed consent form can be printed off of the Montgomery County Government and Montgomery County Public School websites Also developed a vaccine dispensing card to keep track of vaccines administered The State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, through the Board of Physicians is also developing select messages to healthcare providers who access language specific populations Similarly the American Academy of Pediatrics and the MD Board of Physician Licensing is putting out messages to physicians with access to language specific populations
Communication Activities Strategic use of Radio and TV public interest messages and use of county cable strategically. The superintendent and the health officer have already gone on the airways. There is a state and county information line that has been set up. The County s 311 line will be operational to respond to flu related issues and will be staffed by volunteers, public health staff, light duty police and fire personnel and the medical reserve corps with significant language competencies in the 12 major languages prevalent in the County with access to language line capabilities in other less prevalent languages
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