“Building Cultural Responsiveness” resource is a deep dive on how providers can be culturally responsive and help prepare all young people to lead safe and healthy lives 

WASHINGTON–A new resource out during National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month highlights racial & ethnic disparities in health care for young people, and guides youth-serving health care professionals on how to improve cultural responsiveness. 

1 in 6 U.S. youth experience a mental health condition each year, but only half get treatment. Promoting Inclusion outlines barriers to care and offers providers tangible ways to learn about, and support youth from diverse backgrounds. 

Advocates for Youth is releasing BUILDING CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS: A Toolkit for Youth-Serving Professionals in order to increase providers’ understanding of the social determinants of health, and provide guidance on how culturally responsive health care can improve the health and well being of their young patients. 

The toolkit centers young people’s perspective in health care settings, including St. Louis based activist Sunny Lu, who opens the toolkit with a letter sharing their experiences accessing culturally responsive health care. “Young people from a variety of backgrounds need and deserve healthcare professionals who don’t project, assume, or assign experiences and identities onto them, and this toolkit is essential to moving towards a future of affirming and competent healthcare,” writes Lu. 

By first defining cultural responsiveness, offering a historical timeline, and including an overview of the standards in place across the country, the toolkit helps providers examine, assess, and improve their organizations cultural responsiveness. 

The toolkit is available for download here. 

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About Advocates for Youth: 

Advocates for Youth partners with youth leaders, adult allies, and youth-serving organizations to advocate for policies and champion programs that recognize young people’s rights to honest sexual health information; accessible, confidential, and affordable sexual health services; and the resources and opportunities necessary to create sexual health equity for all youth.