Qualified Cultural Navigator - Behavioral Health Application

Qualified Cultural Navigator - Behavioral Health Overview

Qualified cultural navigators are individuals who are trained to provide support, information and guidance to new immigrants. Not only do they have the lived experience of having been immigrants/refugees themselves or having worked very closely with refugees for a long period of time, but they have specific knowledge regarding issues of stress, trauma, the psychological impact of immigration and acculturation, and how to support individuals in crisis.
DBHDS provides a qualification process for Qualified Cultural Navigators as a way to recognize this unique set of skills that are not always reflected in school transcripts or resumes.

Under this qualification pathway, participants complete a series of workshops and trainings designed to provide them with competencies needed to be competitive in entry level positions in behavioral healthcare. The required programs are designed to connect them with nationally recognized interventions and best practices, which combined with their bicultural and bilingual skills, provide an excellent candidate pool for a diverse and culturally competent entry-level workforce.

Cultural Navigators help culturally diverse communities to:

Promote access to needed services and knowledge of behavioral health
Navigate healthcare systems
Increase opportunities for leadership and capacity building
Facilitate communication between providers and consumers
Seek volunteer and professional opportunities

Cultural Navigators also help service providers to better:

Understand the unique needs of the refugee/immigrant communities
Provide culturally and linguistically competent and responsive services
Facilitate partnerships for a healthy community

For more information, visit http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/professionals-and-service-providers/oclc/focus/workforce

Email inquiries to OCLC@dbhds.virginia.gov

MEETING THE QUALIFIED CULTURAL NAVIGATOR-BEHAVIORAL HEALTH REQUIREMENT
OVERVIEW

Question Title

1. Mental Health First Aid, Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper Training, or CoMHAS Training. All focus on mental health and suicide prevention. MHFA can be delivered to English proficient population while QPR is more adaptable to ESL or non-English proficient population. Proof of completion must be submitted. Certificates do not have to be active but must not be older than ten years. Additionally, the applicant must report the number of times and the dates that they have provided such trainings.

2. Qualified Bilingual Staff, Certified Professional Interpreter, or Qualified Mental Health Interpreter. Submit proof of certification from a recognized training entity.

3. TICCP. Applicant must submit proof that they have participated in training on three of the five TICCP units for recognition. The unit entitled Navigating the Virginia Healthcare (or Mental Health System) is a requirement for this aspect of certification.

4. CLC Facilitator Training. Applicants can fulfill this component of the qualification program by completing the DBHDS Cultural and Linguistic Competence Facilitator Training or completing a similar training program totaling a minimum of 24 hours of training on the intercultural competence topics listed below. The applicant must report the number of times and the dates that they have provided such trainings in the past 3 years. If no training has been conducted, the certificate must not be older than five years.

5. RHS-15. Training on the RH-15 can be received from VDH Office of Newcomer Services, DBHDS Office of Cultural and Linguistic Competence, or other approved organizations or institutions. A certificate of completion can be provided by VDH or DBHDS. If the applicant was trained where no certificate is offered, the applicant can indicate # of times he/she has administered it (at least 3 times).

6. Experience. If the applicant has less than one year of employment or volunteer experience working with refugees and immigrants in a health and behavioral health setting, a 40- hour observation of actual interaction with clients by shadowing (not practicum) a direct service provider or a behavioral health provider is required. The applicant must find his/her own provider/agency/direct service worker who can fill out a DBHDS Observation Form*.