All humans have lived experiences that provide them with specific insights. In the context of public health, the engagement of “people with lived experience” aims to identify and amplify those voices, being inclusive of those heard less often.
Watch the video below to start your learning and then access the links to use the Ready-Set-Go approach to deepen your knowledge and skills.
Even within sub-groups, diversity still exists (intersectionality). It is important to hear from people impacted by programs, decisions and policies.
What types of diversity will you need to consider?
- Races
- Ehnicities
- Sexual Orientations
- Gender
- Identities
- Religions
- Languages
- Disabilities
- Incomes
- Age
- Geography
- Other
What adaptations may you have to make?
- Interpreters
- Translation
- Pronouns
- Identify class differences
- Accessibility
- Closed captioning
- Antiracist or implicit bias training
- Recognize power differences
- Other
What do we know about different communities?
“The Essence of Culture” https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/11717026/the- essence-of-culture-a-peek-at-hispanics-college-of-agriculture-
Key Take-aways:
- The persevering processes African Americans use to face adversity include many character strengths, such as positive outlook (hope), spirituality, religiousness, meaning-making, forgiveness, expression of empathy (social intelligence), compassion (kindness), gratitude, and humility (Mattis et al., 2016).
- Latino/x/e and Hispanics, more than any other culture, have a high regard for family. When interacting with others, Latino/x/e and Hispanic prefer being closer to each other in space than non-Hispanic whites do.
- Asian-American traditions emphasize family solidarity, discipline, hard work and schooling. They value educational achievement, responsibility for relatives, and respect for authority. Along with respect for authority, there is also a strong sense of respect for the elderly.
- Native Americans emphasize a nonverbal communication style. Moderation is speech and avoidance of direct eye contact are nonverbal communicators of respect by the listener, especially for respected elders or authority figures. Traditional Native American Indian people are not rewarded for asking questions or verbally analyzing situations. Rather they are expected to learn through patience and observation. Native Americans usually speak softly and take ample time to reflect before responding. Direct confrontation is avoided because it disrupts the harmony and balance that are essential to being.
- The amount of space between you and the person you are talking to can say a great deal in the Middle East. It is common to sit very close to the person you are talking to. Not doing so may show that you are uninterested in the conversation and may offend the other person.
- The emphasis on personal relationships in Islam and the Middle-East mean that the person is valued greatly for whom he is and for what he does for the benefit of the whole, be it family or society.
- LGBT communities are defined by identities based on gender and sexual orientation. Their sense of culture emerges in their experiences in life due to core differences from the cultural norms surrounding gender and sexuality.
- The way people relate to one another in rural communities is more personal, emotional, direct and socially supportive. Everybody knows everybody. There is a feeling of belonging and fellowship. Even relationships with authority figures are softened or tempered by social constraints and niceties.
WHEN IN DOUBT, LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND!
Please note: the examples given are not necessarily relevant to everyone in the cultural group
Linking to the MCH Leadership Competencies. Understanding the diversity of PWLE is a key component of the skills section of the MCH Leadership Competencies. Click the links below to access trainings that support the related sub-competencies.
- 8S4: Assess and tailor recommendations to social, educational, and cultural issues affecting people with lived experience.
- 8S5: Celebrate individual and family diversity and provide an open and accepting environment.
Implementation. Remember, the key to effective partnerships with PWLE:
- Shared decision making, involving self-advocates and/or the family, in planning and implementing activities.
- Addressing the priorities of people with lived experience using a strengths-based approach.
- Recognizing the agency of self-advocates in decision-making as they approach transition age, and across the lifespan.
- Connecting people with lived experience to needed services.
- Acknowledging that the effects of the SDOH, and broader systems of care, greatly impact individuals with special health care needs and developmental disabilities.
