ACTIVITY: Supporting Implementation and Continuity of Care for Juana

ACTIVITY: Supporting Implementation and Continuity of Care for Juana

Girl smiling

Given the the case study scenario of Juana, her family, her Head Start experience, the defined concern, intervention plan and strategies so far:

  1. What cultural and linguistic challenges could impact continuity of care for Juana?
  2. How might these be resolved?
  3. What steps can the consultant take to facilitate and improve collaboration between the teachers and Juana’s parents?
  1. The cultural and linguistic challenges that could impact continuity of care could be:  Language differences; communication between parents and the Head Start staff; difference in communication styles in the home and classroom; the family’s own social isolation; conflicting perceptions of the use of the curandero and herbs between home and Head Start.
  2. These might be resolved by: Building trust and relationships between staff and Juana’s parents; having Juana’s mother volunteer in the Head Start classroom; involving Juana’s parents in other Head Start activities; engaging an interpreter and using “family friendly” methods of communication between the teachers and Juana’s parents; work with the Family Service Worker to offer Juana’s parents opportunity to attend English as a Second Language (ESL) class; have Juana’s parents share information about the curandero and with staff; including their own values, beliefs, and practices as well as the curandero’s interaction and intervention with Juana and anything the staff might notice or need to observe while at Head Start.
  3. The consultant can facilitate and improve collaboration by: Having regular contact (formal and informal) with the Head Start staff and Juana’s family; communicate respect for the perspectives of both the teachers and Juana’s family;  checking in with classroom staff to review and adjust strategies to support Juana; helping to negotiate cultural differences; using reflective practices to support staff.
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This product was developed [in part] under grant number 1H79SM082070-01 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS.