Implementation Plan and Next Steps

Members of the African American Panel proposed that a number of action steps are required to advance this set of standards and guidelines. These steps include the following:

1. Coordination of this set of guidelines with those from other groups to develop a comprehensive set of standards and guidelines for populations of color.
2. Development of consumer satisfaction measures for populations of color
3. Identification of effective mental health programs in a managed care environment.
4. Development of age specific standards and guidelines for populations of color.
5. Development of diagnosis specific standards and guidelines for populations of color.
6. Development of standards and guidelines for mental health systems.
7. Identification of specific competencies necessary for the provision of treatment of mental health services to people of color.
8. Translation of these specific competencies into training and educational curriculum.
9. Development of cultural competency certification requirements for professionals.
10. Development and implementation of a national conference on cultural competency, managed care and people of color.
11. Inclusion of cultural competency standards and guidelines in national and state policies and contracts in managed care.
12. Development of a national web site where data and information about managed care from a people of color perspective can be obtained and applied by minority agencies, providers, and organizations.
13. Survey a sample of mental health professionals of African descent to obtain their assessment of the standards and guidelines included in this report.