Healthy Archuleta is pleased to announce our upcoming professional development session on Cultural Competency, a vital component for fostering thriving communities. Effective healthcare relies on collaboration and a deep understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds. By embracing intercultural development, self-reflection, and cultural contexts, healthcare providers can significantly enhance their effectiveness, particularly within Archuleta County’s rich Hispanic and Latino communities.
Cultural humility emphasizes viewing each patient as a unique individual, shaped by their heritage, migration experiences, socioeconomic status, and family. Practicing active listening, valuing cultural knowledge, and building collaborative relationships honor these traditions, ultimately fostering trust, reducing health disparities, and improving the quality of care for everyone in our community.
Building on the important concept of being curious about our patients, Dr. Jose Canaca will lead a second virtual professional cultural competency session on Monday, July 7, at 5:30pm. This session will focus on mental health literacy and cultural competency training specifically for healthcare providers. Dr. Canaca, a Board-Certified psychiatrist and faculty at the University of New Mexico, brings extensive experience from working with vulnerable populations in rural communities across Latin America and New Mexico, including Native American, Hispanic/Latino communities, and immigrants. He also leads Cultural Psychiatry lectures at UNM.
One hour of free CME credit is available for attending this session.
Space is limited, so if you are interested in participating, please RSVP to fsfearchuleta@gmail.com by today, Thursday, July 3, to confirm your attendance.
Healthy Archuleta is dedicated to supporting our local community’s well-being. As part of this commitment, we recently hosted a successful 2-day Motivational Interviewing (MI) training. Led by Stacey Foss, a Licensed Addictions Counselor, this training was attended by staff from eight local health and human service agencies in Archuleta County. Motivational Interviewing is a person-centered approach that empowers individuals to make positive life changes by addressing ambivalence and harnessing their internal motivation.
The training covered MI fundamentals, key concepts, and offered valuable hands-on practice, including the OARS tool (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective statements, and summaries) to help counselors guide conversations and explore client perspectives. Attendees gained practical skills, found the MI approach effective in reducing the emotional toll of client work, and praised its non-confrontational, positive, and supportive nature for identifying and changing negative habits.
Participants completed the 12-hour training with enhanced skills and new professional connections.
We encourage you to join us for future professional development sessions. For more information, please contact fsfearchuleta@gmail.com or visit our website at www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org.