Implementing and Sustaining a Cultural Broker Program

Organizational Capacity to Support Cultural Broker Programs

A systematic approach is necessary to fully implement and sustain a cultural brokering program in health care settings. This approach will require vision and commitment of leadership, buy-in or acceptance of both the community and health care setting personnel, development of a logic model or framework for the cultural broker program, and identification and allocation of resources. Health care settings that have these key elements are most likely to support and sustain cultural broker programs.

The following checklist may be used as a guide to implement and sustain a cultural brokering program:

Vision and Commitment of Leadership

• Conduct a process for creating a shared vision and commitment for implementing and sustaining a cultural broker program.
• Identify and include key community constituencies in this process who represent interests of the diverse communities served. Ensure that both formal and informal leadership is represented.
• Ensure that personnel at all levels of the organization are represented and are encouraged to assume leadership roles.

Buy-in and Acceptance

• Collaborate with key community constituencies to promote cultural brokering as an approach to enhance access to, use of, and satisfaction with services delivered.
• Engage personnel in a series of interactive discussions to help them understand how a cultural broker program benefits them, the patients/consumers they serve, the health care setting and diverse communities.
• Provide information including benefits and outcomes, to health care personnel and the community about organizations that are implementing cultural broker programs.