Culture makes up the fabric of our society; for the United States, it is a marvelous cacophony and blend of accents and colors and tastes that make America what it is; when I was young we learned in history and social studies classes that America is the “melting pot of the world.”

The services PBH provides are “community-based”, that is, they are meant to be rooted in, relevant to, and actually part of our local community: part of our culture and subcultures. To serve people well we must be able to engage them. We cannot engage them if we do not understand their values and their way of viewing the world. Person Centered Care and Planning, to be effective, requires the active empowerment and enfranchisement of consumers in taking charge of their own recovery. Enfranchisement and empowerment can only occur within the context of an individual’s reality, her/his cultural reality.

The importance of culture in treatment has long been largely ignored for many different reasons which include the growing cultural diversity in the United States and the fact of our community Mental Health system having been based on a medical model. However, the behavioral health field has collectively learned over time that medical intervention does not, unilaterally provide the life changing results that we would like; there really aren’t any magic pills. The emerging approach to treatment and support is changing from the traditional doctor-patient relationship, to an egalitarian partnership between consumer and professional, and consequently, the effect and importance of a person’s culture in recovery has become increasingly apparent.

I want to thank the members of the Study Group, PBH Staff, and PBH Providers who have invested their time in this process. PBH is committed to incorporating cultural competency as one of the foundational elements of our new system. It must become an integral part of every facet of care and services. This foundation is essential for us to reach our goals of helping people achieve their own potential, independence and recovery.