Spanish-language community-based mental health treatment programs, policy-required language-assistance programming, and mental health treatment access among Spanish-speaking clients

L.R. Snowden and S.R. McClellan

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue 9, 1628-1633

Abstract: Objectives. We investigated the extent to which implementing language assistance programming through contracting with community-based organizations improved the accessibility of mental health care under Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program) for Spanish-speaking persons with limited English proficiency, and whether it reduced language-based treatment access disparities. Methods. Using a time series nonequivalent control group design, we studied county-level penetration of language assistance programming over 10 years (1997-2006) for Spanish-speaking persons with limited English proficiency covered under Medi-Cal. We used linear regression with county fixed effects to control for ongoing trends and other influences. Results. When county mental health plans contracted with community-based organizations, those implementing language assistance programming increased penetration rates of Spanish-language mental health services under Medi-Cal more than other plans (0.28 percentage points, a 25% increase on average; P

Keywords: article; health care delivery; health care disparity; health care policy; Hispanic; human; language; medicaid; mental health service; organization and management; psychological aspect; statistics; United States, California; Community Mental Health Services; Health Policy; Health Services Accessibility; Healthcare Disparities; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Language; Medicaid; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301238_0

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301238

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