CHCF November 27, 2023
Seeking and obtaining mental health care can be difficult for anyone needing help, but the challenges for Spanish-speaking individuals with limited English proficiency often start the moment they make the first phone call for an appointment.
Those difficulties are highlighted in a recent study by RAND Corporation researchers using a secret-shopper design in which callers posed as Spanish- and English-speaking Medi-Cal beneficiaries seeking medication treatment for depression.
To compare the experiences of English speakers and individuals with limited English proficiency, the simulated patients contacted 386 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and behavioral health clinics serving Medi-Cal enrollees in February and March 2023. The clinics contacted had specialty behavioral providers on staff, such as psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners, who were...
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