Programs and strategies

Strategies

We develop and employ innovative, culturally competent and linguistically appropriate strategies to break down barriers to health and healthcare access in our community.

Program Integration

The Program Integration strategy aims to improve communication between primary care providers, mental health and substance use providers, community health workers, and language access staff to improve care coordination across programs and services, and evaluate the success of this model. La Clínica implements several projects that provide innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to reducing health inequities, including: Improving care for Latino immigrants living with Diabetes through the Merck Bridging the Gap initiative; Using Evidence-Informed Interventions to Improve Health Outcomes among People Living with HIV, using a Behavioral Health Integration for Depression model supported by AIDS United and the Fenway Institute; and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Special Projects of National Significance HIV Workforce Development Initiative.

Advocacy

Over the years, La Clínica has engaged in many advocacy activities and has developed unique strategies to represent and advocate on behalf of Latino immigrants living in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. We focus on developing leadership and voice among our staff, patients, and supporters to better educate policymakers and other key leaders about issues around three core areas: health equity, immigration justice, and social determinants of health.

Training and Education

La Clínica has extensive experience providing training and education in the areas of Latino cultural competence, language access, sexual health, gender-based violence prevention, and trauma-informed healthcare. We have provided training to Peer Health Promoters (promotores de salud), healthcare professionals, medical interpreters, government agencies, non-profit organizations, public schools, coalitions, and many others.

Program Impact and Evaluation

La Clínica collaborates on a regular basis with academic institutions, scientists, foundations, and federal and local health and human services departments, among others who desire to conduct community-based and participatory evaluation of our programs, model of care, and community needs. Together, we agree on evaluation goals and collaborate on many levels, from the design of the evaluating methodology to the dissemination of outcomes. Current community/academic partnerships include: The DC Cohort, a city-wide cohort of HIV-infected persons in care in the District of Columbia, funded by the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) led by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (GWU), with subcontracts to Cerner Corporation and 15 participating clinical sites, including La Clínica. La Clínca’s Executive Director, Catalina Sol, was selected under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program along with two investigators from American University, to study resilience and health in immigrant communities looking at the impact of La Clínica’s Community Health Action model.