For example:   Communication - The patient will have access to an
interpreter.  But it does not say that the Service has to provide an
interpreter, and that this interpreter needs to not only be linguistically
able but also culturally competent. So basically I want to visit a mental
health site that has some excellent mental health services for south Asian
populations (Indian).

This is very interesting. I spent 4 years as a Health Promoter for a
Ministry of Health funded preschool speech and language initiative in
Ontario (one of 32) and this was always a bugbear for me. We had a Speech
Language Pathologist from Chile volunteer, but my supervisor would not have
her as her "English" was not good enough. Now I think most of you in
Southern Ontario will know what a large Spanish (Latino) speaking population
we have coming in and to me (and I might add to my Professor of Linguistics
at UWindsor) it seemed to make sense to capitalize on this wealth of
experience. We were encouraging parents to speak to their child in their
first language. But how can we expect a parent to be a partner in their
child's care if the parent doesn't understand the language? Culturally
competent medical (and paramedical) services are sadly lacking here in
southern Ontario. Guess that's why I am back in school learning how to be an
esl teacher...

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