National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS)
The CLAS standards are primarily directed at health care organizations; however, individual providers are also encouraged to use the standards to make their practices more culturally and linguistically accessible. The principles and activities of culturally and linguistically appropriate services should be integrated throughout an organization and undertaken in partnership with the communities being served.
http://raceandhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=15
Video: Improving Patient-Provider Communication: Joint Commission Standards and Federal Laws
The Joint Commission collaborated with the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to support language access in health care organizations and developed a free video, "Improving Patient-Provider Communication: Joint Commission Standards and Federal Laws." The video highlights what is required by Joint Commission standards as well as Federal civil rights laws with respect to patients who are deaf/hard of hearing or limited English proficient. You can download it here:
http://www.jointcommission.org/multimedia/improving-patient-provider-communication---part-1-of-4/
