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What is CLAS?
The United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health (OMH) established a set of 14 national Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards in healthcare that constitute mandates, guidelines and recommendations intended to inform, guide and facilitate required and recommended practices related to culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
The standards are divided into three sections:
- Culturally Proficient Care
- Language Access Services
- Organizational Supports for Cultural Proficiency
These standards define how health care information is received, how rights and protections are exercised, what is considered a health problem, how symptoms and concerns about the problem are expressed, who should provide treatment for the problem, and what type of treatment should be delivered.
Executive Order 13166
President Clinton's signing of Executive Order 13166 in August 2000 was a landmark event in attempting to "improve access to federally conducted and federally assisted programs and activities for persons, who, as a result of national origin, are limited in their English proficiency (LEP)." This order reminded agencies of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which guarantees that "no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."
Interested in receiving CLAS training?
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