For National Hispanic Heritage Month: Build Your Skills with ATTC Network Tools and Trainings

October 4, 2018

Maureen Fitzgerald
ATTC Network Coordinating Office/NIATx

September 15-October 15
Find out more

What's one thing that Haner Hernandez would like people to know about the Latino population in the United States?

"It's that we're so diverse," says Hernandez, who provides training and technical assistance for the ATTC Network on topics such as health disparities, cultural elements of Latino populations, and the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Standards in Health and Health Care. 

Hernandez has served as an Expert CLAS Consultant and Technical Assistance Provider for the New England ATTC for over a decade.


Latinos in the U.S. come from many countries, with the largest number coming from Mexico and Puerto Rico. But other countries of origin include Cuba, El Salvador, Peru, and Argentina--each with its own unique cultural and linguistic variations.

This diversity presents a challenge for treatment organizations that serve Hispanic and Latino clients. Hernandez recommends that agencies use the CLAS Standards as a framework for overcoming this challenge.

(You can hear more from Hernandez in this podcast from the Great Lakes ATTC. )

Fortunately, the ATTC Network offers a range of tools and trainings for behavioral health providers seeking ways to meet their Latino clients' needs.  Here are just a few of our recent offerings:

• Cultural Elements with Hispanic Adolescents: This two-part recorded webinar series from the Northeast & Caribbean Basin ATTC explores how Hispanic and Latino teens develop their identities and the key issues for working with Latino teens who use substances.

• CLAS Standards in Behavioral Health 101: This recorded webinar from the Central East ATTC provides an overview of the CLAS Standards.

• Understanding the Basics of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture: A one-hour self-paced course available through HealtheKnowledge, the ATTC Network's online learning portal. Look for this in the category Special Topics in Behavioral Health.

• Culturally Competent Service Delivery: A three-part recorded webinar series hosted by the Great Lakes ATTC. 

• Bilingual/Spanish Language Resources: Visit this page for links to provider and patient education resources available in English and Spanish. 

The ATTC Network will continue to expand the trainings and resources we offer to help behavioral health providers serve diverse populations.

Visit our website for updates and information!