Even in the great melting pot that is the United States of America, Florida stands out as an eclectic melding of people across places, nations, religions, ethnic groups, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. Floridians speak a world’s worth of languages and bring a globe’s worth of cultural values into one shared peninsula. Bridging these divides may be difficult. However, meeting basic standards of treatment and care means meeting patients where they are and engaging in their treatment in a manner and way that does not alienate them, which is the duty of every healthcare professional. 
Substance misuse issues span every conceivable identity group. Sadly, no group of people is immune to the disease that is addiction. However, healthcare and treatment disparities weigh down outcomes for members of marginalized communities. According to a 2002 report, “Bias, stereotyping, prejudice, and clinical uncertainty on the part of healthcare providers may contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare.” Moreover, a 2020 report found that “Persons in racial and ethnic minority groups were found to receive lower-quality health care than whites received, even when they were insured to the same degree and when other health care access-related factors, such as the ability to pay for care, were the same…[Patients] in minority groups were also not getting their needs met in mental health treatment”. Research suggests that members of marginalized gender/sexual communities face similar barriers to high-quality care. Foreign nationals and those who confront significant language barriers when seeking care from English-language-speaking practitioners are victims of the same reduced quality of care. While these issues are endemic, they are not unsolvable.
In rehabilitation clinics, patients often arrive at their lowest and most vulnerable moments. They deserve the best possible care to give them the best possible chance at a new life in recovery. Providing them with that treatment means being prepared for patients with life experiences and values that fall outside the Floridian median. Here are some of the best ways that treatment and rehab centers can maintain their standard of care for every patient who walks through their doors:
- Language and Communication: When they exist, language barriers are often the most consequential social and cultural divides in treatment settings. Effective communication is vital in rehab clinics. It’s extremely difficult to build trust between patients and providers without a way of communicating. Providing services in the patient’s preferred language whenever possible. Using interpreters when needed is essential to providing adequate care. Under no circumstances should a healthcare provider attempt to carelessly communicate by hastily miming things out or attempting a simplified version of a language. It can be unintentionally offensive and can destroy trust in just a handful of ill-conceived sentences.
- Respect for Cultural Values: Different cultures may have varying views on addiction, mental health, and treatment. It’s essential to respect these cultural values and beliefs while providing evidence-based care. Disrespect or malignant disregard for a patient’s values is not only unethical, it is also profoundly counterproductive. Treatment centers and staff that practice a consistent baseline level of empathy are far more successful in their mission. This includes hiring staff from diverse backgrounds and providing resources to both staff and patients that acknowledge and celebrate cultural diversity.
- Empathy training: It’s impossible to prepare a staff for every conceivable identity that may enter a rehabilitation facility for treatment. However, by engaging in empathy training and centering tolerance as an essential value of the workplace culture, staff engage in continuous learning and self-reflection to improve their understanding of cultural issues and how they impact the treatment process.
- Ethical consent: All medical treatment relies upon the consent of the patient. Practicing tolerance and cultural sensitivity makes staff more likely to understand what a patient will and will not feel comfortable consenting to. If they feel uncomfortable with a recommended treatment plan, this sensitivity will make it easier for the treatment staff to understand why and how to help reach a mutually agreeable treatment plan.
- Better Outcomes: This is the simplest and most powerful benefit to practicing cultural sensitivity. When healthcare providers are attuned to the cultural context of a patient’s life, they can better identify underlying issues and work with their patients to map out their long-term goals in recovery. These personalized goals, rather than ones simply grafted onto the patient by an oblivious healthcare provider, are more likely to lead to positive outcomes.
Ultimately, a welcoming treatment center is no different than any other. It just serves more people and serves them better. Even patients who fit squarely within the mainstream definition of a “stereotypical” patient will benefit from a more inclusive care strategy because they will know that the staff is trying to reach them as an individual instead of a member of a preferred class of people.
Floridians may share nothing else in common but their state flag. But what they lack in commonalities can be made up for with empathy, understanding, and proactive sensitivity. The diversity of people can be a challenge for close-minded rehab facilities. But for those willing to extend basic human empathy to people who may not look or sound like them or the people they grew up with, they can find themselves more dedicated and more effective in the mission that the best treatment centers were built to service: growth, positivity and the fulfillment of human potential.
We believe in giving the best care we can to all of our patients, no matter their identity. If you’re looking for treatment and are concerned about how you’ll be treated, we hope that you’ll begin your recovery journey with us, so that we can help you rebuild your life in a place where you’ll be treated with the dignity and respect that you deserve.
At the Addiction Recovery Institute of America, our addiction specialists provide expert care for individuals who are struggling with substance use disorders. Our goal is simple: to provide each of our clients with the tools they need to achieve long-term recovery. When you enroll in any one of the programs at ARIA, you are committing to sobriety. We are dedicated to holding up our end of the bargain by designing individualized substance abuse treatment programs that serve each of our client’s individual needs. To get in contact, Call us at (844) 973 2611 or head over to our Contact Us page, fill out our information form, and our representatives will get back to you as soon as possible.