The Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities

Texas Health and Human Services

Courageous Conversation

  April 17, 2013

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Courageous Conversations are quarterly racial equity trainings that explore the root causes of disproportionality and disparities through an examination of race, its manifestations, and the history of institutionalized racism and how it impacts communities of color and people living in poverty.

 The second quarterly training is scheduled for April 17, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 4900 North Lamar, Brown Heatly Building, Public Hearing Room 1410, Austin, TX 78751.  For more information, and to register for this session, please visit:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEhzRnRoUGJJYmt6MFQySUw5LTB0dUE6MA

2013 Language Access Plan from HHS Released

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is pleased to announce that it has published its 2013 Language Access Plan (HHS LAP) ensuring access to the Department’s programs and activities to people with limited English proficiency (LEP)."

To see and review the plan, click here.

We are very excited to share with you the new and improved TAHIT publication, Encounters - an online digital magazine which will be distributed quarterly.

Mirna Bonales, Assistant Manager for Remote Interpretation Solutions (VRI and OPI) at MasterWord Services, Inc., is the magazine editor.

Please click on the magazine cover below or on the link to view the magazine:

Anyone interested in contributing an article to Encounters, or for any comments, please e-mail Mirna: mbonales at masterword.com. DEADLINE for articles for the next issue of Encounters is March 25, 2013.

Encounters Link: http://tinyurl.com/atxawll

To advertise your business with our members, click here.

TAHIT Vice-President Edgardo García, BS, CMI, CHI,  Director of Language Access Services at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, is looking for volunteers to start regional chapters of TAHIT. This initiative is part of TAHIT's on-going strategic plan.

If you would like to create networking events, coordinate professional development opportunities, or host TAHIT regional meetings, then this is your chance!

TAHIT needs volunteers to lead the following regional chapters: Gulf Coast, Hill Country, North Central Texas, Pineywoods, Panhandle Plains, and Big Bend Country.

If you are interested in participating in helping TAHIT achieve this goal, please write to info@tahit.us.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Community Alliance for CLAS is hosting a free CLAS/cultural competency webinar series

April 2-May 3

The CLAS webinar series includes 11 cost-free one-hour presentations led by subject experts on how to deliver more effective and compassionate health and social services for various populations.

Click here for a list of available webinars. 

 2013 TAHIT Symposium Update

The 7th Annual TAHIT Symposium on Language Access will be in Austin, TX. The Symposium is the most important healthcare interpretation and translation training and networking event in Texas.

Pam Solomon, MBA, Spanish<>English interpreter at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Ft. Worth, was recently named as the Chair of the Symposium Planning Committee. Pam comes to the committee with previous experience as a conference planner.

More details as they become available.

To find out more information on how you can help TAHIT plan for this event send an e-mail to info@tahit.us. We are looking for volunteers from anywhere, but especially from the Austin area.

Testimonials about TAHIT

2/18/13

To Edgardo García, TAHIT Vice-President

Thanks for helping us put on a good meeting last Saturday.  Your presentation was, in my opinion, one of the most useful items we've shown to HITA members in quite a while ...There is a great deal of overlap between the goals of HITA and TAHIT.

Please consider this an open invitation for TAHIT leadership to speak to HITA members at least annually.  What you said is available online and elsewhere, but it makes a difference to have someone standing in front of us who knows the field and can answer live questions.

Steven Marzuola

President - Houston Interpreters and Translators Association

 2/19/13

To Alejandra Picado, TAHIT Interim Director of Outreach:

I wish to express my appreciation to you for your volunteer participation as organizer and moderator and participant in the panels at the annual Houston Hispanic Forum Career & Education Day! It was an honor and privilege having us all together on Sat., Feb. 9, reinforcing the importance of this event.  I am delighted that we all were present to witness firsthand the tremendous commitment of our academic community, the corporate community, the City of Houston, the elected officials, the volunteers and most importantly, the positive impact that HHF CED has on the future of so many students ...

I sincerely hope that you will consider participating again next year!

Debra D. Andrist

Chair of Foreign Languages

Sam Houston State University

Board Member of the Houston Hispanic Forum