The Arc Wayne, with help and guidance from Finger Lakes Performing Provider System (FLPPS), will be infusing Cultural Competency and Health Literacy (CCHL) into everything we do at the agency after training is administered to staff, individuals we serve, and other community members.

What is CCHL?

Cultural Competency (CC): The ability to interact effectively and respectfully with people of different cultures and the understanding that “culture” is so much more than race and ethnicity.
Health Literacy (HL): The ability to obtain, read, understand, and use healthcare information in order to make appropriate health decisions and follow instructions for treatment. For example, “Do you understand how to take your medication safely and according to instructions?”

FLPPS has declared CCHL a vital part of our local community organizations. If we can define social determinates that influence different populations’ health, we can start to decrease hospital stays and create healthier communities for people of all cultures and back- grounds. Over the next few months, The Arc Wayne will begin training staff and individuals to teach everyone what CCHL is and how we can create more culturally competent and health literate community members. 

If you have questions about CCHL, what it means, or how you can help infuse it into your work place, please feel free to contact Grete Steele De Torres, our CCHL Operations Specialist at The Arc Wayne. We would love to share how you can make a difference in your community by being more culturally competent and health literate. 

All week, The Arc Wayne has celebrated our greatest asset: employees. Our Human Resources department planned a week of themed days and gave away goodies to thank staff for all of the hard work and dedication they show to the individuals we support each and every day. 

It takes our team of more than 550 people to effectively and successfully operate The Arc Wayne day-in and day-out. We are thankful to have such a devoted team of that size. David Calhoun, The Arc Wayne's Executive Director, sent a message to staff at the end of the week thanking everyone for their work.

"I would like to take this opportunity with the ending of staff appreciation week to thank you on behalf of the Board of Directors and the Administration. Thank you for the dedication you provide to the hundreds of people we support each and every day. Without your commitment and hard work, we would not be the largest and best non-profit agency in the county. Our drive toward excellence through empowerment and opportunity makes The Arc Wayne a special place to work, and our team plays an absolutely vital role in accomplishing that for our community. Staff appreciation week may be only 5 days long, but it takes 365 days a year to successfully operate The Arc Wayne, and we appreciate your help in accomplishing that."

We hope you will help us in thanking our staff for helping connect individuals to a world of possibilities.