Lighten Your Load | Brief Hmong Client Conversations That Improve Services

Lighten your load and take a break. We know how hard Regional Centers work to improve services for people with cultural and linguistic barriers. We all know how important good relationships are to great service. These relationships are even more important when the people providing and receiving a service differ in culture and language. The words and terms we use for Regional Centers are not always easy to understand by clients from different cultures or who do not communicate well in English.

Learning the Hmong Way was created for Regional Center staff by Regional Center Staff in partnership with Hmong parents and community leaders of Hlub Hmong Center. “Hlub” (pronounced “hloob” soft “b”) means “love” in Hmong.

Our goal is simple. We offer all Regional Center staff a chance to talk about, share lessons, and, maybe, problem-solve together about improving services when culture and language get in the way. We believe these personal conversations can open up doors and enlightenment that are difficult in today’s world of emails, social media, and feedback surveys. So much good comes through dialogue with each other.

What if you can have a real conversation with clients? Learning the Hmong Way provides Regional Center staff and Hmong clients (most parents of children receiving Regional Center services) a private moment for dialogue. Hmong clients are trained as “Parent Coaches.” They listen to and explore Regional Center staff concerns, problems, ideas, lessons, and whatever else they wish to share to improve client relationships and services.

Our focus is on Hmong clients. Yet, we all know that challenges and lessons to improve culturally and linguistically appropriate services are often shared across cultures and ethnicities.

Join in a conversation – it’s easy:

1. Sign up for one of the monthly conversations on Eventbrite. Your conversation can be up to 45 minutes. [PLEASE NOTE: You must use your Regional Center email to sign-up or register. Email addresses that are not of a Regional Center (e.g., gmail, yahoo) are not allowed for registration.]

2. Come to the conversation with at least one idea, lesson, problem, or something you would like to share with our Hmong parents.

3. Hlub Hmong Center and Parent Coaches will facilitate a conversation based on your specific topic and need.

4. Ideas from the conversation are summarized (anonymously) into lessons to share with Regional Centers and clients to improve services.

5. Complete a brief survey to share your lessons and recommendations from the conversation.

6 . Regional Center staff receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card for participating.

Learning the Hmong Way can help you see things you normally would miss. You can learn and apply ideas to improve services with clients and their families. And, your ideas will help improve services for Reginal Centers more broadly.

There are 4 to 5 private conversation slots through Zoom available every first Tuesday of the month between 9 am to 4 pm. Each 45-minute conversation spot can accommodate 1-2 Regional Center staff. Please let us know if you wish to participate, but these times do not work for you. We would love to make time for you.

For more information or if you would like to be on the waitlist, please contact our team at learnhmongway@ci4ci.org or call us at 209-769-3231 (ask for Sia or Steve).