CLAS Principles

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards serve as general guidelines for developing and monitoring appropriate services. These standards are intended to be broadly inclusive of diverse racial, ethnic, sexual, and other cultural and linguistic groups.
• We will work to ensure that all residents receive effective, understandable, and respectful care that is provided in a manner compatible with their cultural beliefs, practices and preferred language.
• We are committed to ensuring that residents and staff feel safe at the North Cottage Program. It is our policy that racial slurs, ethnic jokes, homophobic and transphobic language, or other disparaging remarks or conduct are unacceptable. We are committed to investigating any such incidents and taking action, up to discharge or termination, when needed.
• Staff will receive ongoing trainings about CLAS and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) principles to continue our learning about how to best serve our residents.
• If an applicant for the North Cottage Program is someone who needs a different level of care, we are committed to helping that applicant find an appropriate place for service, which also complies with CLAS Standards.
• Diversity data will be collected, stored securely, and evaluated to ensure that we are serving a demographic representative of the population of Massachusetts, and that our staff is reflective of the population we serve.
• We do not discriminate against those who do not speak English as their first language; we will not deny treatment based on an individual’s language capacity or ability. We will provide access to materials in other languages, including ASL (American Sign Language) as requested, including translators when needed.
• We will provide translations of rights, rules, and manuals for residents in treatment who do not read English. Through Mass Health, we will provide:
* free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
* qualified sign language interpreters
* written information in other formats (large print, braille, accessible electronic formats, and other formats)
* free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as: qualified interpreters and information written in other languages.