Esperanza Diaz, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, is medical director of both the Hispanic Clinic (La Clínica Hispana) at Connecticut Mental Health Center and the Connecticut Latino Behavioral Health System.
In addition, Diaz is an associate program director of the Yale psychiatry residency and chair of the department's cultural psychiatry curriculum workgroup.
Following the completion of her residency at Yale School of Medicine, Diaz held multiple leadership positions at community and outpatient behavioral health programs in Connecticut. She joined the Yale Department of Psychiatry faculty in 1995.
Diaz's research and professional interests are focused on education, including interviewing and cultural psychiatry, as well as improving mental health services to Hispanics.
In 2013, she developed an online continuing medical education course on cultural competency that is available, free of charge, to the Yale Community. The module helps physicians fulfill the Connecticut Department of Public Health's requirement for continuing education on cultural competency.
What about the field of psychiatry is most interesting to you?
We have some understanding of the brain and the mind-body connection but we do not yet know enough and the need to develop better treatments for psychiatric disorders is urgent. A primary motivator for me is that psychiatry is about understanding the whole person and his or her unique qualities. As psychiatrists we have to be experts of our own selves in order to provide appropriate treatments to patients. Some of us could call it transference while others might call it prejudices or biases, but if we ignore these things then treatment will not be optimal. I am a huge advocate of psychotherapy. The treatment of psychiatric disorders with medicines is important but psychotherapy helps patients recover.
You now have a leadership role in the same residency program that you graduated from. What do you think sets Yale and its psychiatry residency apart from other training programs?
The Yale psychiatry residency is unique due to its diversity and respect for different approaches. There is no mold to follow here. Residents are encouraged to find their own style within a supporting and stimulating environment that values ongoing learning. The residency exposes trainees to a variety of treatment approaches and to faculty with diverse perspectives. The environment is extremely supportive and there are countless opportunities for mentorship on almost any topic by true leaders in the field. Residents not only learn about the specialty of psychiatry, but about self-development.
What advice do you have for recent medical school graduates starting their residency training?
Examine what motivated you to become a physician. Let that knowledge help you find your niche in the profession. Share your passion with other medical students and get involved in teaching. The best way to learn is to teach. Busy schedules can be challenging but the satisfaction of learning and practicing clinical interventions under supervision is well worth it. Lots of late nights and coffee during your internship will be replaced by the discipline to respond methodically to clinical issues, time to read the literature, fun activities with your peers, and time for family and yourself.
You recently co-chaired a workshop on Hispanic diversity at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). What is the key message that you hoped attendees would take away from your session?
Teaching cultural psychiatry and being part of the Hispanic Clinic's leadership team has provided daily reminders of the need for cultural sensitivity in healthcare settings. The goal of our panel was to give colleagues a practical review of various Hispanic ethnicities and to share insight into each group's unique history so that clinicians can better understand their patients' motivations and behaviors. Many clinicians don't appreciate the regional and generational diversity among Hispanic populations in the United States.
The Hispanic Clinic (La Clínica Hispana) at Connecticut Mental Health Center has been providing mental health and addiction services to the local Spanish-speaking community for more than four decades. What are some of the latest initiatives that the Clinic is undertaking?
Training is one of our primary goals as we are keenly aware of the need to increase the number of culturally-sensitive clinicians across all disciplines. Training at the Hispanic Clinic is a unique opportunity. Here, one does not need to leave the country to have the experience of treating Spanish-speaking patients. You immediately realize the challenges that this population experiences in accessing health services.
As the only Spanish-speaking clinic that serves uninsured patients with serious mental illnesses, we have experienced overwhelming growth in our patient population. In response, the clinic has begun providing partner agencies with cultural competency training and funds for bilingual and bicultural clinicians. The Connecticut Latino Behavioral Health System, which was developed as a collaborative of the State of Connecticut and the Connecticut Mental Health Center, supports these efforts.
The clinic is always looking for new ways to expand and improve our services and to be more inclusive.