Cultural Competency in Behavioral Health Advisor (Remote, USA)

Cultural Competency & Health Equity Advisor Tandem | Part-Time Strategic Consultant | Remote

About Us Tandem (beintandem.co) is building the future of maternal mental and behavioral healthcare. Our evidence-based digital platform is transforming how OB/GYNs and primary care providers deliver mental health services — increasing access to insurance-covered care while addressing the critical shortage of mental and behavioral health professionals. We're scaling a solution that improves clinical outcomes for patients and financial performance for healthcare practices nationwide.

Position Overview We're seeking a cultural competency and health equity advisor to establish the foundational frameworks for our evidence-based tools and screening instruments with cross-cultural experiences. This is an exceptional opportunity to define the strategic approach to cultural adaptation, including the systems, processes, and guidelines that will ensure our digital mental health interventions serve diverse, underserved communities, and are clinically appropriate across diverse maternal populations.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in cultural adaptation frameworks for behavioral health interventions, understands how to operationalize cultural competency within evidence-based practices, and can create scalable approaches that improve engagement, retention, and outcomes while reducing health disparities.

Key Responsibilities Framework Development (Primary Focus)

Establish foundational frameworks for integrating cultural competency within evidence-based care models

Define guidelines and principles for culturally adapting screening tools while maintaining clinical validity

Create systematic approaches for culturally-trained screening and therapeutic content for diverse African American, and ethnically and racially diverse communities

Develop frameworks for culturally adaptive content that improves evidence in digital mental health care

Build scalable processes for ongoing cultural competency evaluation and improvement

Articulate design recommendations to improve cultural competency, reduce health disparities, and improve outcomes for diverse maternal populations

Cultural Adaptation & Validation

Review and adapt screening tools for cultural validity across diverse populations

Guide development of culturally responsive intervention content based on established frameworks

Advise on language quality, translation accuracy, and health literacy for Spanish and other language content

Establish quality standards for cultural adaptation that can be applied consistently across content development

Health Equity Strategy

Articulate a health equity strategy and implementation process within product

Identify and address barriers to access related to language, literacy, cultural beliefs, and social determinants of health

Guide community engagement and clinical outreach approaches with diverse maternal health communities

Recommend strategies to improve cultural humility and competency across team and clinical content

Provide recommendations for culturally specific partner ecosystems to expand service reach

Apply cultural competency frameworks from diverse cross-cultural populations (Latina/Spanish-speaking, Black/African-American, rural, immigrant, low-income)

Advise on how cultural beliefs, health literacy, and social determinants influence engagement with digital behavioral health

Guide adaptation strategies that honor cultural diversity while maintaining evidence-based clinical integrity

Engagement Structure

1-2 framework development sessions over 6-8 weeks focused on establishing foundational approach

Async product/framework review (1-2 hours) + live feedback meeting (1-1.5 hours) + brief written framework recommendations/brief (500-800 min)

Structured cultural competency evaluation checklist

Participation in focused discussions with founders and clinical team

Long-term fractional advisory role and special projects strongly preferred for the right candidate

Potential for long-term fractional advisory or executive role to be defined after initial project

Ideal Candidate Background Professional Background

Experienced anthropologist or social scientist with focus on maternal health and cultural health interventions

Clinician or counseling psychologist with cultural psychology or multicultural counseling experience

Public health professional with health equity, community engagement, or perinatal health expertise

Social health researcher or practitioner with focus on culturally responsive interventions

Health science researcher involved in the design or validation of behavioral health instruments

Experience in cultural adaptation frameworks for evidence-based behavioral and mental health interventions

Operationalizing cultural competency within clinical care and decision-making processes

Experience with maternal health disparities across multiple populations (Latina, Black/African American, rural, immigrant)

Experience with community-engaged research or outreach with diverse maternal health populations

Knowledge of cultural factors influencing help-seeking, stigma, and mental health service utilization

Spanish language fluency and expertise in cross-cultural adaptation of clinical content

Understanding of health literacy and culturally appropriate health communication

Experience validating/adapting tools in clinical protocols for cultural validity

Familiarity with digital health equity considerations and challenges facing under-served communities

Knowledge of perinatal mental health, postpartum depression, to maternal anxiety across cultures

Track record of creating scalable cultural competency frameworks that guide product development

Professional Qualities

Ability to operationalize and translate cultural requirements with evidence-based clinical processes

Clear communication of cultural considerations to clinical and non-clinical stakeholders

Thrives in fast-paced, high-growth startup environments and understands iterative product development

Passionate about health equity and committed to reducing maternal health disparities

Proven ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership and clinical teams

Confidence to provide clear feedback on cultural blind spots and solutions for marginalized communities

Skilled at synthesizing cultural research and community insights to inform product decisions

Proficient with AI and digital tools to assess and create cultural adaptation workflows

Experience creating culturally-responsive content and training materials for diverse audiences

Qualifications

Advanced degree (PhD, EdD, MPH, MSW, PsyD) or relevant field OR equivalent project-based experience

5+ years experience in cultural adaptation of health interventions, health equity research, or community engagement

Demonstrated experience establishing cultural competency frameworks or cultural adaptation processes

Cross-knowledge of at least one priority population (Latina, Black/African American, rural, immigrant) communicated with ability to apply frameworks across cultures

Understanding of evidence-based maternal mental health interventions and screening tools

Experience in early-stage digital health companies or familiarity with product design and development processes

Fluency with virtual collaboration tools and modern digital workflows (Zoom, Google Workspace, content management systems)

Time Commitment

Total: 6-10 hours over 6-8 weeks

1-2 focused framework development sessions on highest priority tasks

1-2 hours per session (async review + live strategy meeting + brief framework document)

Strong preference for advisors interested in long-term fractional advisory role and special projects

Flexible scheduling to accommodate primary work commitments, including reasonable availability for evening and weekend sessions

Virtual meetings, no travel required

Compensation Project-based compensation commensurate with experience:

Compensation range: $700-$2,000 for initial engagement based on the estimated hours listed above

Final compensation will be determined by hourly rate adjusted for expertise, credentials, and advisory scope

Competitive rates commensurate with professional experience and specialized knowledge

Strong preference for advisors interested in ongoing fractional advisory relationship and special projects

Note: Equity compensation will be considered for long-term strategic advisory roles with expanded responsibilities in executive decision-making and market expansion. If this is of interest, please share desired equity impact or your role vision with your application.

Why Join Tandem?

Build foundational frameworks that will shape how a digital mental health platform serves diverse populations at scale

Define the strategic approach to cultural adaptation that will reduce maternal health disparities nationwide

Partner with a mission-driven team committed to health equity and closing a critical access gap

Gain direct insight into cutting-edge AI applications in digital health from an executive team with proven track record launching successful healthcare products

This initial engagement is designed to establish fit for a long-term fractional advisory or executive role

Flexibl...