CCSI Cultural Competence
What is Cultural Competence?
A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enable them to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. (Cross et al., 1989)
Cultural competence is:
- Effective and respectful care that is compatible with the cultural health and mental health beliefs, practices and languages of the youth and families receiving services.
- Respect for and attention to patterns of help seeking, childrearing, family roles and spiritual practices
- Increasing access to treatment and supportive services
- Providing cultural adaptation of services
- Promoting equity in service benefit
- Cultural competence is an ongoing process to assure quality treatment and services are available and effective for all populations of New York State.
What are Cultural Considerations?
While ethnicity, age, gender, language and spiritual practices are primary considerations it is also important to acknowledge the impact of English proficiency, literacy levels, geographic location, sexual orientation, education, employment, income, country of origin, immigration status, physical limitations or disabilities and criminal justice involvement.
What Do Teams and Counties Need To Do?
- Develop and implement a written strategic plan to articulate team/county cultural competence efforts
- Know and understand the various cultural groups present in the community.
- Determine future directions for program development based upon consumer satisfaction.
- Recruit and involve a diverse membership from organizations that are representative of the diversity in the community.
- Assure bilingual and bicultural team members are part of the workforce.
- Include ongoing training and education about culturally relevant service provision.
- Provide language assistance services including trained interpreters to children and families who have limited English language proficiency.
- Provide access to translated materials including information about rights, grievances and available services.
- Promote ongoing development of cultural competence skills for Tier I and Tier II members.
- Integrate cultural competence throughout CCSI initiatives.
- Consider new methods and media for service information exchange and recovery education.
- Develop partnerships with community leaders, “cultural brokers” and natural networks to facilitate improved service access and to provide feedback that will guide agency direction.
- Examine agency and individual outcomes to determine program effectiveness across cultures and across systems.
Commitment to Cultural Competence Can…
- Keep the focus on understanding and valuing difference.
- Improve access to services for underserved populations.
- Keep services youth and family centered.
- Focus service design to meet the needs of cultural groups, neighborhoods and communities.
- Guide service development that is not in conflict with the norms and values of youth and families.
- Enhance and improve service quality.
CCSI Cultural Competence Fact Sheet—
A cultural competence fact sheet developed by Tier III for use and distribution by local CCSIs.
Cultural Competence Assessment Questions—
A Tier III-developed set of questions localities can use to determine and monitor
their cultural competence status, strategies, and programs.
Supporting Resources:
The National Center for Cultural Competence—The National Center for Cultural Competence provides:
- Training, technical assistance and consultation;
- Networking, linkages and information exchange; and
- Knowledge and product development and dissemination.
Major emphasis is placed on policy development, assistance in conducting cultural competence organizational self-assessments, and strategic approaches to the systematic incorporation of culturally competent values, policy, structures and practices within organizations.
Association of School Psychologists—Cultural Competence-As America’s schools become increasingly diverse, NASP reaffirms its commitment to promote inclusive educational environments that respect and respond to differences in race, culture, ethnicity, and language. Through partnerships, recruitment efforts, bilingual publications, training, online resources, and advocacy, NASP promotes cultural competence in every area of school psychological service delivery.
