Cultural Competency
2011
Continuing Cultural Competence
What is Cultural Competence?
Cultural Competence is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professional and enables this system, agency or those professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. Competence implies having the capacity to function effectively as an individual and an organization within the context of the cultural beliefs, behaviors, and needs presented by consumers and their communities.
Why is Cultural Competence important?
Communities in America are becoming more culturally diverse. Current projections suggest that by 2025, racial and ethnic minorities will account for more than 40% of all Americans. Lack of awareness of cultural differences can affect the prevention, identification, and treatment of many mental health problems.
How can cultural competence benefit my agency or company?
Our nation has become increasingly diverse. The demographics of the United States have changed significantly over the past several years. Becoming culturally competent allows an agency to respond in culturally sensitive ways to the prevention, identification, and treatment of mental health issues in culturally diverse communities. Therefore, the services that minorities receive are responsive to their needs.
- Cultural Competence enables an organization to serve all clients better; thus, everyone benefits.
- Cultural Competency is a long-term developmental process.
- Cultural Competence calls for true, fundamental institutional change.
- Cultural Competence helps reduce agency risk, liability, and the cost of service delivery.
- Cultural Competence can be learned.
What is Cultural Competency Continuum?
It helps one understand the process of becoming Culturally Competent. There are six Continuum we will be reviewing. The first is Cultural Destructiveness.
Cultural Destructiveness
Cultural destructiveness is characterized by attitudes, policies, structures, and practices within a system or organization that are destructive to a cultural group. It is the most negative end of the continuum. Individuals in this phase:
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View culture as a problem;
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Believe that if culture or population can be suppressed or destroyed, people will be better off;
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Believe that people should be more like the “mainstream”; and
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Assume that one culture is superior and should eradicate “lesser” cultures.
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Use the skills below to prevent falling into Cultural Destructiveness:
- Being aware of one’s own culture, values, and biases.
- Being aware of and working at controlling own biases and how these may affect interactions with others.
- Culture-specific knowledge.
- Knowledge of institutional barriers that prevent some populations from accessing resources.
- Ability to build strong cross-cultural relationships and to be at ease with difference.
- Flexibility and ability to adapt to diverse environments.
- Ability and willingness to be an ally to individuals who are different from oneself.
- Effective communication skills across differences.
- Becoming aware of cultural norms, attitudes, and beliefs.
- Valuing diversity
- Willingness to extend oneself psychologically and physically to the client population
- Recognizing comfort level in different situations.
Cultural Incapacity
The second point along the continuum is Cultural Incapacity. Cultural Incapacity is the lack of capacity of systems and organizations to respond effectively to the needs, interests and preferences of culturally and linguistically diverse groups. Characteristics include but are not limited to: institutional or systemic bias; practices that may result in discrimination in hiring and promotion; disproportionate allocation of resources that may benefit one cultural group over another; subtle messages that some cultural groups are neither valued nor welcomed; and lower expectations for some cultural, ethnic, or racial groups.
Individuals in this phase:
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lack cultural awareness and skills;
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may have been brought up in a homogeneous society, been taught to behave in certain ways, and never questioned what they were taught;
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believe in the racial superiority of a dominant group and assume a paternalistic posture toward others; and
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maintain stereotypes.
At the organizational level this translates into supporting segregation or having lower expectations.
How can we prevent this from occurring:
Coming soon -- the third point along the Continuum: Cultural Blindness
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