What makes an agency culturally competent

DiversityRx Online resources to improve the accessibility and quality of health care for minority, immigrant, and indigenous communities. Skip to main content. Recommend on Facebook Follow on Twitter. What is Cultural Competence? What's the Difference? Value clients' cultural beliefs. Recognize complexity in language interpretation. Facilitate learning between providers and communities. Involve the community in defining and addressing service needs.

Collaborate with other agencies. Professionalize staff hiring and training. Institutionalize cultural competence. Cultural Competence, Awareness, and Sensitivity Cultural competence emphasizes the idea of effectively operating in different cultural contexts, and altering practices to reach different cultural groups. Back to top NPIN. Have questions? We have answers. Whenever possible access to culturally appropriate events, resources, and public services will also be available to management and staff.

Opportunities afforded to the agency to address and identify mechanisms to renew, enhance, and increase the cultural sensitivity, cultural awareness, and ability of staff to provide culturally relevant services will be utilized. The DDS is committed to providing mechanisms for the resolution of problems and complaints when they arise. More Information. BizWay Theme powered by WordPress. Diversity and Cultural Competency. Policy Unyeway, Inc.

Procedure Cultural Competence Plan Cultural competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations.

Methods Cultural competence planning should focus on cultural considerations in service design and delivery establishment of community based networks, and inclusion of natural supports and methods to help assure an efficacious cultural fit. Use Demographic Information Unyeway will gather demographic information pertaining to the individuals served by the program and staff.

Needs Identification Unyeway, Inc. Supports Whenever possible consumers will have access to employees familiar with his or her culture and who speak a language in which the consumer is competent, this includes spoken and signed languages.

Mission Statement "To enhance and enrich the lives of people with disabilities by employing and empowering them in their communities. Donations are the life blood of Non-Profits, and Unyeway is no exception. If you have the means, please consider the magnitude of difference that can be made to many peoples lives by even a seemingly small donation from one person.

Here at Unyeway, you can make a difference. Areas of focus should include, but are not limited to; psychiatric problems and history, history of trauma, medical problems, physiology, substance use and abuse, alcohol consumption, vocation and education, cultural factors, literacy levels, English proficiency and potential language barriers, family and support network, housing, and risk factors e. For example: Goal: Consumers who wish to improve their English language skills are able to do so.

Improving cultural competence is a process involving sustained effort over time. Planning can be delegated to a few specific improvements for immediate focus, with other long-range strategies on the horizon.

For assistance with planning, resources and implementation contact:. Your browser does not support iFrames. Navigation menu. Cultural Competence Plan Outline Sustaining The Effort What agency-wide administrative actions exist and will take place to increase accountability and responsibility in implementing a cultural competence plan? Cultural competence planning should focus on cultural considerations in service design and delivery, establishment of community based networks, and inclusion of natural supports and methods to help assure an efficacious cultural fit.

A cultural competence plan should include strategies designed to address cultural factors that are reflected within the daily activities of treatment. Overall, the plan should include methods to ensure that cultural information is collected at intake, is updated throughout the engagement process, and is then utilized to develop and enhance services and their delivery. The plan should incorporate methods to address access to services, service adaptations, community networking, and assurances that language assistance, sensory deficits, and literacy needs are met e.

If a program has management level staff responsible for cultural competence, those staff may be a resource. A systematic method for incorporating consumer input into program operation and service delivery is necessary to ensure that treatment design reflects consumer preferences and needs. Agencies and programs should acknowledge and respond to consumer complaints, and institute changes or corrective action when warranted.

Information can be obtained through the use of comprehensive intake assessment tools, culturally tailored engagement strategies, and ongoing documentation of culturally relevant information from consumers. Existing resources: Type s and availability of housing, employment options and opportunities, educational opportunities, language assistance e. Contrast and compare who is currently served to the population s present in the community.

Identify gaps in available community resources and apparent service needs, based upon who is being served, and elicit feedback from consumers and families utilizing the services. Consider stigma and its influence on the community to include unique cultural responses to people with mental illness.

Document whether services effectively reach community members that are currently in the most serious need of mental health services, and list specific plans for targeted outreach and engagement. Treatment Planning Appropriate treatment planning should include a thorough detailed history and assessment of current functioning that reflects the consumer's unique background, strengths, needs, and choices.

Plan to use cultural assessment information when determining initial and ongoing services, and goal setting.