Culture Counts - ACTION
Cultural Competence Action Planning
Seven Domains of Cultural Competence
NAMI NH supports the following Action Steps to help mental health service systems reform in order to meet the growing changes in New Hampshire’s diverse population. These policy recommendations were proposed by the Cultural Competence Committee, District of Columbia, Department of Mental Health, 2003.
- Values and Attitudes: Providers will promote practices that foster mutual respect between staff and consumers.
- Communication Styles: Providers will demonstrate competence (attitudes and behaviors) in communicating with individuals of differing languages and cultures, and the sensitivity to use alternatives to written communication for some clients.
- Community and Consumer Participation: Providers will actively and continuously involve community leaders and consumers in the development, implementation and evaluation of policy, practices and program interventions. Involved program participants are more invested in the success of the program and hence, health status outcomes improve.
- Physical Environment: Providers will develop and/or secure materials and resources that are culturally and linguistically responsive, including interior design, pictures, posters and artwork, as well as magazines, brochures, audios, videos, films, and literacy-sensitive print information that is congruent with the cultures and languages of the populations served.
- Policies and Procedures: These include written policies, procedures, mission statement, goals, and objectives that incorporate cultural and linguistic principles and practices, including hiring multi-cultural and multi-lingual staff reflective of the community, clinical protocols, orientation, community involvement and outreach.
- Population-Based Clinical Practice: Providers will promote clinical practices that avoid the misapplication of scientific knowledge and the stereotyping of group members while still appreciating the importance of culture. Culturally skilled clinicians have good knowledge and understanding of their own world views, have specific knowledge of the particular groups with which they work, understand sociopolitical influences, and possess distinct skills (intervention techniques and strategies) needed in working with culturally diverse groups.
- Training and Professional Development: Providers will require all employees to participate in cultural competency training (8 hours of training annually).
For further information, go to http://ask.hrsa.gov/index.cfm
