Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC)

Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) is widely understood and defined as 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. Culturally competent individuals and organizations accept and respect differences, engage in continuous self-assessment regarding culture, pay specific attention to the dynamics of difference, commit to ongoing development of cultural knowledge, take advantage of available resources, and develop and adapt service models to meet the needs of diverse ethnic and cultural communities (adapted Cross et al, 1989).

Cultural and Linguistic Competence is a journey and not an endpoint. Instead, it requires that individuals and organizations engage in:

• Continual learning, assessing and applying the knowledge and skills that are acquired in their daily thinking. Practice is vital.
• Building a broad and deep understanding and action linked to cultural customs, traditions and networks that inform every aspect of their ongoing work. CLC represents a philosophy of integration and transformation that is not just about increasing numbers of diversity.

CLC in Project LAUNCH

Being accountable to CLC is a central effort in meeting the Project LAUNCH goals to promote young child wellness. Project LAUNCH grantees are developing programming and providing services to a wide array of culturally diverse communities nationwide, including families representing Latino, African-American, Native American/ Tribal Nations, Asian, immigrant/refugee, and rural Appalachian communities. Because cultural beliefs, practices, structure, history and language of diverse racial and ethnic communities influence many aspects of help-seeking, including how families communicate needs, access support, and use services, Project LAUNCH leaders need to consider how they can incorporate a respect and understanding of the unique strengths and distinctions of their community members in every aspect of their planning and program implementation including council development, EBP choice, and staffing.

Assessment—Project LAUNCH leaders understand that the essential first step is to assess the knowledge and practice of CLC within their team, while also developing assessment tools for programming and evaluation in the community.

For more ideas about assessment, go to the Tools and Processes for Self-Assessment page on the Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence Web site.

Approach—CLC is central to the process and outcome of Project LAUNCH objectives. For example, Project LAUNCH leaders use CLC as an important guide in defining how they will conduct their Environmental Scan and develop their Strategic Plan, as well as in setting benchmarks for achieving Project LAUNCH goals. For example, Project LAUNCH leaders from the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians approached their Environmental Scan in a culturally sensitive manner by incorporating community focus groups as the central way to capture information. By including the multiple and collective voices of members of the tribe, they honored and were in line with a Native American value and ethos that reflects a relational worldview.

For more on a CLC framework, go to the Conceptual Frameworks/Models, Guiding Values and Principles page on the Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence Web site. 

Application—CLC is applied in all areas of the Project LAUNCH work in both the internal processes and in external program development across the prevention and promotion strategies:

• Hire a culturally and linguistically diverse staff representative of the community, and who also have a thorough, sensitive CLC awareness and training
• Develop State and Local Councils that incorporate a broad spectrum of the cultural community being served and build active collaborative partnerships with stakeholders from those communities, including those in leadership roles, workforce as well as parents/families
• Include screening tools and developmental assessments that have been reviewed and validated successfully with culturally diverse populations
• Training curriculums for practitioners integrating behavioral health in their primary care settings should include cultural and linguistic competence as a central part of the program. For example, in RI, Project LAUNCH is collaborating with Americorps volunteers, some of whom are Spanish bi-lingual/bi-cultural and reside in or come from the communities of the families being served in the pediatric units. This partnership has been very successful in the consultation and integration of behavioral health into primary care services by providing connections and practical supports to the families who are participating
• The specific mental health needs, issues and beliefs of the cultural community being served should be represented in all mental health consultation models
• Family traditions and community dynamics should be respected and complemented by home visiting programs that are being implemented
• Community engagement and partnership is the cornerstone of developing and conducting successful family strengthening and parent skills training that apply tools, curricula and instruments that have been designed, adapted for and responsive to culturally diverse families. In Illinois, Project LAUNCH leaders replaced the parent education curriculum they originally planned to use with an evidenced-based program that had been more successful and relevant to the African-American families in their community.

For example of a CLC tool-kit, go to the CLC Toolkit on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Web site.

Assistance—support is important in CLC work. The LAUNCH staff and TA Team are available to provide support with:

• Facilitation, introduction and expanding connections and collaborations with CLC organizations nationally and locally to help grantees to gain access to materials and experts in the field
• Strategic consultation and resources that may be helpful in the ongoing development and incorporation of CLC in Project LAUNCH.