Why Become Culturally Competent?
Culture influences an individual’s health beliefs, practices, behaviors, and even the outcome of medical treatments. It’s important that healthcare professionals expand their cultural understanding and strive to become culturally competent.
A culturally competent healthcare professional can respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, in a manner that affirms the worth and preserves the dignity of individuals, families, and communities. This is essential for the optimal delivery of care in Maternal and Child Health.
To become culturally competent, one must challenge their comfort level by thinking critically about issues of power and oppression and advocating for systemic change for the inclusion of all. Participants will learn the core principle of cultural competency and how to implement best practices to improve maternal and child health, for better birth outcomes when working with diverse populations.
Core Competency Development
Self-Awareness
Develop an understanding of cultural values and beliefs and their impact on health and healthcare delivery by first understanding your own.
Cross-Cultural Knowledge
Learn how beliefs, cultures, and ethnic practices can influence health behavior and health status.
Health Literacy
Discuss and understand the importance of providing information, referrals, and services in the language appropriate to the client, as well as the provision of interpreters when needed.
Delivery of Care
Learn to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate and competent services, programs, and interventions that meet the needs of the community of interest, and identify resources for diverse populations.
Advocacy
Increase skill set to include advocacy for public policies and programs that promote and support culturally and linguistically responsive services and the inclusion, representation, and participation of individuals who reflect the diversity of our communities.
“We live in an ever-changing world, and learning to be culturally competent is a requirement for professional development and for customer satisfaction.“
Shafia M. Monroe, DEM, CDT, MPH
