This training provides basic information on Cultural Competence for providers of behavioral health services and helps learners identify how culture affects the perception of others.  It describes the importance of understanding our own and other’s culture and values and how they may affect the quality of services for those we serve.  Cultural Competence is a lifelong journey that continues as we become a culturally competent provider. 

Defining Cultural Competence and Its Importance

This course has been designed as an introduction to the philosophy of cultural competency in the behavioral health field. This course provides the participants with the definition of cultural competence as a method and process, not the end result. This course covers the importance of becoming culturally competent to help understand and better serve the end client. 

Becoming More Culturally Competent

This course provides the participants with the skills to develop their own plan to become more culturally competent. By researching, asking questions, and building an understanding of the client's background, participants can create an actionable plan to become more culturally aware. 

Best Practices 

This course also provides the participants with evidence-based best practices for becoming more culturally competent and implementing this competence throughout their practice. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says this about Cultural Competence, "... can be taught through reflective awareness, empathy, active listening techniques, and the cognitive mechanisms contributing to cultural insensitivity or blindness, such as implicit biases or stereotype threats."