Organizational cultural competence in community health and social service organizations: how to conduct a self-assessment.
In an effort to address the significant socio-cultural changes in the population demographics of the United States (US) and Canada, organizations are increasingly seeking ways of improving their level of cultural competence. Evaluating organizational cultural competence is essential to address the needs of ethnic and cultural minorities. Yet, research related to organizational cultural competence is relatively new. The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature with a specific focus on: (1) identifying the key standards that define culturally competent community health and social service organizations; and (2) outlining the core elements for evaluating cultural competence in a health and social service organization. Furthermore, issues related to choosing self-assessment tools and conducting an evaluation will be explored.
Olavarria
Marcela
M
Center for Research on Educational and Community Services & School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. molav006@uottawa.ca
Beaulac
Julie
J
Bélanger
Alexandre
A
Young
Marta
M
Aubry
Tim
T
D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D054521:Cultural Competency / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003625:Data Collection; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010934:Planning Techniques; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011367:Professional Staff Committees / Q000458:organization & administration; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration