November 2010Vol. 11, No. 9Assessing for Cultural Competence

The National Center for Cultural Competence recently published A Guide for Using the Cultural and Linguistic Competence Family Organization Assessment Instrument. The CLCFOA was developed as a self-assessment tool for family organizations dealing with children and youth who have mental, emotional, and/or behavioral health disorders or special health-care needs or disabilities, and it was designed to help these organizations do the following:

• Plan for and incorporate culturally and linguistically competent policies, structures, and practices in all aspects
• Enhance the quality of services and supports they deliver within culturally diverse and underserved communities
• Promote cultural and linguistic competence as an essential approach in the elimination of disparities and the promotion of equality

The recently published guide gives detailed instructions to help organizations use the CLCFOA in a self-assessment that can help them gauge how well they are meeting the needs of diverse populations. The guide recommends using a four-phase approach to the self-assessment process, including:

1. Establish a structure to guide the work
2. Create a shared vision and shared ownership
3. Collect, analyze, and disseminate data
4. Develop and implement a plan of action

For each phase, the guide gives more detailed instructions and tips on how to best go about conducting each stage of the assessment.

Link to the guide on the National Center for Cultural Competence website:

www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/documents/NCCC_CLCFOAGuide.pdf (169 KB)