Cultural Competency Resources

Cultural competency is defined as the capacity to function in more than one culture, requiring the ability to appreciate, understand, and interact with members of diverse populations within the local community. NRCAC works with State Chapters, CACs and MDTs to assess community needs and create a plan for outreach to underserved populations.  Attached please find some resources regarding cultural competency assessments and resources for your review.

CULTURAL COMPETENCY RESOURCES

2016 Community Assessment Template

The intent of this template is to help you as you prepare your cultural competency plan to meet accreditation standards for the National Children’s Alliance (NCA). It was developed by the Regional Advocacy Centers, in collaboration with NCA and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC).


Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence -- "Resource Guide for Advocates & Attorneys on Interpretation Services for Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Trafficking Victims"

This resource guide informs how advocacy, interpretation, and language access can be integrated. This Resource Guide from the Interpretation Technical Assistance and Resource Center focus on interpretation for domestic violence, sexual assault, or trafficking victims with limited English proficiency. This national project is an opportunity to build effective systems through collaboration and political will, identify and address problems early on, and be guided by clear strategies.


Child Abuse & Culture: Working with Diverse Families

This book, Child Abuse & Culture: Working with Diverse Families by Lisa Fontes, 2008, provides an accessible framework for culturally competent practice with children and families in child maltreatment cases. Numerous workable strategies and concrete examples are presented to help readers address cultural concerns at each stage of the assessment and intervention process. Professionals and students learn new ways of thinking about their own cultural viewpoints as they gain critical skills for maximizing the accuracy of assessments for physical and sexual abuse; overcoming language barriers in parent and child interviews; respecting families' values and beliefs while ensuring children's safety; creating a welcoming agency environment; and more.


Cultural Competence: Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Welfare Information Gateway provides resources that explore the relationship between culture and child maltreatment, including how child abuse and neglect is viewed in different cultures and how child welfare workers can respond.


Diversity & Inclusion Initiative -- "Step-By-Step: A Guide to Achieving Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace"

TSNE MissionWorks (formerly Third Sector New England) builds the leadership and effectiveness of individuals, groups, and nonprofits to support a more just and democratic society. "Step By Step: A Guide to Achieving Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace" is a template, developed from lessons learned and best practices of the many organizations that have collaborated with the program in a peer learning community. Success for each organization requires adaptation of these guidelines to the unique challenges and goals derived within the context of mission and constituents.


Georgetown University Law School's Center on Poverty and Inequality -- "Girlhood Interrupted:  The Erasure of Black Girls' Childhood"

This groundbreaking study by the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality provides—for the first time— data showing that adults view Black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than their white peers, especially in the age range of 5–14.


Guidance on Cultural Competency & Diversity

A Guide to Implementing NCA Standard: Cultural Competency and Diversity for Children’s Advocacy Centers, created in 2006 by the National Children’s Alliance.


NASW Standards & Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice, 2015

These standards provide focus for the development of culturally competent social work practice. These standards provide guidance to social workers in all areas of social work practice in responding effectively to culture and cultural diversity in policy and practice settings.


National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) Child Abuse Library Online (CaLIO)

NCAC CaLiO has created a bibliography on “Cultural Competency”, February 2017


CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES RESOURCES

A Blueprint for Change: Toward a National Strategy to End Sexual Abuse of Children with Disabilities

This blueprint was created by The Center on Victimization and Safety at the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) is the culmination of Vera's efforts to chart a course for ending sexual abuse of children with disabilities. It offers a summary of these efforts and what was learned, as well as practical suggestions for integrating the needs of children with disabilities into prevention efforts, intervention efforts, and first responses.


CAC Accessibility Toolkit

The CAC Accessibility Toolkit was created by the Children’s Advocacy Center of North Dakota, working with a coalition of professionals from around the nation, to help multidisciplinary professionals better serve children with disabilities who have been abused. This website brings together a number of resources to aid professionals in serving children with various disabilities who are alleged victims of abuse.


Internet Safety for Children with Special Needs

Children with physical, developmental, and learning disabilities may be more susceptible to on- and offline risks, such as abduction, sexual exploitation, online predation, and cyberbullying. NetSmartz Workshop educates children ages 5-17 about these risks and teaches them effective strategies for protecting themselves.


FORENSIC INTERVIEWING AND INTERPRETER RESOURCES

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Tips for working with interpreters

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 191,500 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students.


American Translator’s Association

ATA was established to advance the translation and interpreting professions and foster the professional development of individual translators and interpreters.


Best Practices: National Consortium of Interpreter Education Center (2009)

This document sets forth the Best Practices and Protocols for American Sign Language Interpreters working within the court and legal settings.


Guide for Forensic Interviewing of Spanish-Speaking Children

Guide for Forensic Interviewing of Spanish-Speaking Children, Second Edition: A Publication of The Center for Innovation & Resources, Inc., 2011.


Limited English Proficiency (LEP); A Federal Interagency Website

This website outlines Federal laws particularly applicable to language access include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Title VI regulations, prohibiting discrimination based on national origin, and Executive Order 13166 issued in 2000. Many individual federal programs, states, and localities also have provisions requiring language services for LEP individuals.


National Association of the Deaf

The NAD is the nation's premier civil rights organization of, by, and for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the United States of America.


National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) Child Abuse Library Online (CaLIO)

National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) Child Abuse Library Online (CaLIO) has created a bibliography on “Use of Interpreters in Forensic Interviews.


Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf strives to advocate for best practices in interpreting, professional development for practitioners and for the highest standards in the provision of interpreting services for diverse users of languages that are signed or spoken.


LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUESTIONING, QUEER, INTERSEX, ASEXUAL (LGBTQIA) RESOURCES

Center for Disease Control and Prevention – LGBT youth resources

Resources from the CDC, other government agencies, and community organizations for LGBT Youth, their friends, educators, parents, and family members to support positive environments.


Child Welfare Information Gateway, Resources for Families of LGBTQ Youth

This resource is intended to help families support their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth; understand what to expect; and learn how to talk about a number of issues that may be impacting their youth.


LGBTQ Youth and Sexual Abuse: Information for Mental Health Professionals

The NCTSN Child Sexual Abuse Collaborative Group has published a 7-page tip sheet which mental health practitioners will find invaluable in their work with lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans, and queer youth. LGBTQ Youth and Sexual Abuse: Information for Mental Health Professionals provides a short glossary of relevant terms; a chart delineating the continuums of sex, gender, and sexual orientation; brief summaries of issues concerning LGBTQ youth and their parents related to sexual orientation and sexual abuse; a table of common myths and stereotypes about LGBTQ youth and sexual abuse; recommendations for practitioners and agencies on counseling LGBTQ youth; and guidance in treating LGBTQ youth following sexual abuse.


National Center for Transgender Equality

The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people.  NCTE was founded in 2003 by transgender activists who recognized the urgent need for policy change to advance transgender equality.


National LGBT Health Education Center at Fenway Institute

The National LGBT Health Education Center provides educational programs, resources, and consultation to health care organizations with the goal of optimizing quality, cost-effective health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.


National Transgender Law Center

The National Transgender Law Center works to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.


Safe Spaces. Safe Places: Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Environments for Traumatized LGBTQ Youth

The NCTSN Child Sexual Abuse committee has created a new video that highlights the effect of trauma on LGBTQ youth, describes how bias impedes optimal care, and provides practical steps for creating safe and welcoming environments for traumatized LGBTQ youth.


TRIBAL RESOURCES

Capacity Building Center for Tribes -- Center for Tribes Webinar Library

The webinar library on the Capacity Building Center for Tribes website holds webinars on multiple topics concerning the welfare of Indigenous youth, including ICWA workgroups, understanding and supporting the native LGBTQ community, and Indigenous Healing.


Indian Country Child Trauma Center (ICCTC)

The Indian Country Child Trauma Center (ICCTC) was established to develop trauma-related treatment protocols, outreach materials, and service delivery guidelines specifically designed for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and their families. The Indian Country Child Trauma Center is part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative. It is housed at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.


Indian County Criminal Jurisdictional Chart 2017

Indian County Criminal Jurisdictional Chart 2017 for crimes committed within Indian Country as defined by 18 U.S.C. ' 1151(a), (b) & (c) -(a) formal & informal reservations [tribal trust lands] (including rights-of-way/roads), (b) dependent Indian communities, and (c) Indian allotments held in trust (including rights-of-way/roads).


Listen and Learn

A process for initiating collaboration between Tribal Communities and Children's Advocacy Centers. Contact admin@nrcac.org for more information.


National Indian Child Welfare Association

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was enacted in 1978 in response to a crisis affecting American Indian and Alaska Native children, families, and tribes. Studies revealed that large numbers of Native children were being separated from their parents, extended families, and communities by state child welfare and private adoption agencies. The intent of Congress under ICWA was to “protect the best interests of Indian children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families” (25 U.S.C. § 1902).

The Indian Child Welfare Act 1978


Native American Children's Alliance

NACA is a national, nonprofit organization consisting of Native American child abuse professionals and allied partners dedicated to end the epidemic of child abuse in Indian Country.  NACA was established in 1999 by a small group of Native American mothers who recognized a significant need for appropriate and comprehensive services for Indian children who were victims of abuse.  Since that time, NACA has assisted tribes with establishing child advocacy centers (CACs), developed a reputation for being the foremost trainer on child abuse matters in Indian Country and served to facilitate multi-jurisdictional collaborations and cooperative agreements in spite of historical difficulties and limited resources.


The Tribal Law & Policy Institute

The Tribal Law and Policy Institute has worked extensively with issues relating to child victimization and the development of Tribal-specific resources and strategies to address child abuse and neglect, Child Sexual Abuse and Child Witnesses to Violence and Indian Child Welfare Act issues. Additionally, we seek to collaborate with agencies that have special expertise in these areas as well, such as the National CASA AssociationNational Indian Child Welfare Association and the Native American Children’s Alliance.


We Shall Remain

WE SHALL REMAIN video was created to address the effects of historical trauma in tribal communities. Many times, these untended wounds are at the core of much of the self-inflicted pain experienced in Native America. Much like fire, this pain can either be devastatingly destructive or wisely harnessed to become fuel that helps us to rise up and move forward in life with joy, purpose and dignity.


QUESTIONS?

Didn’t see what you were looking for? Have a question?
Email michele@nrcac.org for more information.

Disclaimer: The resources provided are not an exhaustive list and more may be added in the future. Additionally, many are links to outside websites, which may, from time to time, update their content.