First 5 LA Holds Cultural Competency Training

To help support our grantees with adjusting to L.A. County's changing demographic, First 5 LA earlier this month hosted a day-long training for practitioners and administrators to focus on what it means to provide effective services to a culturally diverse population. Drawing in more than 150 attendees eager to learn about cultural competency, the training emphasized why learning about the cultural aspects of a new client base is fundamental to providing effective services.

The training was conducted by Margaret Hughes, a Cal State San Bernardino Adjunct Professor and a specialist in gang violence, community activism and political advocacy. Hughes addressed the various layers that define culture, and encouraged participants to explore how those layers can manifest themselves differently for different people.

"The social services fields have traditionally used a one-size-fits-all model of service delivery in the United States," said Hughes. "Those fields are now recognizing the need to adapt their traditional model to the cultural models of immigrants. [This group is] to be commended for taking steps to move their agencies and personnel toward cultural competence."

Empowerment theory was also covered in the training. Attendees learned that striving to meet the needs of a client in congruence with their culture, strengths and skills can assist in empowering that client to further their own self-sufficiency, and maintain freedom to live within their own values.

The day ended with a clear definition of cultural competence: an acceptance and respect of cultural differences; consistent advancement of cultural knowledge; consistent cultural self-assessment; and adoption of culturally relevant service delivery models to better meet needs. Also conveyed was the message that adopting cultural competency as an agency is an ongoing process, and to be patient but persistent.

To learn more about the training, contact Lee Werbel at (213) 428-7554, or lwerbel@first5la.org. To access the Pew study, click here.