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Conducting a Cultural

Competency Agency

Assessment

Paula Mann-Agnew and Linda S. Spears

Catholic Charities -Archdiocese of Hartford

Child Welfare League of America

pagnew@ccaoh.orglspears@cwla.org

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Agenda

Why we attend to culture in childwelfare & other fields

Defining and building a cultural

framework for agency assessment &collaboration

Building capacity to do the work

Considering policy, program, practices

needed to achieve this goal. Best practice from the field.

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Data and Information

Poverty rates for 22% of children livebelow the poverty level (US Census, 2010).

Children in Poverty (Addy, Engelhardt, &

Curtis, 2013). 65% of African American children

65% of Latino children,

63% of American Indian children,

31% of white children areclassified as low income

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Data and Information

African American children aredisproportionately reported to thechild welfare system by community

reporters including friends, family,and social services (GAO, 2007).

Children of color also have morecontact with mandated reporters dueto their involvement in public services.(GAO, 2007).

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Data and Information

Data about investigations decisionsfor children of color is unclear

African American & American Indianchildren are more likely to be removed

from their families and placed infoster care

White children & families are morelikely to be provided with in-home

services. 25% to 35% of American Indian

children in some states were removedfrom their homes & placed in foster

care or adoptive homes.

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Data and Information

Native American children were 13times more likely to be removed fromtheir families than were non-Indianchildren.

African American and Hispanicchildren were more likely to be placedwith relatives (32% and 48%respectively) than White children(27%).

The GAO report found that theaverage stay of African Americanchildren in foster care is 9 monthslonger than Whites.

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Basis for the Work

CWLA Standards state:

Children have a right to understandtheir heritage; to preserve their

connections to culture and religions;to learn and preserve their traditions;and to have adults and peers supporttheir development of strong and

healthy racial, ethnic, cultural, andreligious identity.

CWLA National Blueprint for Excellence in ChildWelfare, 2013

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Basis for our Work

CWLA Standards state:

Children should not be treatedunfairly on any basis, whatever their

race, religion, or abilities; whateverthey think or say; and whatever theirfamily background or familyconstellation..All children should be

protected from discrimination.

CWLA National Blueprint for Excellence in ChildWelfare, 2013

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Basis for our Work

CWLA Standards state:

Each entity should examine disparities

in its service delivery, as well as waysin which it contributes to racial,ethnic and other disproportionalitiesthat negatively impact children, youth,

and families.CWLA National Blueprint for Excellence in Child

Welfare, 2013

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Frameworks for the Work

Historical frameworks that havedriven discussions aboutdifference: Civil liberties, civil rights Cultural sensitivity

Cultural competence

Culturally responsive/diversity

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Old Frameworks

Frameworks that define theproblem in child welfare

Overrepresentatiom

Disproportionality

Disparity inequitable treatment,services, and outcomes for children ofcolor

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New Frameworks

Equity

a social outcome measure thatoccurs when the distribution ofsocietys resources,opportunities, and burdens are

not predictable by race.

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Fostering Equity

Understanding structural racism

Our own history as a nation hascreated a set of values and

principles about women, children,and people of color that stillunderpin our world

In this context we can default to

creating policies, practices andbeliefs that directly or indirectlysupport racism

Invisible cultural imperatives(Sotomayor)

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Commitment to change

Info gathering

Education

Personal commitment

Negotiation Direct action (political,

communication)

Reconciliation (restoring the

relationship)

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Understanding Our Goals

Setting a goal for equity in practicethat is both visionary & concrete .

Setting a process for the work Exploration

Experimentation or testing

Evaluation & feedback

Execution

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Fostering Equity in the Organization

Cultural competence requiresthat organizations: Value and manage diversity

Self-assess on an ongoing basis Learn and institutionalize cultural

knowledge

Function in the context ofcommunities served

Cross, 1989

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Fostering Equity in the Organization

Self- assessment involves

Governance and Leadership

Administration and Management

Policy Program Design, Structure, &

Operations

Frontline Practice

Child and Family Participation

Community and Stakeholder Input

CWLA,2003

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Key Steps in Agency Self-Assessment

Creating a work process that fostersbuy-in and establishes a commonvision. Work group to guide the process

Dialogs which identifies share concerns,

common goals, etc. Open communication/transparency

Cultural context for the group

Safety & supported risk taking

Developing the self-assessmentprotocol What information is needed?

From whom?

How will it be collected?

Goode, 2010; Nash & Velazquez, 2003

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Key Steps in Agency Self-Assessment

Collect, analyze and disseminate data toinform the work plan

National and Community-wide

Agency and archival data Self-assessment surveys

Interviews and Focus Groups

Goode, 2010; Nash & Velazquez, 2003

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Fostering Equity in the Organization

Self- assessment is a tool thatsupport a larger developmentalprocess, therefore:

It is not a one time event It should be inclusive

It should be used to create a dialogue

AND an action plan

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Creating Equity in Policy and Programs

Family and community engagement not just a seat at the table

Innovation vs. Evidence Based

Non-bias in decision making -objective child safety measures, andnot cultural, racial, or socioeconomicbiases (outcome not intent).

Applying the impact lens on alldecisions

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Additional information

available at:

WWW.CWLA.ORG