Cultural and Linguistic Competence

What Is Culture?

According to the National Center for Cultural Competence (2004), culture is an integrated pattern of human behavior. It includes the methods of communication, languages, practices, beliefs, values, customs, courtesies, rituals, manners of interacting, roles, relationships, and expected behaviors of a racial, ethnic, religious, social, or political group, as well as the ability to transmit all of the above to succeeding generations.

What is CLC?

Cross, Bazron, Dennis, and Isaacs (1989) define cultural competence as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system or agency or among professionals, enabling them to work effectively and sensitively in cross-cultural situations.

Goode and Jones (2009) define linguistic competence as the capacity to communicate effectively with and convey information in a manner that is easily understood by diverse audiences, including persons with limited English proficiency, those who have low literacy skills or are not literate, individuals with disabilities, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Linguistic competence also includes the capacity to recognize the unique strengths, assets, and challenges that emanate from distinct cultures of origin.

In essence, CLC is about respect for one another, especially for those who are different from oneself. It is also about eliminating disparities in access, availability, quality, utilization, and outcomes in behavioral health, and eliminating disproportions in representation in our child-serving agencies.